By Carl Chance, Wings Over Kansas’s aviation & aerospace correspondent, former news consultant and producer for Wingspan Air & Space Channel.
McConnell AFB War Efforts:
The 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, has been playing a major role in the war on terror.
That role has been to bring “fuel to the flight,” involving all kinds of aircraft from U.S. aircraft to coalition aircraft. Refueling has taken place both over Iraq and Afghanistan.
These McConnell Air Force men and women have worked 12 hors a day, six days a week in temperatures that can reach up to 150 degrees on the flight line.
For more information on McConnell AFB activities, please log on to http://public.mcconnell.amc.af.mil.
Story source link: http://www.ksn.com/news/stories/13315764.html.
Mid-Continent Airport Security Alert Level:
Enhanced security measures are in place for the aviation sector. By order of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), ALL LIQUIDS AND GELS ARE PROHIBITED AT THE SCREENING CHECKPOINT AND ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. This includes beverages, shampoo, perfume, sun tan lotion, cream, tooth paste, hair gel, and other items of similar consistency. Beverages purchased beyond the checkpoint must be consumed before boarding. Exceptions: baby formula is a child is traveling and prescription medications.
B-29 “Doc” Restoration Project Update:
Here is an important update on contact, volunteer and support information.
The official “Doc” web site can be accessed at, http://www.b-29doc.com. There you can click on History, Goals, Status, Volunteers, Sponsors/Contributors, Publicity and Other B-29 Sites.
To volunteer, call (316) 977-3041.
To donate to the “Doc” restoration, make checks payable to the following:
B-29 Restoration
Boeing Credit Union
2900 South Oliver
Wichita, KS 67201
Or to …
The United States Aviation Museum
P.O. Box 21846
South Euclid, OH 44121
For information on group tours, please contact Jerry O’Connor at (316) 683-2077.
Military Students from 76 Counties Visit Cessna to Learn Business Practices:
Ninety-five international military students from 76 counties visited Cessna Aircraft Company as part of the United States Army Command and General Staff Officer Course (CGSOC) at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.
“From the information received during the program, they return to their counties with the skills required to help defend and preserve their own national security interests, which support U.S. foreign policy objectives,” said Michael Brettman, field studies program manager for the international military student division for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. “Cessna needs people who are culturally aware of the business practices in other countries. At the same time, many of the businesses in other countries trying to market to the United States face similar challenges as to how they relate to American Businesses. Having the students visit Cessna provides an educational information exchange.
Cessna Begins Final F&R Testing on Citation Mustang:
Cessna Aircraft Company, a unit of Textron, Inc., began function and reliability (F&R) flight testing on the Citation Mustang, the last step before gaining type certification (TC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“We have essentially completed the majority of our certification issues and expect to wrap things up with the F&R program, keeping us on schedule for TC as predicted four years ago when we launched the program. Not only will we meet FAR Part 23 requirements, we’ll also a number of the part 25 commuter aircraft requirements regarding takeoff and landing performance,” said Jon Carr, Citation Mustang project engineer. “We have more than 1,600 hours in the air and hit some 2,200 test points, meeting or exceeding all our program performance goals including rang and speed.”
I’ll have more news and items of interest in my next report. Please keep logging on to www.wingsoverkansas.com for weekly aviation and aerospace update stories, features, history and more.
For comments and questions, write to [email protected].