Free Republic

A faster-than-expected recovery in domestic air travel is helping Boeing Co. find new homes for unclaimed 737 MAX jets whose buyers walked away or collapsed during the pandemic. The Covid-19 vaccine-fueled travel rebound in the U.S. and some other parts of the world has left the Chicago-based plane maker with around 10 stored MAX aircraft needing buyers, people familiar with the matter said. Last July, it counted around 100. While previous travel rebounds have been cut short by new waves of infections and restrictions, airline executives are more confident now that the recovery has begun in earnest and their finances...

An unmanned tanker drone successfully refueled a fighter jet in mid-air during a test flight on Friday. The impressive feat, which involved a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet, demonstrated the significant potential of unmanned tanker drones and could mark the beginning of the end for traditional piloted tanker aircraft. During the test flight, the drone - a Boeing-built device named MQ-25 Stingray - maintained its altitude and speed as the hose extended and the two aircraft briefly linked up to exchange fuel. The test was carried out from the MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois. In total, 325lbs of fuel...

Little more than six months after Boeing's 737 Max was cleared to fly again by US regulators, the aircraft finds itself under intense scrutiny once again. The discovery of a potential electrical problem last month led to the renewed grounding of more than 100 aeroplanes, belonging to 24 airlines around the world. Deliveries of many more new aircraft have been suspended. Boeing and the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration say they are working closely to address the issue. But the affair has given new energy to critics who claim the 737 Max was allowed back into service prematurely -...

Lockheed Martin, the nation's top defense contractor, forced 13 executives including a three-star general to complete a three-day Zoom course so they would 'unlearn their male privilege'. The course was led by Portland-based firm White Men as Full Diversity Partners. It was carried out last June, at the height of the BLM movement, and involved 13 Lockheed employees dialing in for 16 hours. Details of the three-day course last June were obtained by City Journal. The 13 employees were Director of Aeronautics Mark Ward, Air Force lieutenant colonel David Starr, Senior Design Engineer Jeff Schweiss, Risk Management and Sustainability Executive...

The entire corporate culture is directed at telling White men that they are evil, an ideology that has profoundly dangerous consequences. Christopher Rufo’s fame as the person who exposes government agencies and corporations that have bought into critical race theory (“CRT”) is growing and that’s a good thing – knowing he’s there means that employees forced to participate in CRT “training” are beginning to see him as a way to expose their employers’ grotesquely un-American (and quite illegal) racist programs. The latest example of this pernicious program comes from Lockheed-Martin, which is the largest defense contractor in America -- thanks...

Liftoff is at 1:35 p.m. EDT (1735 GMT) Designated Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Flight 5 (SBIRS Geo-5), the mission marks ULA's first launch so far this year. However, the company has a busy summer planned, including the launch of Boeing's Starliner crew capsule to the International Space Station. That mission, called OFT-2, will be the spacecraft's second uncrewed orbital flight test. The first, which occurred in Dec. 2019, failed to reach the space station due to a software issue. Following a successful second flight test, Boeing will launch its first crew of astronauts later this year. Weather...

SEATTLE - Boeing revealed in a new diversity report that it has fired 65 employees and disciplined 53 others for racist, discriminatory and hateful conduct since June of last year. CEO Dave Calhoun said he made a vow last summer, after the death of George Floyd and the uproar that followed, to implement a zero-tolerance policy of racism and hateful speech. "There is no place for hate within our company, and we will keep expecting the best from everyone in their interactions with one another," Calhoun said. Along with the corrective actions they've taken, the aerospace giant also released data...

Iran is in its worst economic situation in 42 years, and the threat of a widespread uprising that may lead to the regime’s overthrow has become more serious than ever. When Khomeini was alive, no authority dared to dispute his orders and decisions, and everyone had to obey him. In today’s Iran, Khamenei still has the final say on all internal and international matters. But unlike Khomeini, he has not been able to keep all political factions in Iran at bay. Although Khamenei has not wasted a moment in suppressing its opponents, even those very close to him and his...

Boeing Co. stock traded lower Friday after the aerospace and defense company late Thursday flagged a new problem with 737 Max jets, with at least one Wall Street analyst saying that a fix would be easy and cause “minimal disruption” for Boeing customers.

The Dallas-based low-cost airline said under the agreement it would also convert 70 of its firm orders for Max 8 planes to the smallest and slower-selling jets, the Max 7s. It also added 155 options for 737 Max 7 or Max 8 airplanes through 2029. Southwest, which operates an all-Boeing 737 fleet, said its order, the largest Max sale since two crashes caused a worldwide grounding in March 2019, is a vote of confidence in the planes. U.S. regulators lifted the 20-month grounding of the 737 Max in November and many other countries have followed suit since then. The carrier...

The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released an update on Friday about the United Airlines Boeing 777 engine incident. In late February, the aircraft was climbing out of Denver International Airport (DEN) when the pilots throttled up the engines in anticipation of turbulence. Shortly after that, a loud bang and fire coming from the engine led the pilots to bring the plane back to Denver. United Airlines, shortly after, voluntarily removed 24 of its Pratt & Whitney 4000-powered Boeing 777 aircraft from service. The airline is working to fill in the gaps in its schedules as these aircraft...

Engine-related issues due to technological glitches are emerging as the latest source of setbacks for the airline stocks, which are already reeling under the coronavirus-induced weak air-travel demand. Notably, on Feb 20, 2021, United Airlines’ UAL Flight 328 made an emergency landing at the Denver International Airport following an engine failure. On Feb 22, a Delta Air Lines DAL flight made an emergency landing at the Salt Lake International Airport after a snag in the engine was detected. American Airlines AAL became the latest U.S.- based carrier to suffer a technological breakdown. Per a Reuters report, American Airlines’ Flight 2555,...

This year, fired up by a newly intense commitment to Christianity, regretful that he wasn’t more assertive internally before the second crash, and moved by the anger and frustration of the families of those who died, Jacobsen decided that wasn’t enough. Ahead of his planned retirement from the FAA at the end of this month, he recounted his MAX experience in a Feb. 8 letter to the parents of Samya Rose Stumo, a 24-year-old American who died on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302. “I felt a strong conviction that I should help with healing the families of the 737 Max crashes,”...

ARLINGTON, Va.—Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today issued the following statement from Dan Pearson, AFP Trade Policy Fellow, on the Biden administration’s decision to suspend tariffs previously imposed on billions of dollars of EU goods stemming from the Boeing-Airbus dispute. The move has prompted the EU to follow suit, setting the stage for settlement of the dispute and further opening trade markets. The suspension will last four months while the countries attempt to resolve the matter: “Again, we applaud the Biden administration for moving to reduce burdensome tariffs and put an end to the trade war that has harmed American businesses,...

The House Armed Services Committee chairman railed at the expensive F-35 Joint Strike Fighter on Friday, saying he wants to “stop throwing money down that particular rathole,” ― just days after the Air Force said it too is looking at other options. “What does the F-35 give us? And is there a way to cut our losses? Is there a way to not keep spending that much money for such a low capability because, as you know, the sustainment costs are brutal,” Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said a Brookings event. Air Force officials recently said they are conducting a study...

ARLINGTON, Va.—Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today issued the following statement from Dan Pearson, AFP Trade Policy Fellow, on the Biden administration’s decision to suspend tariffs previously imposed on a number of UK products stemming from the Boeing-Airbus dispute. The suspension will last four months while the countries attempt to resolve the matter: “It is encouraging to see the Biden Administration provide relief from these tariffs. In addition to the benefits Americans will experience from this move, we are hopeful this will lead to a lasting settlement of the dispute between the US and the UK and EU. Freer trade increases...

The International Atomic Energy Agency reaching a deal with Iran on inspections of its nuclear facilities. The compromise deal reached in the face of Iranian plans to end snap inspections by international atomic experts... When it comes to the coronavirus have we reached the magic moment of "herd immunity"?... The selective reopening of Israel is underway with shops to be open to all but gyms and theaters will only be open to those who have "Green Pass" status... The coronavirus vaccination rate for seniors over age 70 is lowest in three states starting with Rhode Island at the bottom with...

The starboard engine of a United Airlines passenger jet burst into flames over Denver on Saturday — forcing an emergency landing and causing a huge piece of engine casing to land on a suburban front yard, officials and witnesses said. Amazingly, no injuries were reported from on board Honolulu-bound United Flight 328 or on the ground — despite dramatic images showing the rattling, burning engine and the front yard wreckage. The Boeing 777 took off from Denver International Airport at 12:49 p.m. with 231 passengers and 10 crew members on board but quickly experienced engine trouble and returned to Denver...

BROOMFIELD, Colo. (KDVR) — Large chunks of metal rained down on northwest Denver metro neighborhoods Saturday afternoon after a United Airlines plane reported engine trouble. United Airlines confirmed flight 328 departed Denver International Airport for Honolulu at 12:15 p.m.

After its engine caught fire and lost pieces of turbine blades shortly after departure, the aircraft entered into a holding pattern at 10,000 feet and diverted to Liege Airport. ...The pieces of turbine blades fell in the vicinity of Meerssen, and multiple parked cars were damaged. No injuries have been reported as of now.