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• Training Service Dogs Helps Heal Service Members
• Senior Executive Service Announcement
• Transcom Transforms Command Culture for Future
• Combined Force Detains 3 Insurgents in Kunduz Province
• Face of Defense: Motivated Marine Drives On
• Military OneSource Connects Troops, Families to Resources
• Propwash

Training Service Dogs Helps Heal Service Members Posted: 27 Nov 2012 02:14 PM PST Labrador retriever Huff offers a paw to Rick Yount, executive director of the Warrior Canine Connection, a nonprofit organization in Brookeville, Md., that works with dogs in service training and service members who have post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, while undergoing treatment at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution   Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOD/subscriber/edit?preferences=true#tab1. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com. Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information. Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more. Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/. Updates from the U.S. Department of Defense You are subscribed to American Forces News Articles for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Training Service Dogs Helps Heal Service Members 11/27/2012 03:31 PM CST Training Service Dogs Helps Heal Service Members By Terri Moon Cronk American Forces Press Service BROOKVILLE, Md., Nov. 27, 2012 - The phrase, "a dog is man's best friend" has new meaning for service members undergoing treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Rick Yount, executive director of the Warrior Canine Connection, works his Labrador retriever, Huff, on heeling at his Brookeville, Md. home. Huff is wearing a service dog vest that was made by a former Navy SEAL who was treated at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md. Service members in treatment train the Labradors and retrievers as service dogs for mobility impaired veterans. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. While in treatment, service members can join a program to train dogs for veterans who are mobility impaired, said Rick Yount, executive director of Warrior Canine Connection. "There are tens of thousands of warriors who are trying to transition back [into society]. There are also thousands of veterans on waiting lists who need trained service dogs," Yount explained. At NICoE, Yount encourages service members to volunteer for the program, especially those who might not respond to traditional treatment. "I tell them, 'While you're getting treatment, here's an opportunity to help train a dog for a veteran. You're still a part of the war effort," Yount said. He said it's not just training a dog -- the service members are doing it to care for their fellow veterans. The relationships developed between the service members and the dogs are symbiotic, Yount said, adding that the dog training is an intervention for their post-trauma stress. Service members who join the dog training program at NICoE go through basic commands, and then move on to more complex tasks such as opening doors, turning on light switches and pulling wheelchairs, said Marine Corps Sgt. Jon Gordon, a former NICoE patient and now an intern in service-dog training. Diagnosed with PTSD and TBI following two deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan, Gordon said when traditional therapies didn't seem to work for him, he was sent to Yount. Not enthused at first, Gordon said, he soon saw the power of training dogs. "Working with them, you have to learn to regulate your emotions and tone of voice," he said. The NICoE service members are taught to give authoritative commands, and praise the dog in a high-pitched, excited voice, Yount said. It only took a few sessions with a black Labrador named Birdie for their relationship to click, Gordon said. Gordon said he'd stayed in his apartment and avoided people, ordering in pizza for meals. But after meeting Birdie his life changed dramatically, he said. Now when he has appointments at a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gordon said he has to arrive early to answer all the questions about the dog. No longer avoiding people, Gordon said he is instead raising awareness of the service dog program for mobility-impaired veterans. "When the veterans see Birdie, their faces just light up," he said. Gordon plans to become an occupational therapist, using dogs with patients. "It changed my life," Gordon said of the service dog program. While he used to get little sleep, he now gets about six hours each night, because Birdie is close by. "It saved me from being a nobody and just another statistic," he said. "When you see him making progress, it's rewarding," Gordon said of Birdie, "You see how you actually make a difference in training the dog." Birdie "gave me a reason to get up in the morning and do something," Gordon added. Yount said it's the release of the hormone oxytocin in the body that relaxes people who are around a dog. "It's a powerful drug," he said. Yount said the two goals of the program involve encouraging the healing capacity of the service member and motivating them to engage in the power of the warrior ethos. He recounted a visit from a member of Congress at NICoE, who asked a service member what he got out of the canine training. "He told him, 'Before I started training this dog, my wife and I were getting ready to divorce,'" Yount said. 'I treated my 3-year-old son like a stubborn private. I used the "praise voice" on him, and it really taught me how to connect with my 3-year-old son on a 3-year-old level.'" But training dogs is not an easy task, Yount said. "Dogs have a natural ability to challenge leadership. Training is based on patience and assertiveness. It's a process," he said. And the dogs learn how service members with PTSD and TBI react, Yount said. Those suffering from PTSD tend to keep to themselves but "a dog won't let you do that," he said. "We have to come up with ways of retraining these warriors, because they go through training to keep their emotions from interfering in combat, and the trauma they experience in combat has that emotional numbing impact," Yount said. "Then how do we reboot them to 'come back' when they [return home to] infants, toddlers and teenagers?" The next step is research, Yount said. "We want to prove it and look at its efficacy," he said of the dog and service member bonding," he said. "We want to maximize the therapeutic effect of working with these dogs."   Related Sites: Warrior Canine Connection National Intrepid Center of Excellence Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Labrador retriever Huff is praised for retrieving his leash and giving it to Rick Yount, executive director of the Warrior Canine Connection, a nonprofit organization in Brookeville, Md., that works with dogs in service training and service members who have post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, while undergoing treatment at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution

Senior Executive Service Announcement Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:00 AM PST You are subscribed to News Releases for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Senior Executive Service Announcement 11/27/2012 12:52 PM CST IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 928-12 November 27, 2012 Senior Executive Service Announcement             Ruth L. Moser has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service and is assigned as director, space programs and policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C.  Moser previously served as program analyst, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C.     U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) On the Web: http://www.defense.gov/releases/ Media Contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132 Public Contact: http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1 Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your User Profile Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com. Updates from the U.S. Department of Defense

Transcom Transforms Command Culture for Future Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:56 AM PST You are subscribed to American Forces News Articles for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Transcom Transforms Command Culture for Future 11/27/2012 11:49 AM CST Transcom Transforms Command Culture for Future By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., Nov. 27, 2012 - Motivational speakers and book clubs focused on innovative thinking, emotional intelligence and other trendy topics. Regular sessions where senior leaders sit down with a random group of staffers to share a meal and talk about cultural virtues. Professional development emphasizing "people skills" as well as job-related ones. And in the planning stages, "speed dating" arrangements in which employees from different offices will come together to introduce themselves and explain how their jobs fit into the broader mission. With people as its most important resource, U.S. Transportation Command officials are working to develop a corps of enterprise-focused professionals as a pillar of the command's new five-year strategy. Here, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Marty Klukas, Transcom's senior enlisted leader, talks with airmen about the command's global transportation and distribution mission, July 25, 2012. DOD photo by Bob Fehringer (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Sound like something out of Silicon Valley or an Internet startup run by twenty-somethings? Wrong. You'll find it here at U.S. Transportation Command, where Air Force Gen. William M. Fraser III and his senior staff have embarked on an all-out effort to transform the organization. Transcom's recently released five-year strategy puts a premium on the workforce that drives the Defense Department's global transportation and distribution network. The goal, explained Air Force Brig. Gen. John E. Michel, Transcom's chief change and learning strategist, is to develop "enterprise-focused professionals" who take pride in their individual contributions and recognize their collective role in propelling the command forward. "One of the No. 1 goals is to decrease a sense of independence that has naturally occurred over time by virtue of people being focused on their great thing, to create a sense of greater interdependence and understanding about how we all fit in so we can move forward together," Michel said. To do so, leaders are emphasizing four key values: collaboration that breaks down organizational stovepipes and creates a unity of effort; trust across the enterprise that extends to operational partners and customers; empowerment that enables people to engage, make decisions and embrace smart risk-taking; and innovation that challenges ineffective, outdated practices and unleashes creativity. "The question is, 'How do we bring the headquarters together in a common sense of purpose, surrounded by these cultural values?" said Army Maj. Gen. Gregory E. Couch, Transcom's chief of staff. "Our strategy is to build on these four cultural virtues as we go forward." Focusing on "soft skills" is common in the business world and academia, Michel recognized, but not necessarily in the military. "We get a little freaked out in the military talking about soft skills because we are warfighters," he said. "But find a business out there that doesn't tell you that this is where it all starts and ends. Even if we are warfighters, I think we also realize that we are inherently relational creatures." Such a level of introspection is unusual for Transcom, which traditionally has focused on its customers' requirements, said Air Force Col. Shawna O'Brien, director of manpower and personnel. But by shining the spotlight on itself, she said the command can see where it needs to redirect its energies to improve overall operations. "This will help us identify how we can enhance what we do and provide better support and service for our customers," O'Brien said. "It is what will enable us to adapt to meet the requirements of the future joint force." Anyone who has worked in a big organization knows that change doesn't come easily, Couch acknowledged. It's particularly difficult in the military, where each service has its own way of doing things and commanders rotate regularly, along with their pet programs and areas of emphasis. So Fraser has committed to making an indelible mark on the command culture, leading the effort himself and elevating cultural change to a pillar of the most sweeping strategy in Transcom's 25-year history. "The difference here is that this is tagged on with the strategy that is going to be a living document," Couch said. "And our goal is that when the current leadership leaves, there is no reversing this. It's non-reversible. A new commander may change the buzzwords, but these things will now be inculcated into what we are doing here as an organization." Fraser, his deputy commander, Army Lt. Gen. Kathleen Gainey, and Couch personally lead many of the activities promoting that goal. "There is no other place in the [Defense] Department, I bet, where you will find that the senior leadership is as engaged and invested in this from the top down," Michel said. "They are not just writing it in a paper and saying 'Go for it.' They are saying 'Follow me.' They are living the virtues, taking time out of their calendar to lead leader-led lunches, driving the book club and looking for meaningful, active ways to promote the effort." These engagements are designed to open the command to new ways of thinking and to create opportunities for candid exchanges simply not possible within the traditional chain-of-command structure, said Diana Roach, Transcom's chief of change management. For example, Couch periodically invites about a dozen people at a time to his on-base quarters, where he prepares and serves lunch and opens the floor to whatever topics group members want to discuss. "No issues are off the table," he said, whether it's about a technicality in the strategic plan or a pay problem. "That's what it's really all about," Couch said. "It's about opening communication." This communication -- through personal contact, a "third-deck blog" that enables members of the command to address the leadership directly or other initiatives -- has generated some surprising insights. Contractors at the command, for example, expressed distaste for the color-coded lanyards bearing their identification tags that differentiated them from the federal and military workforce. "We heard through the blog that people didn't like this. They felt that culturally we had built an institutional barrier," Michel said. So as Fraser unveiled the new strategy in late October, he distributed new lanyards, all identical and bearing the Transcom motto, 'Together we deliver," to everyone in the command. "This is just one small gesture that shows his willingness to take down barriers and promote a sense of unity across the command," Michel said. Open communication and unity will be vital to Transcom's long-term success, he said, particularly entering a post-conflict era with diminishing requirements and resources. "We are fundamentally in the relationship business at Transcom," Michel said. "At the end of the day, we are our best when we are successful in our relationships, inside [the command] and out. And if our relationships aren't as strong as they could be, we can't be nearly as effective as we need to be." By improving its effectiveness, Transcom will provide better services at a lower cost to its customers, Couch said. "So as we go through this process, the big question that underpins it is, 'How do we do things that are efficient and effective for our government?'" he said. "Ultimately, that is what comes out of this." Every member of Transcom has a role to play in the effort, Couch said, shaping the culture that will define the command 10 or 15 years into the future. "We all know that we aren't going to change overnight," he said. "But change never happens unless you start working at it. And that is what we are doing here at U.S. Transportation Command."   Biographies: Air Force Gen. William M. Fraser III Army Maj. Gen. Gregory E. Couch Air Force Brig. Gen. John E. Michel Air Force Col. Shawna O'Brien Related Sites: U.S. Transportation Command With people as its most important resource, U.S. Transportation Command officials are working to develop a corps of enterprise-focused professionals as a pillar of the command's new five-year strategy. Here, Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Marty Klukas, Transcom's senior enlisted leader, addresses a leadership conference at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., Aug. 9, 2012. DOD photo by Bob Fehringer Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution   Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOD/subscriber/edit?preferences=true#tab1. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com. Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information. Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more. Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/. Updates from the U.S. Department of Defense

Combined Force Detains 3 Insurgents in Kunduz Province Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:54 AM PST You are subscribed to American Forces News Articles for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Combined Force Detains 3 Insurgents in Kunduz Province 11/27/2012 11:40 AM CST Combined Force Detains 3 Insurgents in Kunduz Province From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 27, 2012 - An Afghan-led, coalition-supported security force detained three suspected insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader in the Archi district of Afghanistan's Kunduz province today, military officials reported. Officials describe the wanted Taliban leader as an improvised explosive device facilitator who coordinates IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. Also today, a combined force operating in Kandahar province's Shah Wali Kot district arrested a Taliban facilitator suspected of being responsible for overseeing IED and mine emplacements. He is also suspected of training other Taliban insurgents to build and test IEDs. The combined force also detained three suspects and seized multiple weapons. In Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- A local Taliban leader, Amirullah, was killed during an Afghan-coalition security operation in the Watahpur district of Kunar province. Amirullah was involved in the unsuccessful Nov. 12 suicide attack that targeted the anti-terrorism chief in Kunar province's Asadabad district. Amirullah was also involved in coordinating the movement of weapons, ammunition and various military supplies for insurgents in the province. -- One insurgent was killed during an Afghan-coalition security operation in the Shahid-e-Hasas district of Uruzgan province. The combined force also destroyed two caches that contained materials used in the construction of IEDs.   Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force   Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOD/subscriber/edit?preferences=true#tab1. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com. Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information. Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more. Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/. Updates from the U.S. Department of Defense

Face of Defense: Motivated Marine Drives On Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:51 AM PST You are subscribed to American Forces News Articles for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Face of Defense: Motivated Marine Drives On 11/27/2012 11:34 AM CST Face of Defense: Motivated Marine Drives On By Marine Corps Cpl. Mark Garcia Regional Command Southwest CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Nov. 27, 2012 - The drive to become a Marine and gain acceptance into the tight-knit family is what inspired Staff Sgt. Monica Paz to enlist in July 2000. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Monica Paz in Helmand province, Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Mark Garcia (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. A veteran of two previous combat deployments to Iraq, Paz is currently serving as the accounting division chief and squadron support division chief for Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. "I originally wanted to go to college, but I really wasn't set on what I wanted to study and didn't want to waste my parents' money," said Paz, from Miami. "The Marine Corps was the hardest. It seemed like it was the most challenging branch of the military. I didn't want to regret something that I didn't do, and my mother always encouraged me to go ahead and accomplish something no matter how hard it was." When Paz left for recruit training, she had no idea what her job would be in the Marine Corps. "My main focus was, 'I'm going to be a Marine.' I didn't care what job they gave me," Paz said. Although Paz came in with an open contract, she has worked to become a proficient leader. "As a Marine, she's top notch," said Master Gunnery Sgt. Robert Mena, aviation supply chief with MALS-16, 3rd MAW (Fwd). "She's well rounded and embodies the whole Marine concept. She definitely has a very positive staff noncommissioned officer future ahead of her. She's a mentor to a lot of Marines. She's fantastic at her job, and I couldn't ask for anything better. She's motivated and is constantly seeking improvement and trying to make processes better." During her 12 years in the Marine Corps, Paz's most difficult tour was her time as a drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. Paz reported to the drill field in July 2007. Paz noted both the mental and physical challenges associated with the job. "It was the toughest thing I have ever done," Paz said. "In my mind, it's harder than deploying. Physically it hurt. It was one of the biggest sacrifices I've ever had to make both to my time and my body, and mentally, it was hard." Paz credits former drill instructors for her interest in that job. "My drill instructors are what motivated me to follow in their footsteps," she said. "I saw them, and they were extremely tough. They didn't allow us to be mediocre, and they pushed us to the limit. I know that they changed my life." Since leaving the drill field, Paz has run into several of her former recruits both in garrison and while deployed to Afghanistan. "It's really good when you get to see former recruits be successful," Paz said. "Even if they don't re-enlist and decide to get out, they're on the right path to having successful futures. They've gained a lot of knowledge being in the Marine Corps." Sgt. Brenna Aspera, a radio chief with Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, 3rd MAW (Fwd), is a former recruit of Paz's and was able to see her former drill instructor while deployed to Afghanistan. "It's pretty cool because the Marine Corps is pretty small, so being able to run into someone you knew from so long ago out here in Afghanistan is crazy," Aspera said. Aspera has plans of becoming a drill instructor herself and said she will try to mirror Paz's dedication. "I was actually thinking about becoming a drill instructor because I need to do a [secondary billet] soon," Aspera said. "I will definitely try to emulate Staff Sgt. Paz and what she was as a drill instructor. She was a good drill instructor. She was definitely somebody to look up to." After completing her tour on the drill field, Paz found out she had a health issue. "For a moment I thought I was done with the Marine Corps," Paz said. "I thought that I wouldn't be able to stay in. I had spinal cord surgery after completing my time in the drill field and finding out I had a serious spinal cord problem. They had to go in there and take out bits of my spine and everything. So it's been very hard to get back physically to where I am now." Despite her injury, Paz will continue to push forward in the Marine Corps and hopes to serve 20 years before pursuing a job as a pharmacist. "It crosses every Marine's mind whether they want to stay in for the full 20 years or get out," Paz said. "It crossed my mind once or twice. But just the thought of waking up in the morning and not putting on my uniform or never being able to go to a Marine Corps Ball again just didn't feel right." During this deployment, Paz was working near the flight line during an attack on Camp Bastion in September. "It was very real. Being in the air wing, it's not very common for us to go through something like that. It was definitely an eye opener, but once everything was said and done and you saw how the Marines reacted, you witnessed that they did good things and what you taught them in boot camp still sticks with them to this day. They weren't afraid and they just did what they had to do." While deployed to Afghanistan, Paz will continue to look after the unit's funding and ensure the service members in MALS-16 have enough equipment to accomplish their missions.     Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOD/subscriber/edit?preferences=true#tab1. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com. Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information. Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more. Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/. Updates from the U.S. Department of Defense

Military OneSource Connects Troops, Families to Resources Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:45 AM PST You are subscribed to American Forces News Articles for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Military OneSource Connects Troops, Families to Resources 11/27/2012 07:58 AM CST Military OneSource Connects Troops, Families to Resources By Amaani Lyle American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 2012 - As the Information Age continues to shape modern communication, the Defense Department has revitalized and consolidated the Military OneSource website to better serve military members and their families, a Pentagon official said in a recent interview. Zona Lewis, military community outreach online and resource operations manager, told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service that the Military OneSource overhaul incorporates new functionalities, enhanced social media platforms and multiple access methods. "We took this opportunity to look at industry best practices, to look at social media capabilities and to investigate making a mobile platform," Lewis said. "People are accessing information on their phones and iPads today. They're not waiting until they get home or back to the office to get that information on a computer." The revamping, Lewis said, comes at the behest of President Barack Obama, who sought an overall reduction of government websites, prompting DOD officials to have Military OneSource absorb MilitaryHomefront. "We looked for commonalities to merge the sites," Lewis explained. "Though MilitaryHomefront had a service and family member component, it was ... geared toward leadership and service providers [seeking] family programs, policy and reports." Officials therefore transferred the leadership and service provider information from soon-to-be retired MilitaryHomefront to the Military OneSource umbrella, Lewis said. "We ... met the expectations we had for the site. We wanted the content to be easy to find, [with] the website easy to use," Lewis said, adding that user-driven content enables more customizable information. "You can see what other people are looking for and see if they're [seeking] the same thing," Lewis said, adding the social media aspect of the site enables users to "retweet," "like" and share mobile- and tablet-friendly information through personal networks. Lewis noted the particular usefulness of the locator and directory widgets, which enable users to type in their installation and instantly connect to local resources and relocation assistance. Military OneSource also provides round-the-clock consultants available worldwide to assist with family life topics ranging from moving to nonmedical counseling referral, including anger management and communication skills. "Military OneSource offers 12 nonmedical counseling sessions per issue per person in your family at no cost," Lewis said. "[This] is your quality of life program so call, click and connect. We're there for you."   Related Sites: Military OneSource Mobile Website Military OneSource   Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOD/subscriber/edit?preferences=true#tab1. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com. Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information. Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more. Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/. Updates from the U.S. Department of Defense

Propwash Posted: 27 Nov 2012 01:08 AM PST ----------------------------------------------------------------- Aero-News Network "Propwash" E-Mail Aero-News Summary A Free E-Mail Newsletter ISSN: 11.27.12 Issue 155/27 Aero-News.Net 'Propwash' Daily News Provided to registered subscribers, Daily: ISSN: 1530-9339 For Subscribe/Unsubscribe procedures: Manage Your Subscription here For Subscribe/Unsubscribe procedures and Privacy Statement, scroll to end. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to this day's ANN 'Propwash' Daily News Brief. We welcome and encourage your comments, criticism and suggestions... and hope that you'll become active members of the ANN community, though we'd like to ask you one big favor... PLEASE TELL EVERYONE ABOUT AERO-NEWS! NEWS SUMMARY: Remember... You Have to Go to www.aero-news.net to read the WHOLE story! There's much more! ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANN Daily Sponsor: 11.27.12 Edition: Trial Date Set In Avidyne – L3 Patent Suit Proceedings Set To Begin in February A U.S. District Court has set the date for a jury trial in a long-standing patent dispute between Avidyne and L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, Inc. Trial is scheduled to begin in February 2013. The lawsuit began in 2005, after L-3 charged Avidyne with patent infringement based on sales of its early model EXP5000 Primary Flight Displays (PFD) that are part of Avidyne’s Entegra integrated flight deck system for general aviation aircraft. The Entegra sales involved in the suit took place between late 2004 and mid-2005, and L-3's infringement claim is limited to only those sales. Avidyne’s Entegra system was revised in mid-2005, and none of Avidyne's later Entegra models, including the latest Release 9, are implicated in the lawsuit. Avidyne denies that its early-version Entegra PFD ever infringed L-3’s patent, and also alleges that L-3’s patent is invalid. According to Dan Schwinn, President and CEO of Avidyne, “L-3 claims it invented a basic method of calibrating an attitude indicator to correct for the alignment of the device in the aircraft. Far from being a novel invention, calibrating an attitude device is something that was well known long before the patent was filed. Every attitude indicator ever made has had to be properly calibrated,” he said in a news release Monday. L-3 had a development program for a competing integrated flight deck system for general aviation aircraft known as Smartdeck. Smartdeck was not completed and did not receive FAA approval until 2008, several years after the period in question, and was never adopted by any aircraft manufacturer. L-3 originally sought damages based on the profits from sales of Smartdeck it allegedly would have received, if the system had been available commercially at the time in 2004-05. In a ruling issued by the court in Boston in March 2012, however, L-3's damage claim for lost profits was summarily denied. “Avidyne has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars defending against what it views as a baseless claim," Schwinn said. "It is likely that L-3 has incurred attorneys’ fees that significantly dwarf Avidyne’s. With no hope of recovering lost profits damages, it is doubtful that L-3 can ever recoup the amount of money it has spent on this litigation, even if the jury were to find in L-3’s favor.” FMI: www.avidyne.com For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/genav.cfm?ContentBlockID=bafa23e2-d001-42ed-90c7-32b122928814 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Classic Aero-TV: Seated On The Edge Of Forever -- A PPC's Bird's Eye View A Segment Of The Sport Aviation World That Truly Lives "Low And Slow" Pity the life of ANN's Chief videographer, Nathan Cremisino... shoot the most exciting aircraft in the world, attend the most intriguing events in the aerospace community... and now and then, just fly along to geek out at how cool aviation, in all its many forms, can be. Yeah... Nathan has a hard life... as you can plainly see by this video shot at the Popular Rotorcraft Association Fly-In in Mentone, IN. The event, normally populated by rotorcraft, shared the skies with quite a few members of the powered parachuting community and it was clear that every one had a ball. Every year, the most dedicated fans of sport rotorcraft journey to a sleepy little airport in Mentone. The town hosts a pretty neat little airport that, among it many claims to fame, is the home of the Popular Rotorcraft Association and a dynamite yearly rotorcraft gathering that gets its buzz on right after Oshkosh. First invited to the event in 2010, the addition of Powered Parachutes has gone well. The PPCs do most of their flying during periods of low wind in the morning and around dusk, and the gyroplanes, which are better suited to (and more fun in) moderate winds fill the sky through the remainder of the day. For a glimpse at what all the fuss is about, climb aboard a PPC, with ANN's Nathan Cremisino and find out for yourself. FMI: www.pra.org, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/sport.cfm?ContentBlockID=f33da248-861a-4aa7-9ed7-b1143181b450 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Navy Releases RFP For VXX Helicopter Program First Step In Replacing 'Marine One' VIP Transport Aircraft The U.S. Navy has released a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) beginning once again the process of replacing the helicopters which transport the President under the "Marine One" call sign. The RFP is the first step in the process of acquiring an aircraft to replace the aging fleet of VH-60N “Night Hawks” and VH-3D “Sea Kings,” both produced by Sikorsky. According to the Navy draft RFP document, "the baseline aircraft from which the VXX will be derived should be certified by the FAA, a recognized civil airworthiness authority with bi-lateral agreement with the FAA, United States (U.S.) Military airworthiness certification authority or possess a clear, imminent path (to be demonstrated by the Offeror) to such certification if and when any proposals are submitted in response to a formal solicitation. "The Government does not intend to impose bottom-up airworthiness criteria that would drive redesign, but plans to leverage the current certification basis with the cognizant civil or U.S. Military airworthiness certification authority to achieve a NAVAIR flight clearance. "The Prime Contractor will be responsible for: 1) obtaining delta certification of the integrated VXX platform from the original certification authority, and 2) maintaining continued airworthiness certification of the integrated VXX platform with the original certification authority. In the event that the original certification authority is a foreign entity, certain elements of the VXX integration will require certification by a U.S. certification authority without the involvement of the original certification authority. For subsystems/components which the original certification authority will not or cannot certify, NAVAIR will provide delta certification of only those subsystems/components as long as such delta certification will not invalidate the certifications from the original certification authority." Of course, this isn't the first time an RFP has been issued in this process. The most recent VXX program was cancelled in 2009 after numerous delays and cost overruns. Lockheed Martin had partnered with AgustaWestland and won the contract with a variant of the AW101 helicopter designated the VH-71 Kestrel. Defense News reports that Lockheed plans to partner with Sikorsky this time around, but only for systems development. Sikorsky reportedly plans to base its bid on an aircraft built around the S-92 airframe. Boeing could get into the competition with an aircraft based on the Chinook, while AgustaWestland plans to partner with Northrop Grumman and re-offer an aircraft based on the AW101. A Navy spokeswoman said that the final RFP is scheduled to be released in March of next year, with the contract award projected to come about a year later. The 2013 Pentagon budget includes about $1.85 billion for the program through 2017. (Pictured, Top VH-71 Kestrel. Bottom Sikorsky S-92) FMI: Draft RFP For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/military.cfm?ContentBlockID=457fe158-d955-4a86-9ec8-2db2c5384e5a ----------------------------------------------------------------- NASA, Roscosmos Assign Veteran Crew To Year-Long Space Station Mission Goal Is To Better Understand How Humans Will React To Extended Spaceflight NASA, the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), and their international partners have selected two veteran spacefarers for a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station in 2015. This mission will include collecting scientific data important to future human exploration of our solar system. NASA has selected Scott Kelly and Roscosmos has chosen Mikhail Kornienko. Kelly (pictured, left) and Kornienko (pictured, right) will launch aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in spring 2015 and will land in Kazakhstan in spring 2016. Kelly and Kornienko already have a connection; Kelly was a backup crew member for the station's Expedition 23/24 crews, where Kornienko served as a flight engineer. The goal of their yearlong expedition aboard the orbiting laboratory is to understand better how the human body reacts and adapts to the harsh environment of space. Data from the 12-month expedition will help inform current assessments of crew performance and health and will determine better and validate countermeasures to reduce the risks associated with future exploration as NASA plans for missions around the moon, an asteroid and ultimately Mars. "Congratulations to Scott and Mikhail on their selection for this important mission," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Their skills and previous experience aboard the space station align with the mission's requirements. The one-year increment will expand the bounds of how we live and work in space and will increase our knowledge regarding the effects of microgravity on humans as we prepare for future missions beyond low-Earth orbit." "Selection of the candidate for the one year mission was thorough and difficult due to the number of suitable candidates from the Cosmonaut corps," said head of Russian Federal Space Agency, Vladimir Popovkin. "We have chosen the most responsible, skilled and enthusiastic crew members to expand space exploration, and we have full confidence in them." Kelly, a captain in the U.S. Navy, is from Orange, N.J. He has degrees from the State University of New York Maritime College and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He served as a pilot on space shuttle mission STS-103 in 1999, commander on STS-118 in 2007, flight engineer on the International Space Station Expedition 25 in 2010 and commander of Expedition 26 in 2011. Kelly has logged more than 180 days in space. Kornienko is from the Syzran, Kuibyshev region of Russia. He is a former paratrooper officer and graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute as a specialist in airborne systems. He has worked in the space industry since 1986 when he worked at Rocket and Space Corporation-Energia as a spacewalk handbook specialist. He was selected as an Energia test cosmonaut candidate in 1998 and trained as an International Space Station Expedition 8 backup crew member. Kornienko served as a flight engineer on the station's Expedition 23/24 crews in 2010 and has logged more than 176 days in space. During the 12 years of permanent human presence aboard the International Space Station, scientists and researchers have gained valuable, and often surprising, data on the effects of microgravity on bone density, muscle mass, strength, vision and other aspects of human physiology. This yearlong stay will allow for greater analysis of these effects and trends. Kelly and Kornienko will begin a two-year training program in the United States, Russia and other partner nations starting early next year. FMI: www.nasa.gov For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/aerospace.cfm?ContentBlockID=88305a22-85e8-4147-9088-732663451415 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Air New Zealand Unveils 'Stunning' Movie-Inspired 777-300 Special Livery Depicts Characters And Scenes From 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' Air New Zealand, which has taken to billing itself a "The official airline of Middle-earth," has unveiled a "stunning" 777-300 aircraft which is set to become a flying billboard for the soon-to-be-released movie "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." Special guests at the unveiling in Auckland, New Zealand, Friday morning were among the first to see the exterior imagery which depicts characters from the upcoming movie, which is the first in a planned trilogy of films from Kiwi director Sir Peter Jackson. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe says the imagery, which extends the full length of the 240-foot-long, is simply stunning. "This aircraft is going to excite passengers and fans of Sir Peter Jackson's award-winning cinema fantasies alike when it begins regular Air New Zealand services between Auckland, Los Angeles and London. New Zealand is the home of Middle-earth and The Hobbit movies will be hugely important to New Zealand's tourism industry in the next couple of years as international tourists are inspired to come and see and experience for themselves the landscapes which have shaped the movies. "We are thrilled to see so many international visitors booked to travel to Wellington for the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey; we want them to experience the magic of Middle-earth as soon as they set foot on this aircraft," Fyfe said. Air New Zealand is also looking forward to having the film-inspired 777-300 make a brief spectacular appearance at the red carpet event in Wellington, just prior to the premiere on November 28. Sue Kroll, Warner Bros. Pictures' President, Worldwide Marketing, says Air New Zealand's involvement is unique. "Air New Zealand has already proven their creativity and innovation with their delightful Middle-earth-inspired safety video, and now this extraordinary aircraft wrap," she said. "We look forward to continuing to work with them in support of the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in the months ahead." "It's wonderful to see such a stunning image to celebrate The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on one of Air New Zealand's largest international aircraft," said film director Sir Peter Jackson. "It's a unique representation of the innovation and creativity of New Zealanders and a great opportunity to show off the incomparably beautiful landscape of this country." Air New Zealand will launch a second flying billboard next year utilizing another of its long haul aircraft to celebrate the second movie in the trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Earlier in the month, Air New Zealand released its most popular in-flight safety video to date. An Unexpected Briefing, which was created by the Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop and starred cast and crew members from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, as well as fans and Air New Zealand's own cabin crew and pilots, has become a global hit with almost 10 million views on YouTube since its release on November 1. (Images provided by Air New Zealand) FMI: www.airnewzealand.com For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=0cfb0274-97f9-4236-b073-8d53d3c43b50 ----------------------------------------------------------------- China Reportedly Conducts First Carrier Ops J-15 Fighter Jet Shown Completing Departures, Traps China's new aircraft carrier reportedly saw its first flight operations recently as a J-15 aircraft has been shown taking off and landing on the deck of the ship. The Associated Press reports that, according to the state-run Chinese Xinhua News Agency, the airplane and its carrier platform "met all requirements" and achieved "good compatibility." Photographs appearing on the Chinese Defense Ministry website show the aircraft taking off and landing on the carrier deck. The ship entered into service September 25, and it is not expected to be combat-ready for some time. But Xinhua said the ship and its crew have completed more than 100 training and testing programs. "We have done all these test flights from the very beginning, and finally we mastered the key skills for the landing of carrier-borne aircraft," said Vice-Admiral Zhang Yongyi, a deputy commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, in a release posted on an English language Chinese Defense Ministry website. Zhang is also the commander-in-chief in charge of the tests and training program of the flight landing. The Liaoning aircraft carrier was originally a Soviet ship that the Chinese purchased unfinished from Ukraine in 1998. It has been undergoing refurbishment since that time. The J-15 is based on the Sukhoi Su-33 fighter-bomber. Xinhua reports that it will be armed with anti-ship, air-to-air, and air-to-ground missiles as well as precision-guided munitions. FMI: http://eng.mod.gov.cn For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/military.cfm?ContentBlockID=dd96b0a3-401f-40e9-be12-498bb65540dc ----------------------------------------------------------------- Third AW169 Performs Its Maiden Flight Program On Schedule For 2014 Certification The third prototype of the new generation 4.5 tonne light intermediate AW169 helicopter recently successfully completed its maiden flight at Cascina Costa in Italy. In a news release announcing the flight, AgustaWestland said a fourth prototype in scheduled to fly in early 2013 and the AW169 program is on schedule to achieve civil certification in 2014. The first two AW169 prototypes, which performed their maiden flights in May 2012 and July 2012, have completed more than 100 flight hours to date. Development activities to be undertaken by the third prototype, the first one featuring retractable landing gear, include climatic chamber tests, cold weather trials, hot & high trials, Cat.A performance tests and certification of optional kits. The AW169 is part of AgustaWestland’s family of new generation helicopters that includes the AW139 and AW189 models. These helicopters all possess the same high performance flight characteristics and safety features and share the same common cockpit concept and design philosophy. This approach will deliver real cost savings in areas such as training, maintenance and support for existing operators of the AW139 who add AW169 and/or AW189 helicopters to their fleets. The first version of the AW169 was launched in July 2010, and has logged orders for more than 70 units so far from customers in North & South America, Asia, Middle East, Europe and Australasia for a wide range of missions including air ambulance, law enforcement, corporate transport, utility and offshore transport. A twin engine helicopter, the AW169 has been designed in response to the growing market demand for an aircraft that delivers high performance, meets all the latest safety standards and has multi-role capabilities. The company says it is the first all new helicopter design in its class in decades. The AW169 incorporates several new technology features in the rotor system, engines, avionics, transmission and electric power generation and distribution systems. The AW169 is powered by two 1,000 shp class PW210A turbo shaft engines which will give the aircraft Vertical Cat. A / Class 1 capability up to ISA+20 at sea level and maximum gross weight. Latest technologies include an APU mode capability and touch screen cockpit devices. The AW169 is set to be the most advanced and cost effective helicopter in its class for EMS, SAR, law enforcement, passenger and offshore transport and utility missions. (Image provided by AgustaWestland) FMI: www.agustawestland.com For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commbus.cfm?ContentBlockID=7170ef03-1494-4f21-b062-b534cb2b71cd ----------------------------------------------------------------- The A350 XWB Is Readied For Static Testing Airbus Also Extends Sharklet Testing To A319 Airbus’ A350 XWB static test airframe has moved into the facility where it will undergo testing to validate the structural design of this next-generation jetliner. The airframe rolled out of the A350 XWB final assembly line at Toulouse, Blagnac Airport earlier this week and was transferred to the L34 static test hall situated across the airport in the Lagardère industrial zone – home to the A380 final assembly line. The move clears the way for the A350 XWB airframe to be integrated into a test rig for a campaign that will submit it to nearly a year of evaluations, including limit load and ultimate load validations, along with residual strength and margin research. The L34 static test hall covers an area of 10,000 square meters, and is supported by 200 workers during peak testing activity. It houses a rig that incorporates 2,500 tons of steel and 240 jacks/loading lines, which are used to induce structural loads. The testing is recorded by some 12,000 sensors. The static test airframe was the first to be built on the A350 XWB’s new Roger Béteille final assembly line in Toulouse, and was the “star” during Airbus’ inauguration ceremony for this production facility in October. The airframe is sized to represent the A350-900 version of Airbus’ newest jetliner family, which is the intermediate aircraft of the three fuselage-length versions: the A350-800, A350-900 and A350-1000. At the same time, the planemaker has widened the flight test program for its Sharklets-equipped A320 Family with the maiden flight Monday of the initial A319 incorporating these fuel-saving, performance-enhancing wingtip devices. The A319 joins A320 and A321 aircraft that have been validating the Sharklets’ efficiency, with their evaluations already demonstrating fuel consumption savings better than the original target. (Images provided by Airbus) FMI: www.airbus.com For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=a7cf6c43-c26a-477f-9680-08943bc52a3c ----------------------------------------------------------------- EASA Publishes New Rules For Third Country Operators In The European Union Proposal Has been Vetted Twice In Public Consultation EASA has published a proposal to establish a single system for the safety approval of Third Country Operators (TCO) operating into, within or out of the European Union (EU). Released in a document known as an Opinion, the proposed rules have been subject to two rounds public consultation in 2011 and 2012 fully involving all concerned stakeholders. The proposal was released Monday. Opinion 05/2012 aims to enhance safety of third country operators by ensuring continuous compliance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Replacing the various national systems existing today, the authorization process is to be harmonized and streamlined through a single, proportionate and risk-based assessment process. The Opinion will lessen the administrative burden currently faced by both operators from outside Europe and National Aviation Authorities in the EU. The EASA Opinion will now enter the legislative process. It will be finalized by the European Commission assisted by National Authorities under Parliamentary scrutiny. The new rules are expected to be adopted into EU law after mid-2013 and fully implemented by the end of 2015. Based in Cologne, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is the centerpiece of the European Union's strategy for aviation safety. Its stated mission is to promote and achieve the highest common standards of safety and environmental protection in civil aviation. FMI: www.easa.europa.eu/approvals-and-standardisation/third-country-operators-latest-news.php For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/genav.cfm?ContentBlockID=ef0159f6-7b05-41a4-ba3e-c32db0f2ef91 ----------------------------------------------------------------- ATR Pilot Training Center In Singapore Achieves EASA Certification Training Begins With The Full Flight Simulator For Pilots Flying The ATR 600 Series Aircraft ATR's newest flight training center in Singapore is now officially approved by EASA and is ready to start training courses shortly. The center will provide a high level of training programs from flight crew type rating through recurrent training to differences courses. Strategically located in the Seletar Aerospace Park, a major hub for the Singapore aerospace industry, the center will officially be inaugurated mid-December this year. With this recently obtained EU-A0015 certification, the new training facility in Singapore has clearly lost no time in stepping into the same rank as the main Training Center in Toulouse, France, ensuring full compliance to the newly announced EASA rules. As a reminder, the freshly obtained FR.ATO.0001 certification made ATR's Training Center in Toulouse the first approved training organization in France under the new EASA regulation. The EASA certification of the new ATR Training Center in Singapore gives way to a long term operational approval of the flight training equipment. It covers the Full Flight Simulator (FFS) for ATR -600 series, the maintenance/flight simulation training devices (MFSTD) and a brief/debrief station. This FFS is the second for ATR's -600 series program. The very first one is located at the main ATR Training Center in Toulouse, France, along with a Full Flight Trainer (FFT) for ATR -600s. All these FFS and FFT will enable training both for ATR 42-600s and ATR 72-600s variants. ATR has more than 250 aircraft operating in Asia-Pacific, plus some other 80 aircraft in backlog for airlines operating in that region. The new Training Center in Singapore is thus becoming a significant step toward providing ATR operators a more comprehensive training and Customer Support experience in their region. This new Training facility completes ATR's offer in Singapore. ATR has already a Customer Support Center and a warehouse based there for Asian operators. "Increasing our customer support capabilities and services around the globe is a strategic priority for ATR. The certification of this new and unique training facility is an important step in growing our presence in Asia Pacific region," said Mr. Lilian Braylé, ATR's Senior Vice-President Product Support & Services. “Achieving EASA status for our Singapore training facility shows ATR's Clients that our processes meet the highest standard in each of our facilities around the world. As an aircraft manufacturer, we have a commitment to Quality and providing products and services that will successfully meet our customers' needs.” (Image provided by ATR) FMI: www.atraircraft.com For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=8d5fd9c6-eeb2-4454-a1cb-cdb630da3bbf ----------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Citizen Fatally Injured In Bahamas Helicopter Accident Four Others Survive When The Aircraft Went Down Thanksgiving Day A U.S. citizen was fatally injured Thursday when the helicopter in which he was a passenger went down en route to a resort on Great Guana Cay in the Abacos. He was reportedly the owner of the aircraft. Four others on board, including the pilot, were injured in the accident. Miami television station WFOR reports that authorities have not officially identified any of those injured in the accident, though the station said one of the survivors was Jeffery Soffer, principal of Turnberry Associates, a Florida-based real estate developer. The Associated Press reports that one witness, an employee of the resort who did not wish to give his name because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the helicopter "got into an air pocket" and began to spin. He said he saw the tailboom separate from the main fuselage of the aircraft, and "somebody got thrown out." The Nassau Guardian newspaper said the aircraft was attempting to land at the time of the accident, and it was hit by a wind gust. The paper indicates that the aircraft's main rotor hit the ground, and that the person in the co-pilot's seat was fatally injured by the blades. The pilot, a Bahamian citizen, reportedly suffered serious injuries. The other three passengers were reportedly flown back to the U.S. aboard a private jet. FMI: http://forms.bahamas.gov.bs/dp_agency.asp?aid=CAD For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commbus.cfm?ContentBlockID=3e002597-2f82-4791-8855-c6dc3e77355b ----------------------------------------------------------------- GE Aviation Acquires Morris Technologies And Rapid Quality Manufacturing Additive Manufacturing To Enhance GE Production Capability GE Aviation has acquired the assets of Morris Technologies, and its sister company, Rapid Quality Manufacturing, precision manufacturing companies operating in suburban Cincinnati, OH. Terms were not disclosed. The two privately-held companies, with about 130 Cincinnati-area employees, specialize in additive manufacturing, an automated process for creating rapid prototypes and end-use production components. With this acquisition, GE Aviation continues to expand its engineering and manufacturing capabilities to meet its growing jet engine production rates over the next five years. In addition to acquiring these manufacturing processes, GE Aviation will open two new production plants in the United States next year. "Morris Technologies and Rapid Quality Manufacturing are parts of our investment in emerging manufacturing technologies," said Colleen Athans, vice president and general manager of the Supply Chain Division at GE Aviation. "Our ability to develop state-of-the-art manufacturing processes for emerging materials and complex design geometry is critical to our future. We are so fortunate to have Morris Technologies and Rapid Quality Manufacturing just minutes from our headquarters. We know them well." The additive manufacturing process involves taking digital designs from computer aided design (CAD) software, and laying horizontal cross-sections to manufacture the part. The process creates the layered cross-sections using a laser beam to melt the raw material. These parts tend to be lighter than traditional forged parts because they don't require the same level of welding. Additive manufacturing also generates less scrap material during the fabrication process. Founded by Cincinnati natives Greg Morris, Wendell Morris and Bill Noack in 1994, Morris Technologies (Sharonville) and Rapid Quality Manufacturing (West Chester) have supplied parts to GE Aviation for several years, as well as to GE Power Systems and our Global Research Center. The companies have made everything from lightweight parts for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the U.S. military to hip replacement prototypes for the medical field. The Sharonville and West Chester facilities will become part of GE Aviation's global network of manufacturing operations. Morris Technologies and Rapid Quality Manufacturing have already been contracted by GE Aviation to produce components for the best-selling LEAP jet engine being developed by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of GE and Snecma (SAFRAN) of France. The LEAP engine, which is scheduled to enter service in the middle of this decade on three different narrow-body aircraft, has already received more than 4,000 engine orders before the first full engine has even gone to test. FMI: www.geaviation.com For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=a0367fff-ebc6-43e3-ba88-4d13e2d97df8 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 16th Combat Aviation Brigade Completes Aerial Gunnery Transition Battalions Qualified With Individual Aircraft Weapons Systems The 16th Combat Aviation Brigade began its transition from a force-generating build-up into a training phase, in accordance with Army Force Generation model, with its first aerial gunnery at Yakima (WA) Training Center from Oct. 7 to Nov. 8. Each subordinate battalion qualified on their individual aircraft weapons system in preparation for the upcoming Collective Crew Training, or CTT, beginning in mid November. The CCT training will be 16th CAB's first combined training, which will incorporate multiple airframes to achieve a single-mission goal. Both the aerial gunnery and CCT are cumulative exercises used to prepare for scheduled training rotations at the National Training Center in southern CA, in 2013. "We trained to qualify on our primary weapons systems, which will allow us collectively to peruse more advanced training," said Capt. Matthew Ford, 16th CAB assistant operations officer. "This training also will allow us to support other neighboring units and their training requirements, and ultimately to deploy to combat theater and fight to win." Units qualified on various weapon systems for each airframe, including the OH-58D Kiowa, UH-60 Black Hawk and the AH-64D Apache helicopters. The 46th Aviation Support Battalion played a crucial role by providing retrains capabilities, dining facilities, medical support and forward arming and refueling point personnel. "The biggest lessons we've learned (are) how to integrate the support efforts of multiple [military occupational specialties] so that we can 'plug and play' into a variety of support scenarios," said Lt. Col. Mark Sisco, the 46th ASB commander. "The exercises have given us a higher degree of support flexibility." "We had a lot of young Soldiers," said Lt. Col. Bryan Hoff, commander of the 2nd Battalion (Assault), 158th Aviation Regiment. "It was their first time in the field and one of our greatest challenges was ensuring they were all well trained and didn't have any accidents, especially when asking them to drive vehicles in excess of 20,000 pounds on uncommon treacherous roads. We took it slow and safe." The gunnery allowed helicopter gunners to prove they have basic skills and are able to properly identify and engage targets before moving into a CCT and working in a multifunction task force. Soldiers worked together to properly engage targets while hovering, landing and enroute, as well as at various levels of Effective Translation Lift. The ETL is the transitional state present as a helicopter moves from a hover to forward flight. During the CCT, air crews were placed in realistic combat scenarios and all weapons systems were used. Working in multifunction task forces generates the ability to use the different capabilities each airframe brings. By using the various types of helicopters together, unit commanders maximize the strengths of each aircraft, which can support each other with unique, airframe-specific capabilities. Aerial gunnery is the starting point for several training phases and exercises the 16th CAB will conduct as the unit prepares itself to become fully-mission-capable and ready for worldwide deployment. (U.S. Army photo) FMI: www.army.mil For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/military.cfm?ContentBlockID=e07d69f2-295b-4175-837a-234045ff272f ----------------------------------------------------------------- Marshall Executive Aviation Pursues Canadian FAOC Wants To Operate Flights In Canada With Challenger 300 Aircraft Marshall Executive Aviation is advancing work to obtain a Canadian Foreign Air Operator’s Certificate (FAOC) to enable the company to operate flights in Canada with its Challenger 300. The move follows the grant of an AOC extension this summer enabling the aircraft to operate to North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Russia as well as the popular European destinations. “Our goal is to widen our AOC internationally as our business expands and also add to the managed aircraft fleet,” said Marshall Executive Aviation’s Managing Director Steve Jones. G-KALS joined the Marshall Executive Aviation fleet in June 2010 and is based at Stansted Airport. Marshall, which is based in the United Kingdom, is also expanding its footprint into London Luton Airport, where sister company Marshall Business Aviation (MBA) recently opened a base, providing technical support (including AOG and casualty support) for an expanding range of Cessna aircraft based there. MBA’s office is within the Harrods Aviation facilities. G-KALS is one of three executive aircraft Marshall Executive Aviation operates, the others being a Cessna Citation C560 XLS and a Cessna Citation C550 Bravo; ideal for charters in Europe, North Africa and Western Russia. “The extension of G-KAL’s AOC will enable us to operate over a much larger area and offer Marshall Executive Aviation’s clients our excellent service virtually worldwide,” Jones said Marshall Executive Aviation will mark its 10th birthday next spring. (Image provided by Marshal Executive Aviation) FMI: www.marshallexecair.com For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=1de67b22-8b44-43e6-bb5a-cec97619d054 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Astronomers Directly Image Massive Star's 'Super-Jupiter' Enormous 'Planet' Falls Just Short Of Mass Required To Generate Fusion Astronomers using infrared data from the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii have discovered a "super-Jupiter" around the bright star Kappa Andromedae, which now holds the record for the most massive star known to host a directly imaged planet or lightweight brown dwarf companion. Designated Kappa Andromedae b (Kappa And b, for short), the new object has a mass about 12.8 times greater than Jupiter's. This places it teetering on the dividing line that separates the most massive planets from the lowest-mass brown dwarfs. That ambiguity is one of the object's charms, say researchers, who call it a super-Jupiter to embrace both possibilities. "According to conventional models of planetary formation, Kappa And b falls just shy of being able to generate energy by fusion, at which point it would be considered a brown dwarf rather than a planet," said Michael McElwain, a member of the discovery team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "But this isn't definitive, and other considerations could nudge the object across the line into brown dwarf territory." Massive planets slowly radiate the heat leftover from their own formation. For example, the planet Jupiter emits about twice the energy it receives from the sun. But if the object is massive enough, it's able to produce energy internally by fusing a heavy form of hydrogen called deuterium. (Stars like the sun, on the other hand, produce energy through a similar process that fuses the lighter and much more common form of hydrogen.) The theoretical mass where deuterium fusion can occur -- about 13 Jupiters -- marks the lowest possible mass for a brown dwarf. "Kappa And b, the previously imaged planets around HR 8799 and Beta Pictoris, and the most massive planets discovered by non-imaging techniques likely all represent a class of object that formed in much the same way as lower-mass exoplanets," said lead researcher Joseph Carson, an astronomer at the College of Charleston, SC, and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany. The discovery of Kappa And b also allows astronomers to explore another theoretical limit. Astronomers have argued that large stars likely produce large planets, but experts predict that this stellar scaling can only extend so far, perhaps to stars with just a few times the sun's mass. The more massive a young star is, the brighter and hotter it becomes, resulting in powerful radiation that could disrupt the formation of planets within a circumstellar disk of gas and dust. "This object demonstrates that stars as large as Kappa And, with 2.5 times the sun's mass, remain fully capable of producing planets," Carson adds. The research is part of the Strategic Explorations of Exoplanets and Disks with Subaru (SEEDS), a five-year effort to directly image extrasolar planets and protoplanetary disks around several hundred nearby stars using the Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Direct imaging of exoplanets is rare because the dim objects are usually lost in the star's brilliant glare. The SEEDS project images at near-infrared wavelengths using the telescope's adaptive optics system, which compensates for the smearing effects of Earth's atmosphere, in concert with its High Contrast Instrument for the Subaru Next Generation Adaptive Optics and Infrared Camera and Spectrograph. Young star systems are attractive targets for direct exoplanet imaging because young planets have not been around long enough to lose much of the heat from their formation, which enhances their brightness in the infrared. The team focused on the star Kappa And because of its relative youth -- estimated at the tender age of 30 million years, or just 0.7 percent the age of our solar system, based on its likely membership in a stellar group known as the Columba Association. The B9-type star is located 170 light-years away in the direction of the constellation Andromeda and is visible to the unaided eye. Kappa And b orbits its star at a projected distance of 55 times Earth's average distance from the sun and about 1.8 times as far as Neptune; the actual distance depends on how the system is oriented to our line of sight, which is not precisely known. The object has a temperature of about 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit (1,400 Celsius) and would appear bright red if seen up close by the human eye. Carson's team detected the object in independent observations at four different infrared wavelengths in January and July of this year. Comparing the two images taken half a year apart showed that Kappa And b exhibits the same motion across the sky as its host star, which proves that the two objects are gravitationally bound and traveling together through space. Comparing the brightness of the super-Jupiter between different wavelengths revealed infrared colors similar to those observed in the handful of other gas giant planets successfully imaged around stars. A paper describing the results has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and will appear in a future issue. (Artist's rendering of Kappa And b. NASA image) FMI: www.nasa.gov For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/aerospace.cfm?ContentBlockID=b73ae5e5-49b0-4a88-aac2-84e4cde0a66f ----------------------------------------------------------------- Aircraft Wreckage Discovered In New Zealand May Be From 2004 Accident DNA Testing Being Conducted On Remains Found At The Site Recently-discovered wreckage of an aircraft found by New Zealand police may be that of a helicopter which went down in 2004 carrying a British woman and her New Zealand boyfriend. New Zealand resident Campbell Montgomerie was the pilot on the flight. The woman was London resident Hannah Timings. Timings had been on a six-month backpacking tour of New Zealand when the accident occurred. The London Telegraph reports that Montgomerie had been a qualified pilot. He was flying the helicopter on what was describes as a "scenic trip" from Queenstown, an alpine resort, to a "beauty spot" known as Milford Sound popular with glacier sightseeing tours in January of 2004. The Hughes 500 helicopter went down near the west coast of New Zealand's South Island, and poor weather and rugged terrain hampered search efforts, and until Wednesday, no trace of the aircraft had been found. The paper reports that the wreckage was spotted by another tour helicopter, and an alpine rescue team was sent to the area. That team has confirmed that it is the missing aircraft. Authorities are now performing DNA testing to positively identify the remains found at the accident site. Police say that the wrecked aircraft may have been hidden by snow over the intervening years. FMI: www.caa.govt.nz For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commbus.cfm?ContentBlockID=9e26ffba-0d42-4324-9b53-9531c37ad85d ----------------------------------------------------------------- Gone To The Dogs... NOT -- TSA Suspends Canine Breeding Program Training To Continue At Lackland AFB A recent efficiency review showed that the TSA's canine breeding program at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, was appropriated $1.8 million dollars for FY 2012. It was determined that the program is important, but also that further investments would need to be made to take the breeding program to the next level. In its official blog, TSA indicated that, as an example, it would take $4 million just to build the facilities necessary to continue the program. The program currently employs two full time federal employees, and has contracts with a local company for the up-keep of the kennels and for medical and health needs. TSA says it decided to phase out the breeding program in an effort to best manage taxpayer dollars. However TSA plans to continue to train the dogs for explosive detection responsibilities. Only the breeding program will be discontinued. TSA's lead blogger Bob Burns writes in the blog that the agency currently uses existing contracts like the one operated by the Department of Defense to purchase up to 80 percent of the canines used for the safety and security of the transportation domains we protect. That means that only 20 percent of the canines come from the breeding program in Lackland. Another 20 percent of the canines that are bred are purchased by other agencies and used in a variety of law enforcement or security functions. While the breeding program is scheduled to cease all operations by mid-year 2013, TSA recognizes that canines are a vital part of its layers of security. So, Burns says the agency will be expanding its canine training operations at Lackland Air Force Base. (Image provided by TSA) FMI: www.tsa.gov For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/genav.cfm?ContentBlockID=503697df-45d8-4173-9324-5dd1cf0fd373 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Charles River Analytics Develops HR ISR Technology For Small UAVs High Resolution And Increased Computing Power Designed To Give Field Commanders An Edge Charles River Analytics has unveiled its "Compact Aerial Video Exploitation (CAVE)", a follow on contract for the Office of Naval Research (ONR). CAVE is an integrated hardware/software system designed to process high-resolution video data at full video-rate onboard a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Charles River will be joined in this effort by Singular Computing, who will provide technology to co-develop an image tracker that operates almost two orders of magnitude faster and consumes less than 2% of the power of a traditional solution based on a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU). “Consider a situation in which a small unit commander believes there may be armed hostiles over a hill. Instead of sending his troops over to investigate, he could send a small UAV to collect imagery and keep his troops out of harm’s way," said Ross Eaton, Senior Scientist at Charles River. "Unfortunately, small UAVs collect poor quality images due to motion blur and poor image tracking, putting significant workload on the operator to understand what he’s seeing in a timely fashion. By the time he’s deciphered the blurry pixels, a truck full of armed hostiles are already approaching with their weapons ready.” “This is where CAVE’s technology can help. A CAVE-equipped UAV can fly over to the hill, examine the area, and locate moving objects," Eaton continued. "It can quickly send the commander high-resolution images of the specific regions that may require further assessment. Rather than receiving blurry images too late to be of value, the commander receives crystal clear images of a truck with four men carrying AK47s. Now the commander has a true competitive advantage in quickly dealing with a dangerous situation.” CAVE employs Singular Computing's revolutionary computing hardware architecture offering several orders of magnitude greater efficiency over conventional processors. Charles River’s VisionKit library of vision components provides the capability for image analysis and classification. (Image from Charles River Analytics YouTube Video) FMI: www.cra.com For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/military.cfm?ContentBlockID=2f57a803-5d34-4537-b11e-814f58476f92 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Republic Airlines Places 32 Aircraft In Q400 Smart Parts Program Complements Exclusive Nine-Year Heavy Maintenance Agreement Signed Earlier This Year Indianapolis-based Republic Airlines has enrolled 32 Q400 aircraft in Bombardier's Smart Parts cost protection program. The move firms up the agreement in principle announced earlier this year in conjunction with an exclusive maintenance contract for the same aircraft with work performed at Bombardier’s Macon, GA, and Tucson, AZ, service centers. The long-term Q400 Smart Parts agreement with Republic is customized for inventory management and expedient access to parts for its Q400 aircraft fleet. “Bombardier is pleased to have Republic’s vote of confidence in the Q400 Smart Parts program”, said Éric Martel, President, Bombardier Customer Services & Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft. “Regional carriers like Republic recognize the role Bombardier can play in ensuring the highest reliability and lowest life cycle costs for their fleet of turboprops, creating a win-win situation for both the airline and its customers”. “The proven track record of the Q400 Smart Parts program offers Republic improved cost predictability and component availability,” said Lars-Erik Arnell, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Republic Airways when announcing the new affiliation. “We look forward to fully realizing the benefits of this program for our operations.” Bombardier introduced the Smart Parts program for its Q400 aircraft in March 2008. “The ... program provides a variety of options to help airlines manage both operational and parts maintenance costs,” said Gary Martin, Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Service Programs, Customer Services, Bombardier Aerospace. “This flexibility and range have fueled interest in the program, and enrollment has quadrupled in the past year.” Q400 aircraft operators including India’s SpiceJet, Eurolot of Poland, Luxembourg’s Luxair, Canada’s Jazz Aviation, Japan Air Commuter and the Department of Justice of the U.S. have selected the popular Q400 Smart Parts program for optimal maintenance and support solutions. FMI: www.bombardier.com For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=3194d933-39f6-4974-98a5-2a8cb0d8687e ----------------------------------------------------------------- RC Helicopter Controlled By Brain Power Orbit Uses EEG Headset To Transmit To The Aircraft An RC helicopter that is controlled by an operator wearing an EEG headset is making some waves on the Internet this holiday shopping season, though it may not make it to market in time to wind up under some Christmas trees. The Orbit HAS gained some traction on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter, where it has received twice its stated fundraising goal in pledges. To control the globe-shaped aircraft, the "pilot" wears a special electroencephalography (EEG) headset that converts brain waves to commands. As the operator concentrates, the aircraft will climb. As he or she mentally relaxes, it descends. CNN reports that currently, up and down are the only commands that the aircraft recognizes. So while your kids won't be able to chase the cat around the house using only their brains with the Orbit any time soon, Puzzlebox, the company behind the Orbit, plans to have the aircraft in mass production by the end of November. The headset will connect with a tablet or smartphone device via Bluetooth, which will then communicate with the sensors on board the aircraft. (Image from Puzzlebox YouTube Video) FMI: http://brainstorms.puzzlebox.info/ For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/sport.cfm?ContentBlockID=30d7c013-eafb-49d1-8fad-9bc26b60ec33 ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANN FAQ: Contact Us We've Moved! There's nothing quite like central Florida in the summertime... which is but one reason Aero-News relocated its Global Headquarters from Polk County, FL up to the Jacksonville area, some time ago... though we're STILL getting mail forwarded from the old address. For anyone needing to contact ANN via snail mail, here is our updated address: Aero-News Network POB 305 Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 While we're at it, here is contact information for ANN staffers: 1) Publisher -- Jim Campbell, publisher@aero-news.net 2) News Editor -- Tom Patton, editor@aero-news.net 3) Aero-TV Staff -- news@aero-news.net 4) Marketing Inquiries-- mktg@aero-news.net If you have a news item or press release to send to ANN, PLEASE send it to either news@aero-news.net, or editor@aero-news.net. PLEASE DO NOT SEND TO INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSES... as not everyone will see them! FMI: www.aero-news.net For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/featurestories.cfm?ContentBlockID=42551073-88d2-44c3-9460-07478739c09b ----------------------------------------------------------------- Aero-News: Quote Of The Day (11.27.12) Aero-News: Quote of the Day ANN's Quote of the Day usually derives from current news, though we reserve the right to pick quotes out of history that have a bearing on the day's events and issues. Sometimes, you'll find them timely and in keeping with the content of the day's news... and sometimes, they'll just be thought-provoking. Reader suggestions and comments are welcome... and if particularly intriguing, timely, or poignant, may themselves become future Quotes of the Day. Let us hear from you, folks! Aero-News Quote of the Day "Congratulations to Scott and Mikhail on their selection for this important mission. Their skills and previous experience aboard the space station align with the mission's requirements. The one-year increment will expand the bounds of how we live and work in space and will increase our knowledge regarding the effects of microgravity on humans as we prepare for future missions beyond low-Earth orbit." Source: William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington. FMI: www.nasa.gov For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/featurestories.cfm?ContentBlockID=3f5fa03a-64eb-428d-a00e-52f1614cb538 ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANN's Daily Aero-Term (11.27.12): Complex Aircraft Aero-Terms! Aero-Terms are designed to be a daily reminder of the terms, names, acronyms and explanations of the unique language that populates the aviation world. Aerospace, sport aviation, fixed wing, helo, you name it... it's all fair game. Aero-Terms should serve as a quick but intriguing reminder of the terms you may use every day, or an introduction to an aspects of the Aero-World you may not yet be familiar with. ANN also encourages readers to go beyond the FMI link, and further research any intriguing terms. Suggestions for future Aero-Terms are ALWAYS welcome, as are additions or discussion of the explanations given for each Aero-Term. Complex Aircraft An aircraft with retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller. FMI: http://aviationglossary.com/complex-aircraft/ For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/featurestories.cfm?ContentBlockID=e061721c-15b3-4808-bce9-aba0e0969e0e ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (11.27.12) Aero-Linx! Scouring the information super airways can sometimes be a tough, if educational, task for the Aero-News staff... but it also allows us to check out some truly neat and exciting sites, so it's not that bad a gig. On any given day, we may check dozens (and often hundreds) of different sources for story ideas, and facts confirmation. And, as is the nature of our business, much of this is done on the Internet. The ANN gang decided we probably shouldn't keep some of the neat sites, info resources, and organizations we've discovered to ourselves... so we decided to bring you Aero-Linx. These are the sites that WE check out -- when we need added perspective, a new spin on a day's topic... or just want to escape into cyber-aero-space for awhile. Look for some of our favorite sites, coming each day to ANN via Aero-Linx. Suggestions for future Aero-Linx segments are always welcome, as well. Aero Linx: Why Is There A Helium Shortage In a recent story about the America's Challenge gas balloon race, it was noted that all of the balloons that were competing would be using hydrogen for their lift, rather than less-volatile helium. The reason given was a worldwide helium shortage, which has driven prices (if you'll pardon the pun) sky high. But why is there a worldwide helium shortage? Popular Mechanics Magazine provides this explanation. FMI: www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/med-tech/why-is-there-a-helium-shortage-10031229 For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/featurestories.cfm?ContentBlockID=22aa9f00-eab5-4c67-a4ca-efe46137c605 ----------------------------------------------------------------- AD: The Boeing Company Airplanes (737) AD NUMBER: 2012-23-04 PRODUCT: Certain Boeing Model 737-100 and -200 series airplanes. SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2012-23-04 ACTION: Final Rule SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. The existing AD currently requires various inspections for cracks in the outboard chord of the frame at body station (BS) 727 and in the outboard chord of stringer (S) 18A, and repair or replacement of cracked parts. This new AD adds airplanes to the applicability statement in the existing AD and adds inspections for cracks in the BS 727 frame outboard chords and the radius of the auxiliary chord, for certain airplanes. This new AD also removes the inspections of the outboard chord of S-18A required by the existing AD. This AD was prompted by several reports of fatigue cracking in the frame outboard chord at BS 727 and in the radius of the auxiliary chord on airplanes that were not affected by the existing AD. The FAA is issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the outboard and auxiliary chords, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the outboard chord and consequent rapid decompression of the airplane. DATES: This AD is effective December 26, 2012. FMI: AD For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=fbf7d47e-0cb2-440e-a6df-22605496f3ec ----------------------------------------------------------------- AD: The Boeing Company Airplanes (767) AD NUMBER: 2012-22-17 PRODUCT: Certain The Boeing Company Model 767-200 and -300 series airplanes. SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2012-22-17 ACTION: Final Rule SUMMARY: This AD was prompted by reports of cracks in the inner chords at both left-side and right-side stations 859.5, 883.5, and 903.5. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the frame inner chord transition radius for cracks, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent large cracks in the frames and adjacent structure that can adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane. DATES: This AD is effective December 26, 2012. FMI: AD For the WHOLE story, go to http://www.aero-news.net/news/commair.cfm?ContentBlockID=09828559-b049-42e2-9fce-f0bfaf18598c ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANN Senior Staff Roster J.R. 'Zoom' Campbell CEO/Editor-In-Chief jim@aero-news.net Glen Moyer Aero-Cast Producer gmoyer@aero-news.net Tom Patton News Editor editor@aero-news.net Nathan Cremisino Ashley Hale Aero-TV Video Production Team Aero-TV HQ MKTG Inquiries Marketing Director mktg@aero-news.net Note: This newsletter is supported solely by sponsors like the one(s) listed herein. We stand 100% behind every ad that we run. If you ever have a problem with a company that advertises here please contact us and we will try to get it resolved. -- Aero-News Network Aero-News Network POB 305, Green Cove Springs, FL, 32043. 863-299-8680, www.aero-news.net ANN Aero-Casts /podcasts Provided to registered subscribers, Daily. 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This Is His Address Get ANN's Free News Ticker We have designed a small "portable" News Ticker that will offer current ANN headlines about what is happening in the aviation world. It can be copied to virtually any Web site (including YOURS!) on the Internet by simply requesting the code and permissions from us. In addition to staying abreast of the latest headlines, you can click on any one of these News Tickers, no matter who's site it is on, and then go directly to ANN to read the news, in-depth, anytime you choose. You may request the code using our request form by logging on to www.aero-news.net/ANNTicker.cfm For those of you with web sites, be sure to drop us an e-mail at editor@aero-news.net and we'll be sure to check out your site for inclusion in our link sites, shortly. AND... don't forget to send your news and press releases to us via news@aero-news.net ! We want our coverage to include EVERY facet of aviation... so we need ALL the feedback we can get! 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