First Modernized Il-38N ASW Plane to Be Delivered to Russian Navy on July 15th
MOSCOW, July 14 (RIA Novosti) ? The first modernized Il-38N anti-submarine warfare plane will be delivered to the Russian Navy on July 15, an Ilyushin Aviation Complex spokesperson told RIA Novosti.

?The company completed repair and modernization work on the first mass-produced Il-38N anti-submarine warfare plane for the Russian Navy. The work was completed under a contract that provides for the modernization of five combat aircraft," according to a spokesperson for the Ilyushin Aviation Complex, a subsidiary of Russia?s United Aircraft Corporation.

The modernization included the installment of the new Novella-P-38 search and tracking system, which significantly expands the plane?s capacity.

At the request of Maritime Air Command, the first mass-produced modernized plane was named after designer Rady Papkovsky, who played an important role in creating the Il-38N.


LINK - http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20140714/190917317/First-Modernized-Il-38N-Fighter-Jet-to-Be-Delivered-to-Russian.html

16 July 2014 Press Release

Air Mauritius, the flag carrier of Mauritius has decided to expand and modernise its long-haul fleet with a Memorandum of Understanding for four A350-900 aircraft. The agreement was announced during the Farnborough International Airshow 2014. The airline has also announced that it is leasing two more A350-900s. The 6 A350 XWB will be operated on European, Asian and Australian routes.

16 July 2014 Press Release

Airbus, British Airways (BA), Heathrow Airport (LHR) and NATS (the main air navigation service provider in the United Kingdom) have launched a unique partnership to study and develop operational procedures to reduce the number of people affected by noise around London?s Heathrow. The study will use British Airways? A380. The A380 is recognised as one of the quietest aircraft today.

This project utilises the capabilities of the A380, the quietest aircraft of its size, and looks at how the aircraft manufacturer, airline, airport and air navigation services provider can further reduce the noise impact of flight operations for local communities. Airbus ProSky, the Air Traffic Management (ATM) subsidiary of Airbus is in charge of designing the departure and arrival procedures based on NATS, LHR and BA recommendations.

RENTON, Wash. July 16, 2014 ? Boeing (NYSE: BA) rolled out the 5000th Next-Generation 737 this week. The airplane is a Boeing C-40A Clipper, a modified 737-700C, that will serve as a transport aircraft for the U.S. Navy.

FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, July 16, 2014 ? Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Hainan Airlines today announced that the two companies are finalizing terms and working toward a purchase agreement for 50 737 MAX 8s, reaffirming the Chinese airline?s preference for an all-Boeing single-aisle fleet.

Greece
F-16 Kavala AirSea Show 2014

Scotland
The Royal Navy's 65,000 ton Queen Elizabeth, gets water under her keel.
From here - https://twitter.com/QEClassCarriers



What a wonderful sight.

Seattle, July 22, 2014 ? Boeing has delivered on schedule the first of four upgraded French AWACS aircraft. The modifications increase the fleet?s surveillance, communications and battle management capabilities.

Photo credit: Vincent Guisiano, French Air Force

USA
First U.S. airline to join launch list for new aircraft type
23 July 2014 Press Release

Hawaiian Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus for six A330-800neo aircraft. The agreement adds yet another name to the growing list of launch customers for the new aircraft type. The new commitment replaces a previous order placed by Hawaiian for six A350-800s.

?The A330-800neo?s fuel efficiency, additional range and commonality with our existing A330 fleet makes the A330-800neo an elegant solution to our need for growth aircraft toward the end of this decade,? said Mark Dunkerley, President and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines.

A DC-10 air tanker pulls up after dropping fire retardant over a wildfire Saturday, July 19, 2014, near Carlton, Wash. A wind-driven, lightning-caused wildfire racing through rural north-central Washington destroyed about 100 homes Thursday and Friday, leaving behind solitary brick chimneys and burned-out automobiles as it blackened hundreds of square miles in the scenic Methow Valley northeast of Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Afghanistan
On 14 July the Joint Movements Unit, assisted by troops of the Army Air Corps (AAC), successfully loaded an AH47 Apache helicopter onto a RAF C17 aircraft. The AAC helicopter is being returned to the UK, where it will under an intensive cleaning, servicing and inspection process. The helicopter was replaced as part of a routine rotation.

The huge cargo hold of the RAF C17 swallows the comparatively small frame of an AH47 Apache helicopter as it is loaded onto the plane. Working side by side, Joint Movement Unit and Army Air Corps personnel persevere throughout the midday heat to load the helicopter onto the C17. The process is carried out slowly and carefully to ensure that the asset is delivered back to the UK in good condition.
Photograph: Cpl Daniel Wiepen; MOD Crown Copyright

Fort Worth, Texas
July 24, 2014 - A ceremony was held today at Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], commemorating the official roll out of the first two F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

?Today, we celebrate a milestone in the U.S.-Australia partnership, a partnership built on strength, friendship, and technological innovation,? said Frank Kendall, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics. ?We join Australia, as one of our original partners, to celebrate this roll out and the numerous Australian contributions to the Joint Strike Fighter program. For both our nations, this program represents an exponential leap in capability on the cutting edge of technology -- and an integral component of our ongoing joint commitment to stability and peace in the Asia-Pacific.?

Joining Mr. Kendall at the ceremony, among various distinguished guests in attendance, were Air Marshal Geoff Brown, Chief of RAAF; and Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin chairman, president and CEO.

The F-35 Lightning II aircraft will provide the Royal Australian Air Force with a transformational 5th generation fighter capability and provides significant benefits to the Australian aerospace industry, with more than $412 million (USD) already contracted and up to $6 billion (USD) in expected manufacturing orders over the life of the program.

?It?s fitting that in the year Australia commemorates 100 years of military aviation, we also mark the arrival of the most advanced fighter ever developed,? said Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin chairman, president and CEO. "The F-35 Lightning II will lay the foundation for the next century of Australia?s military air power.?

The aircraft, known as AU-1 and AU-2, are scheduled to undergo functional fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming months. The jets are scheduled to be delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force later this year, and will be based at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where they will be used for Australian and partner country pilot training.

An F-22 Raptor demonstrates its agility in the sky at accelerated speeds during an F-22 demonstration at the biennial Arctic Thunder Open House on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 26, 2014. The event features more than 40 Air Force, Army and civilian aerial acts, July 25-27, and has an expected crowd of more than 200,000 people. It is the largest two-day event in the state and one of the premier aerial demonstrations in the world. The 2014 Arctic Thunder Open House is a proud part of the Anchorage Centennial Celebration. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Tammie Ramsouer)

Meanwhile in Frankfurt My old home.

Water is dropped on a brush fire on the slope below High Drive on Monday, July 28, 2014, in Spokane, Wash. Spokane Assistant Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said the fire burned on a heavily timbered slope above Qualchan Golf Course and had threatened homes on a bluff on High Drive. (AP Photo/The Spokesman-Review, Tyler Tjomsland)

Everett, Wash., July 29, 2014 -- Boeing (NYSE:BA) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) today celebrated the delivery of the airline's first 787-9 Dreamliner. ANA will become the world's first airline to operate both the 787-8 and 787-9 variants of the Dreamliner family when the airline launches 787-9 services on domestic Japanese routes in August.

Fort Worth, Texas, July 30, 2014 ? In an important program milestone enabling U.S. Marines Corps Initial Operational Capability (IOC) certification, the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35B recently completed required wet runway and crosswind testing at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

?This testing is absolutely critical to 2B flight software fleet release and the Marine Corps? IOC,? said J.D. McFarlan, Lockheed Martin's vice president for F-35 Test & Verification. ?Collectively, the results support clearing the 20 knot crosswind envelope for Conventional Take Off & Landings (CTOL), Short Take Offs (STO) and Short Landings (SL), with ideal handling quality ratings and meaningful improvement over legacy 4th generational fighter aircraft.?

The testing, completed in 37 missions during a 41-day period, achieved 114 test points, including 48 of 48 wet runway test points, four of four performance STOs, 12 of 18 unique flight test conditions for STO, 19 of 23 unique flight test conditions for SLs and all directional control and anti-skid wet runway testing. All testing was performed with BF-4, based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

In other achievements, four aircraft surpassed flight hour milestones, demonstrating program maturity and reliability: F-35C aircraft CF-1 and F-35A aircraft AF-4 achieved 500 flight hours, and F-35C aircraft CF-5 achieved 100 flight hours.

F-35B aircraft BF-4, piloted by Lockheed Martin Test Pilot Dan Levin, starts down the runway as part of wet runway and crosswind testing at Edwards AFB, California. Lockheed Martin photo by Tom Reynolds.