The union representing Department of Veterans Affairs employees says it will fight any efforts to increase the penalties against staffers who share confidential information about veterans.
Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn told CBC Radio One's Island Morning on Tuesday the current one-day suspension would be replaced with a 30-day suspension and possible termination.
The announcement followed a public tongue-lashing Blackburn gave employees after the department passed personal and sensitive medical information about veteran Sean Bruyea between various unauthorized employees and also sent the information to a hospital.
"It's the second time in the last month and a half that he [Blackburn] is blasting his own employees," said Yvan Thauvette, head of the Union of Veterans Affairs Employees.
"As a union representative, I would say that he will probably find us in his way because he cannot go from one-day suspension to 30-day suspension and losing your job."
Thauvette said all DVA employees are taking training on how to handle the private information of clients. He said politics is also paying a part on the increased spotlight on the DVA and its employees.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2010/11/10/pei-dva-employee-suspensions-union.html#ixzz14xJF4DbB
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
A departing Conservative MP used publicly funded House of Commons resources to back his potential successor
A departing Conservative MP used publicly funded House of Commons resources to back his potential successor — a candidate who once headed the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and was a senior aide to the prime minister.
"As we prepare for the next federal election, the following few months are extremely important. The prime minister wants the party to present the best slate of candidates possible in all 308 ridings," MP Greg Thompson wrote on Commons letterhead of the contest to replace him in New Brunswick Southwest.
"I also believe it is important that you know exactly why I'm supporting John Williamson as our next Conservative candidate and MP."
The letter, sent using parliamentary mailing privileges, is one of a list of grievances cited by local Tories over how the nomination contest unfolded in one of Canada's largest ridings.
Williamson, who resigned as Stephen Harper's director of communications to run, won handily on nomination voting day Oct. 23, with nearly 60 per cent of the ballots.
"It certainly doesn't give people confidence that they're part of a democratic process," said Lloyd Wilson, one of the unsuccessful candidates.
"He's entitled to an opinion as anyone else is, but as a sitting member of Parliament I think there's an expectation that you provide a separation from your opinions and the party — or are you speaking on behalf of the party when you say those things?"
Commons bylaws state that parliamentary resources should not be used for electoral campaigning. Thompson, former veterans affairs minister, said he believed his letter fell within the rules and that party members are ultimately constituents.
"The other thing that I pointed out to those who did complain, if you will, that if they do have a concern with that, make sure that they pass that concern on to the Speaker of the House because I clearly was within the rules of engagement," Thompson said in an interview.
Party members frustrated
Several party members who spoke to The Canadian Press said they were frustrated with the Conservative party's response to their concerns about the race leading up to that date.
"The membership was hurt, it was the membership that wasn't given its due consideration, and no matter what happens, Mr. Williamson certainly has some healing to do in the riding," said Scott Sparks, another unsuccessful contender.
One of the main complaints brought up by members is the fact no polling stations were located in the northern corners of the riding, which spans 10,000 square kilometres. Some voters faced a three-hour drive to vote, and the main polling station's location favoured southern-based candidates such as Williamson.
Riding association president Fraser Ingraham, a dairy farmer, acknowledges local executives missed a deadline for applying for those satellite stations, but he said the party could have set them up if they wanted.
"I think the party should take a look at that and work closely with the riding associations because we're the people on the ground and we're all volunteers — we do this because we believe in the party," said Ingraham, of Dumfries, N.B.
"Most of the people who make these decisions grow up in cities and don't know what really happens in rural parts of the country or New Brunswick."
Williamson says he too felt some frustration with the process, having backed the local executive's call for another polling station on Deer Island, only to have it rejected by Ottawa. But he says such decisions are par for the course.
"It was frustrating, but I think that's the name of the game in nomination contests, that all the candidates are thrown various curve balls and you win some, you lose some," said Williamson.
No real convention held
Another frustration that came up repeatedly was the fact there was no real convention held on voting day, despite the rental of a large high school gym. The four candidates were not permitted to address members, making the station even less of a draw for Tories who lived farther away.
"In Atlantic Canada, we've never heard tell of having a nomination and candidates not having a chance to talk to the membership," said Ingraham.
Conservative party spokesman Fred Delorey said a series of town hall meetings with candidates in advance of voting day were designed to connect members with the contenders. He said the preferential ballot system used by the party precludes conventions, although people in the province might not be used to it.
"We're doing this across the country, this type of setup," Delorey said.
Delorey also said it was up to the riding association board to ask for the northern polling stations in a timely fashion.
"They recommended, and we approved it, and then we moved forward from that. They had their opportunity to set the locations and we accepted it," he said.
On the subject of Thompson's use of his parliamentary resources, Delorey had no comment. Williamson, a former national director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, would only say he was honoured to have Thompson's endorsement.
"I was appreciative of his support and I know that other candidates wanted it, they were climbing all over themselves for it, but ultimately Greg did what Greg thought was best," Williamson said.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/11/09/nb-greg-thompson-john-williamson.html#ixzz14r1ZJAj6
"As we prepare for the next federal election, the following few months are extremely important. The prime minister wants the party to present the best slate of candidates possible in all 308 ridings," MP Greg Thompson wrote on Commons letterhead of the contest to replace him in New Brunswick Southwest.
"I also believe it is important that you know exactly why I'm supporting John Williamson as our next Conservative candidate and MP."
The letter, sent using parliamentary mailing privileges, is one of a list of grievances cited by local Tories over how the nomination contest unfolded in one of Canada's largest ridings.
Williamson, who resigned as Stephen Harper's director of communications to run, won handily on nomination voting day Oct. 23, with nearly 60 per cent of the ballots.
"It certainly doesn't give people confidence that they're part of a democratic process," said Lloyd Wilson, one of the unsuccessful candidates.
"He's entitled to an opinion as anyone else is, but as a sitting member of Parliament I think there's an expectation that you provide a separation from your opinions and the party — or are you speaking on behalf of the party when you say those things?"
Commons bylaws state that parliamentary resources should not be used for electoral campaigning. Thompson, former veterans affairs minister, said he believed his letter fell within the rules and that party members are ultimately constituents.
"The other thing that I pointed out to those who did complain, if you will, that if they do have a concern with that, make sure that they pass that concern on to the Speaker of the House because I clearly was within the rules of engagement," Thompson said in an interview.
Party members frustrated
Several party members who spoke to The Canadian Press said they were frustrated with the Conservative party's response to their concerns about the race leading up to that date.
"The membership was hurt, it was the membership that wasn't given its due consideration, and no matter what happens, Mr. Williamson certainly has some healing to do in the riding," said Scott Sparks, another unsuccessful contender.
One of the main complaints brought up by members is the fact no polling stations were located in the northern corners of the riding, which spans 10,000 square kilometres. Some voters faced a three-hour drive to vote, and the main polling station's location favoured southern-based candidates such as Williamson.
Riding association president Fraser Ingraham, a dairy farmer, acknowledges local executives missed a deadline for applying for those satellite stations, but he said the party could have set them up if they wanted.
"I think the party should take a look at that and work closely with the riding associations because we're the people on the ground and we're all volunteers — we do this because we believe in the party," said Ingraham, of Dumfries, N.B.
"Most of the people who make these decisions grow up in cities and don't know what really happens in rural parts of the country or New Brunswick."
Williamson says he too felt some frustration with the process, having backed the local executive's call for another polling station on Deer Island, only to have it rejected by Ottawa. But he says such decisions are par for the course.
"It was frustrating, but I think that's the name of the game in nomination contests, that all the candidates are thrown various curve balls and you win some, you lose some," said Williamson.
No real convention held
Another frustration that came up repeatedly was the fact there was no real convention held on voting day, despite the rental of a large high school gym. The four candidates were not permitted to address members, making the station even less of a draw for Tories who lived farther away.
"In Atlantic Canada, we've never heard tell of having a nomination and candidates not having a chance to talk to the membership," said Ingraham.
Conservative party spokesman Fred Delorey said a series of town hall meetings with candidates in advance of voting day were designed to connect members with the contenders. He said the preferential ballot system used by the party precludes conventions, although people in the province might not be used to it.
"We're doing this across the country, this type of setup," Delorey said.
Delorey also said it was up to the riding association board to ask for the northern polling stations in a timely fashion.
"They recommended, and we approved it, and then we moved forward from that. They had their opportunity to set the locations and we accepted it," he said.
On the subject of Thompson's use of his parliamentary resources, Delorey had no comment. Williamson, a former national director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, would only say he was honoured to have Thompson's endorsement.
"I was appreciative of his support and I know that other candidates wanted it, they were climbing all over themselves for it, but ultimately Greg did what Greg thought was best," Williamson said.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/11/09/nb-greg-thompson-john-williamson.html#ixzz14r1ZJAj6
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The outgoing veterans ombudsman is prepared to launch a class-action lawsuit against the government over a claims process he says is wrongly denying disability benefits.
The outgoing veterans ombudsman is prepared to launch a class-action lawsuit against the government over a claims process he says is wrongly denying disability benefits.
Pat Stogran, who steps down from the position Wednesday, told the Star he has been approached by a private law firm about pursuing legal action over decisions made by the Veterans Review and Appeal Board regarding disability benefits.
“I have compelling evidence that they’ve elevated the standard of proof,” Stogran said Sunday evening, adding that a potential lawsuit is in the very early stages but that he believes there could be thousands of complainants.
His comments came at the same time as federal officials vowed to quickly address mounting complaints about the lump-sum payments to seriously wounded veterans.
Conservative MP Greg Kerr, the parliamentary secretary to Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn, said the government is planning to make the payouts “more flexible.”
While the intent was good, the 2006 switch to lump-sum payments to replace monthly disability payments has suffered from a “number of problems,” Kerr said.
“So we've listened and I think those changes will happen within the next week or two,” Kerr told CTV’s Question Period on Sunday.
Protests took place across Canada on Saturday to complain about the government’s treatment of veterans and gripes about the lump sum took centre stage. The Harper government also took heat recently for unlawfully releasing a Gulf War veteran’s medical records.
“My argument throughout this whole period of revelations such as invasion of privacy and all these other things is that the veterans have not had a fair day in court,” Stogran said.
He said the potential lawsuit would address the burden of proof in disability pension and award review hearings. Veterans are supposed to be given the benefit of the doubt even if they lack evidence for their claim, Stogran said.
“As long as you use sound logic and reasoning, if you present a case that’s plausible and it makes sense, you don’t have to prove that it’s true,” he said.
But instead, he said, adjudicators in some cases have weighed the evidence as if it were a regular trial.
The legislation around veterans’ disability claims was designed to take into account circumstances that might prevent soldiers from having documentation that completely supports their claim, Stogran said.
“You’re not going to break down in the middle of a nighttime parachute assault . . . and asked to be evacuated to the unit aid station so you can do paperwork for your sore back,” he said, adding that he considers the elevated burden of proof “a national security issue.”
“You don’t want the soldiers overseas to be looking over their shoulders and worried about generating the evidence or how they’re going to be able to prove a disability.”
Stogran said he will take a low-profile after his successor, Guy Parent, takes office on Remembrance Day. But Stogran said if he doesn’t see movement on the issue, he is prepared to move forward with the lawsuit.
“I am so committed to bringing fair treatment to the veterans and I think this is the lynch pin of the whole thing,” he said.
Pat Stogran, who steps down from the position Wednesday, told the Star he has been approached by a private law firm about pursuing legal action over decisions made by the Veterans Review and Appeal Board regarding disability benefits.
“I have compelling evidence that they’ve elevated the standard of proof,” Stogran said Sunday evening, adding that a potential lawsuit is in the very early stages but that he believes there could be thousands of complainants.
His comments came at the same time as federal officials vowed to quickly address mounting complaints about the lump-sum payments to seriously wounded veterans.
Conservative MP Greg Kerr, the parliamentary secretary to Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn, said the government is planning to make the payouts “more flexible.”
While the intent was good, the 2006 switch to lump-sum payments to replace monthly disability payments has suffered from a “number of problems,” Kerr said.
“So we've listened and I think those changes will happen within the next week or two,” Kerr told CTV’s Question Period on Sunday.
Protests took place across Canada on Saturday to complain about the government’s treatment of veterans and gripes about the lump sum took centre stage. The Harper government also took heat recently for unlawfully releasing a Gulf War veteran’s medical records.
“My argument throughout this whole period of revelations such as invasion of privacy and all these other things is that the veterans have not had a fair day in court,” Stogran said.
He said the potential lawsuit would address the burden of proof in disability pension and award review hearings. Veterans are supposed to be given the benefit of the doubt even if they lack evidence for their claim, Stogran said.
“As long as you use sound logic and reasoning, if you present a case that’s plausible and it makes sense, you don’t have to prove that it’s true,” he said.
But instead, he said, adjudicators in some cases have weighed the evidence as if it were a regular trial.
The legislation around veterans’ disability claims was designed to take into account circumstances that might prevent soldiers from having documentation that completely supports their claim, Stogran said.
“You’re not going to break down in the middle of a nighttime parachute assault . . . and asked to be evacuated to the unit aid station so you can do paperwork for your sore back,” he said, adding that he considers the elevated burden of proof “a national security issue.”
“You don’t want the soldiers overseas to be looking over their shoulders and worried about generating the evidence or how they’re going to be able to prove a disability.”
Stogran said he will take a low-profile after his successor, Guy Parent, takes office on Remembrance Day. But Stogran said if he doesn’t see movement on the issue, he is prepared to move forward with the lawsuit.
“I am so committed to bringing fair treatment to the veterans and I think this is the lynch pin of the whole thing,” he said.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is Canada's version of george W bush!
Harper: 'I've got bruises' for pro-Israel stance
.
CBC News
Stephen Harper says Canada will stand against "anti-Israel rhetoric" at international organizations like the United Nations as long as he is prime minister — "whatever the cost."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers a speech on Monday at the annual conference of the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press) The prime minister, speaking Monday at the start of an annual conference on combating anti-Semitism in Ottawa, said he's "got bruises to show" for speaking out in the international community against enemies of Israel.
Although he did not give specifics, Harper was likely referring to Canada's failed bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council last month. He also insisted there are "a lot more votes" in being anti-Israel than in "taking a stand."
Critics of the Conservative government have cited Harper's unwavering support of Israel during its ongoing conflict with the Palestinians as a possible reason for Canada's failure to gain a Security Council seat for the first time since the international body's creation.
But Harper said the "evolving phenomenon" of anti-Semitism targets the Jewish people by portraying Israel as "the source of injustice and conflict in the world, and uses perversely the language of human rights to do so."
"We must be relentless in exposing this new anti-Semitism for what it is," Harper said.
Israel, like any country, may be subjected to fair criticism, he said. But Harper told the audience that Canada must oppose what he called the "three Ds" — demonization, double standards and delegitimization.
"And like any free country Israel subjects itself to such criticism, healthy, necessary, democratic debate," he said. "But when Israel, the only country in the world whose very existence is under attack, is consistently and conspicuously singled out for condemnation, I believe we are morally obligated to take a stand."
Ignatieff targets Iran, UN seat loss
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, in a speech to the conference, says Canada 'has an innocence that we very urgently need to shed' on the global reach of anti-Semitism. (CBC)
Harper said history has shown it is critical to fight anti-Semitism because those who threaten the existence of the Jewish people are ultimately a threat to everyone.
The Ottawa conference, organized by the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism, later heard from Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who said the "vicious modern anti-Semitism" is a "threat to all humanity."
In his address, Ignatieff singled out Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's "utterly unacceptable" comments and threats toward Israel. He said Canada must stand against the "strategic threat" Iran presents not just to Israel, but to the entire Middle East.
The Opposition leader also levelled criticism at Harper for Canada's failure to win a temporary seat on the UN Security Council, saying it was not a "moral victory" to lose out on a position from which Canada could have defended Israel on the international stage.
"If Canada wishes to defend Israel against Iran, as it should, it would have been nice to be on the UN Security Council," Ignatieff said.
Canada, Ignatieff added, "has an innocence that we very urgently need to shed" on the global reach of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism fuels fire-bombings of religious schools within Canada's own borders, as well as the mail bombs recently shipped from Yemen, Ignatieff said.
The Liberal leader also condemned the "one-sided parade" of anti-Israel condemnations at the UN, as well as those who use the ongoing Mideast conflict as an "excuse to fuel their hatred."
In 2006, Ignatieff sparked controversy by saying he was "not losing sleep" over an Israeli air attack in the southern Lebanese village of Qana during the 34-day conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerillas.
Ignatieff, then a candidate for his party's leadership, subsequently called the incident a war crime, then clarified his remarks by saying he was a lifelong supporter of the state of Israel and it was up to international bodies to determine war crimes.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/11/08/harper-israel-anti-semitism.html#socialcomments#ixzz14ighrpE8
.
CBC News
Stephen Harper says Canada will stand against "anti-Israel rhetoric" at international organizations like the United Nations as long as he is prime minister — "whatever the cost."
Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivers a speech on Monday at the annual conference of the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press) The prime minister, speaking Monday at the start of an annual conference on combating anti-Semitism in Ottawa, said he's "got bruises to show" for speaking out in the international community against enemies of Israel.
Although he did not give specifics, Harper was likely referring to Canada's failed bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council last month. He also insisted there are "a lot more votes" in being anti-Israel than in "taking a stand."
Critics of the Conservative government have cited Harper's unwavering support of Israel during its ongoing conflict with the Palestinians as a possible reason for Canada's failure to gain a Security Council seat for the first time since the international body's creation.
But Harper said the "evolving phenomenon" of anti-Semitism targets the Jewish people by portraying Israel as "the source of injustice and conflict in the world, and uses perversely the language of human rights to do so."
"We must be relentless in exposing this new anti-Semitism for what it is," Harper said.
Israel, like any country, may be subjected to fair criticism, he said. But Harper told the audience that Canada must oppose what he called the "three Ds" — demonization, double standards and delegitimization.
"And like any free country Israel subjects itself to such criticism, healthy, necessary, democratic debate," he said. "But when Israel, the only country in the world whose very existence is under attack, is consistently and conspicuously singled out for condemnation, I believe we are morally obligated to take a stand."
Ignatieff targets Iran, UN seat loss
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, in a speech to the conference, says Canada 'has an innocence that we very urgently need to shed' on the global reach of anti-Semitism. (CBC)
Harper said history has shown it is critical to fight anti-Semitism because those who threaten the existence of the Jewish people are ultimately a threat to everyone.
The Ottawa conference, organized by the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism, later heard from Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who said the "vicious modern anti-Semitism" is a "threat to all humanity."
In his address, Ignatieff singled out Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's "utterly unacceptable" comments and threats toward Israel. He said Canada must stand against the "strategic threat" Iran presents not just to Israel, but to the entire Middle East.
The Opposition leader also levelled criticism at Harper for Canada's failure to win a temporary seat on the UN Security Council, saying it was not a "moral victory" to lose out on a position from which Canada could have defended Israel on the international stage.
"If Canada wishes to defend Israel against Iran, as it should, it would have been nice to be on the UN Security Council," Ignatieff said.
Canada, Ignatieff added, "has an innocence that we very urgently need to shed" on the global reach of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism fuels fire-bombings of religious schools within Canada's own borders, as well as the mail bombs recently shipped from Yemen, Ignatieff said.
The Liberal leader also condemned the "one-sided parade" of anti-Israel condemnations at the UN, as well as those who use the ongoing Mideast conflict as an "excuse to fuel their hatred."
In 2006, Ignatieff sparked controversy by saying he was "not losing sleep" over an Israeli air attack in the southern Lebanese village of Qana during the 34-day conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerillas.
Ignatieff, then a candidate for his party's leadership, subsequently called the incident a war crime, then clarified his remarks by saying he was a lifelong supporter of the state of Israel and it was up to international bodies to determine war crimes.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/11/08/harper-israel-anti-semitism.html#socialcomments#ixzz14ighrpE8
Airbus A380 Engines Rolls-Royce Trent 900 & Engine Alliance GP7000 .
Engines
A Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine on the wing of an Airbus A380The A380 can be fitted with two types of engines: A380-841, A380-842 and A380-843F with Rolls-Royce Trent 900, and the A380-861 and A380-863F with Engine Alliance GP7000 turbofans. The Trent 900 is a derivative of the Trent 800, and the GP7000 has roots from the GE90 and PW4000. The Trent 900 core is a scaled version of the Trent 500, but incorporates the swept fan technology of the stillborn Trent 8104.[101] The GP7200 has a GE90-derived core and PW4090-derived fan and low-pressure turbo-machinery.[102] Only two of the four engines are fitted with thrust reversers.[103]
Noise reduction was an important requirement in the A380's design, and particularly affects engine design.[104][105] Both engine types allow the aircraft to achieve QC/2 departure and QC/0.5 arrival noise limits under the Quota Count system set by London Heathrow Airport,[106] which is a key destination for the A380.[14]
The A380 was used to demonstrate the viability of a synthetic fuel comprising standard jet fuel with a natural-gas-derived component. On 1 February 2008, a three hour test flight operated between Britain and France, with one of the A380's four engines using a mix of 60 percent standard jet kerosene and 40 percent gas to liquids (GTL) fuel supplied by Shell.[107] The aircraft needed no modification to use the GTL fuel, which was designed to be mixed with normal jet fuel. Sebastien Remy, head of Airbus SAS's alternative fuel programme, said the GTL used was no cleaner in CO2 terms than standard fuel but it had local air quality benefits because it contains no sulphur.[108]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Engine Alliance GP7000
.
Type Turbofan
Manufacturer Engine Alliance
First run 2004
Major applications Airbus A380
Unit cost $13.5 million (2006 USD)
Developed from General Electric GE90 PW4000
The Engine Alliance GP7000 is a turbofan jet engine that is currently in service on the Airbus A380.
Contents
1 Design and development
2 Applications
3 Specifications (GP7270)
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Design and development
Originally intended to power Boeing Commercial Airplanes's cancelled 747-500X/-600X, the engine has since been pushed for Airbus' A380-800 superjumbo. It is built around the GE90-110B/115B core and contains a Pratt & Whitney fan and low-pressure system design.
The competing Rolls-Royce Trent 900 was named as the lead engine for the then-named A3XX in 1996 and was initially selected by almost all A380 customers. However the GE/PW engine increased its share of the A380 engine market to the point where as of September 2007 it will power 47% of the super-jumbo fleet. This disparity in sales was resolved in a single transaction, with Emirates' order of 55 GP7000-powered A380-800s, comprising over one quarter of A380 sales (as of September 2007). Emirates has traditionally been a Rolls-Royce customer. A380 aircraft powered by the GP7000s will have A380-86X model numbers as 6 is the code for Engine Alliance engines.
Ground testing of the engine began in April 2004 and the engine was run for the first time on an A380 on August 14, 2006. [1] The American Federal Aviation Administration certified the engine for commercial operation on January 4, 2006. [2] On August 25, 2006, an A380-861 test aircraft (MSN 009) made the first flight of an Engine Alliance powered A380. The flight began and ended at Toulouse and lasted about four hours. Tests were performed on the engines' flight envelope, cruise speed, and handling. A day earlier, the same aircraft performed rejected takeoff tests on the engines.
The Engine Alliance offers the GP7200 for the Airbus A380 passenger and freighter configurations. The GP7200 is rated at 81,500 lbf (363,000 N) of thrust. The engine is offered with two ratings appropriate for the various A380 configurations and take-off weights: GP7270 for the 560 tonne variant, and GP7277 for the 590 tonne A380-800 freighter.
[edit] Applications
Airbus A380
[edit] Specifications (GP7270)
General characteristics
Type: two-spool high-bypass turbofan engine
Length: 4.74 m (187 in)
Diameter: 3.16 m (124 in), fan tip 2.95 m (116 in)
Dry weight: 6,712 kg (14,800 lb)
Components
Compressor: hollow-titanium, 24 swept wide-chord hollow titanium fan blades, by-pass ratio of 8.7:1; five-stage low-pressure axial compressor; nine-stage high-pressure axial compressor
Combustors: low-emissions single annular combustor
Turbine: two-stage high pressure turbine, boltless architecture, single crystal blades, split blade cooling and thermal barrier coatings, axial flow; six-stage low-pressure axial flow
Performance
Maximum thrust:
36,980 kgf, 363 kN, 81,500 lbf
Overall pressure ratio: 43.9
Thrust-to-weight ratio: 4.73 (assuming 17,230 lbf weight of engine and 81,500 lbf of thrust)
A Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine on the wing of an Airbus A380The A380 can be fitted with two types of engines: A380-841, A380-842 and A380-843F with Rolls-Royce Trent 900, and the A380-861 and A380-863F with Engine Alliance GP7000 turbofans. The Trent 900 is a derivative of the Trent 800, and the GP7000 has roots from the GE90 and PW4000. The Trent 900 core is a scaled version of the Trent 500, but incorporates the swept fan technology of the stillborn Trent 8104.[101] The GP7200 has a GE90-derived core and PW4090-derived fan and low-pressure turbo-machinery.[102] Only two of the four engines are fitted with thrust reversers.[103]
Noise reduction was an important requirement in the A380's design, and particularly affects engine design.[104][105] Both engine types allow the aircraft to achieve QC/2 departure and QC/0.5 arrival noise limits under the Quota Count system set by London Heathrow Airport,[106] which is a key destination for the A380.[14]
The A380 was used to demonstrate the viability of a synthetic fuel comprising standard jet fuel with a natural-gas-derived component. On 1 February 2008, a three hour test flight operated between Britain and France, with one of the A380's four engines using a mix of 60 percent standard jet kerosene and 40 percent gas to liquids (GTL) fuel supplied by Shell.[107] The aircraft needed no modification to use the GTL fuel, which was designed to be mixed with normal jet fuel. Sebastien Remy, head of Airbus SAS's alternative fuel programme, said the GTL used was no cleaner in CO2 terms than standard fuel but it had local air quality benefits because it contains no sulphur.[108]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Engine Alliance GP7000
.
Type Turbofan
Manufacturer Engine Alliance
First run 2004
Major applications Airbus A380
Unit cost $13.5 million (2006 USD)
Developed from General Electric GE90 PW4000
The Engine Alliance GP7000 is a turbofan jet engine that is currently in service on the Airbus A380.
Contents
1 Design and development
2 Applications
3 Specifications (GP7270)
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
Design and development
Originally intended to power Boeing Commercial Airplanes's cancelled 747-500X/-600X, the engine has since been pushed for Airbus' A380-800 superjumbo. It is built around the GE90-110B/115B core and contains a Pratt & Whitney fan and low-pressure system design.
The competing Rolls-Royce Trent 900 was named as the lead engine for the then-named A3XX in 1996 and was initially selected by almost all A380 customers. However the GE/PW engine increased its share of the A380 engine market to the point where as of September 2007 it will power 47% of the super-jumbo fleet. This disparity in sales was resolved in a single transaction, with Emirates' order of 55 GP7000-powered A380-800s, comprising over one quarter of A380 sales (as of September 2007). Emirates has traditionally been a Rolls-Royce customer. A380 aircraft powered by the GP7000s will have A380-86X model numbers as 6 is the code for Engine Alliance engines.
Ground testing of the engine began in April 2004 and the engine was run for the first time on an A380 on August 14, 2006. [1] The American Federal Aviation Administration certified the engine for commercial operation on January 4, 2006. [2] On August 25, 2006, an A380-861 test aircraft (MSN 009) made the first flight of an Engine Alliance powered A380. The flight began and ended at Toulouse and lasted about four hours. Tests were performed on the engines' flight envelope, cruise speed, and handling. A day earlier, the same aircraft performed rejected takeoff tests on the engines.
The Engine Alliance offers the GP7200 for the Airbus A380 passenger and freighter configurations. The GP7200 is rated at 81,500 lbf (363,000 N) of thrust. The engine is offered with two ratings appropriate for the various A380 configurations and take-off weights: GP7270 for the 560 tonne variant, and GP7277 for the 590 tonne A380-800 freighter.
[edit] Applications
Airbus A380
[edit] Specifications (GP7270)
General characteristics
Type: two-spool high-bypass turbofan engine
Length: 4.74 m (187 in)
Diameter: 3.16 m (124 in), fan tip 2.95 m (116 in)
Dry weight: 6,712 kg (14,800 lb)
Components
Compressor: hollow-titanium, 24 swept wide-chord hollow titanium fan blades, by-pass ratio of 8.7:1; five-stage low-pressure axial compressor; nine-stage high-pressure axial compressor
Combustors: low-emissions single annular combustor
Turbine: two-stage high pressure turbine, boltless architecture, single crystal blades, split blade cooling and thermal barrier coatings, axial flow; six-stage low-pressure axial flow
Performance
Maximum thrust:
36,980 kgf, 363 kN, 81,500 lbf
Overall pressure ratio: 43.9
Thrust-to-weight ratio: 4.73 (assuming 17,230 lbf weight of engine and 81,500 lbf of thrust)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Air Canada has ordered its staff to subject anyone connected to Yemen to undergo extra security checks
Air Canada has ordered its staff to subject anyone connected to Yemen to undergo extra security checks after the discovery last week of two packages containing explosives that originated from the country.
A memo, circulated at several major Canadian airports, directs Air Canada staff to take aside any passenger who was born or is a resident in Yemen, is travelling to or transiting through Yemen, or has started a trip in the country.
The passenger, who will already have gone through normal security, will be taken to a so-called sterile area for a second and more thorough search.
The memo also says that the flight should not be delayed to allow a customer to be screened, but instead, the customer should be rebooked on the next available flight.
A spokesman for Air Canada told CBC News he couldn't comment on the policy, because it's a security matter.
It is not known if the tougher rules are an initiative the airline took on its own or if it was ordered to do so by Transport Canada.
Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of CAIR-CAN, Canada's largest Muslim lobby, said this is blatant racial profiling.
"Profiling assumes there are innate characteristics that are a predictor of criminality, and this is a slippery slope into racism," Gardee said.
Last week, authorities intercepted Chicago-bound packages off cargo planes in Dubai and England. Inside, they found the bombs wired to cellphones and hidden in the toner cartridges of computer printers. On Friday, a Yemen-based al-Qaeda group claimed responsibility for the cargo mail bomb plot.
British terrorism expert Sajan Gohel said even in extraordinary circumstances, racial profiling is not justified, but he said there is no doubt that al-Qaeda is increasingly using Yemen as its prime base to mount attacks against the West.
But Canadian security expert Arne Kislenko said it's not racist to target air travellers to and from a country that al-Qaeda members are using as a base to attack the West.
Kislenko, who used to work as an immigration officer at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, said if Air Canada is giving Yemeni nationals extra attention, it's likely because intelligence agencies are aware of a specific threat.
"There's probably intelligence communities — American, Canadian and others — who have information about specific threats," Kislenko said. "And they more than likely involve Yemeni nationals travelling to the U.S. or elsewhere on Western airlines
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/11/05/air-canada-yemen.html#ixzz14ZX8wavp
A memo, circulated at several major Canadian airports, directs Air Canada staff to take aside any passenger who was born or is a resident in Yemen, is travelling to or transiting through Yemen, or has started a trip in the country.
The passenger, who will already have gone through normal security, will be taken to a so-called sterile area for a second and more thorough search.
The memo also says that the flight should not be delayed to allow a customer to be screened, but instead, the customer should be rebooked on the next available flight.
A spokesman for Air Canada told CBC News he couldn't comment on the policy, because it's a security matter.
It is not known if the tougher rules are an initiative the airline took on its own or if it was ordered to do so by Transport Canada.
Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of CAIR-CAN, Canada's largest Muslim lobby, said this is blatant racial profiling.
"Profiling assumes there are innate characteristics that are a predictor of criminality, and this is a slippery slope into racism," Gardee said.
Last week, authorities intercepted Chicago-bound packages off cargo planes in Dubai and England. Inside, they found the bombs wired to cellphones and hidden in the toner cartridges of computer printers. On Friday, a Yemen-based al-Qaeda group claimed responsibility for the cargo mail bomb plot.
British terrorism expert Sajan Gohel said even in extraordinary circumstances, racial profiling is not justified, but he said there is no doubt that al-Qaeda is increasingly using Yemen as its prime base to mount attacks against the West.
But Canadian security expert Arne Kislenko said it's not racist to target air travellers to and from a country that al-Qaeda members are using as a base to attack the West.
Kislenko, who used to work as an immigration officer at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, said if Air Canada is giving Yemeni nationals extra attention, it's likely because intelligence agencies are aware of a specific threat.
"There's probably intelligence communities — American, Canadian and others — who have information about specific threats," Kislenko said. "And they more than likely involve Yemeni nationals travelling to the U.S. or elsewhere on Western airlines
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/11/05/air-canada-yemen.html#ixzz14ZX8wavp
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Qantas Airways Aircraft incidents and accidents Extortion attempts Sex discrimination controversy Price fixing.
Aircraft incidents and accidents
It is often claimed, most notably in the 1988 movie Rain Man, that Qantas has never had an aircraft crash.[51] While it is true that the company has neither lost a jet airliner nor had any jet fatalities, it had eight fatal accidents and an aircraft shot down between 1927 and 1945, with the loss of 63 people. Half of these accidents and the shoot-down occurred during World War II, when the Qantas aircraft were operating on behalf of Allied military forces. Post-war, it lost another two aircraft with the loss of 17 lives. To this date, the last fatal accident suffered by Qantas was in 1951.
Since the end of World War II, the following accidents and incidents have occurred:
On 7 April 1949, Avro Lancastrian VH-EAS swung on landing at Dubbo during a training flight, causing the gear to collapse. The aircraft was destroyed by fire, but the crew evacuated safely.[52]
On 16 July 1951, de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover VH-EBQ crashed off the coast of New Guinea (in the Huon Gulf near the mouth of the Markham River) after the centre engine's propeller failed. The pilot and the six passengers on board were killed. To date, this was the last fatal accident suffered by Qantas. [53]
On 24 August 1960, Super Constellation VH-EAC crashed on take-off at Mauritius en route to the Cocos Islands. The take-off was aborted following an engine failure, the aircraft ran off the runway, and was destroyed by fire. There were no fatalities.[54]
On 23 September 1999, Qantas Flight 1, a Boeing 747–400 VH-OJH, overran the runway while landing at Bangkok, Thailand, during a heavy thunderstorm. The aircraft ended up on a golf course, but without fatalities. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau criticised numerous inadequacies in Qantas' operational and training processes.[55]
On 25 July 2008, Qantas Flight 30, a Boeing 747–400 VH-OJK, on the leg from Hong Kong to Melbourne, suffered a rapid decompression[56] and made an emergency landing in Manila after an explosion. There were no injuries. The ATSB officially stated that the incident was caused by the failure of an oxygen tank.[57][58][59]
Wikinews has related news: Hole in fuselage causes Qantas flight to make emergency landing
On 7 October 2008, Qantas Flight 72, an Airbus A330-300 VH-QPA "Kununurra" travelling from Singapore to Perth, suffered a rapid loss of altitude in two sudden uncommanded pitch down manoeuvres causing serious injuries while 80 nautical miles (150 km) from Learmonth, Australia. The aircraft safely landed in Learmonth, with 14 people requiring transportation by air ambulance to Perth. Another 30 people also required hospital treatment, while an additional 30 people had injuries not requiring hospital treatment.[60] Initial investigations identified an inertial reference system fault in the Number-1 Air Data Inertial Reference Unit as the likely origin of the event. On receiving false indication of a very high angle of attack, the flight control systems commanded a pitch down movement, reaching a maximum of 8.5 degrees pitch down.[61]
On 30 August 2010, Qantas Flight 74, a Boeing 747-400 with 213 passengers and 18 crew, left San Francisco International Airport for Sydney. It suffered an engine turbine failure, with passengers witnessed sparks and flames streamed from the number-four engine exhaust just after 15 minutes from departing. ATSB's preliminary report revealed that as the engine vibrated, disintegrating parts were flung outwards, tore a large hole on the far side of the engine cover and peppered the near side with holes. The debris also hit the underside of the wing and puncturing the wing flaps. The plane turned around, dumped excess fuel and landed safely in San Francisco with no injuries.[62][63]
On 4 November 2010 Qantas Flight 32, an Airbus A380 "Nancy-Bird Walton" VH-OQA suffered a serious failure of its left inboard engine. The flight landed safely, and all 433 passengers and 26 crew on board are safe. Cowling parts of the failed engine fell over Batam island.[64][16] This incident resulted in the grounding of Qantas’ entire A380 fleet.
On 5 November 2010 Qantas flight QF6 (Boeing 747-400) from Singapore suffered engine problems shorty after take off, and safely returned to Singapore Airport. There were no injuries. [65] Despite the similarities raising safety concerns, there was no apparent connection between the incident and QF32 the day before. [66]
Extortion attempts
On 26 May 1971, Qantas received a call from a "Mr. Brown" claiming that there was a bomb planted on a Hong Kong-bound jet and demanding $500,000 in unmarked $20 bills. He was treated seriously when he directed police to an airport locker where a functional bomb was found. Arrangements were made to pick up the money in front of the head office of the airline in the heart of the Sydney business district. Qantas paid the money and it was collected, after which Mr. Brown called again, advising the 'bomb on the plane' story was a hoax. The initial pursuit of the perpetrator was bungled by the New South Wales Police Force who, despite having been advised of the matter from the time of the first call, failed to establish adequate surveillance of the pick-up of the money. Directed not to use their radios (for fear of being "overheard"), the police were unable to communicate adequately.[67] Tipped off by a still-unidentified informer, the police arrested an Englishman, Peter Macari,[68] finding more than $138,000 hidden in an Annandale property. Convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison, Macari served nine years before being deported to Britain. Over $224,000 has still not been found. The 1985 telemovie Call Me Mr. Brown, directed by Scott Hicks and produced by Terry Jennings, relates to this incident.
On 4 July 1997, a copycat extortion attempt was thwarted by police and Qantas security staff.[69]
Sex discrimination controversy
In November 2005, it was revealed that Qantas has a policy of not seating adult male passengers next to unaccompanied children. This led to accusations of discrimination. The policy came to light following an incident in 2004 when Mark Wolsay, who was seated next to a young boy on a Qantas flight in New Zealand, was asked to change seats with a female passenger. A steward informed him that "it was the airline's policy that only women were allowed to sit next to unaccompanied children".[70]
Cameron Murphy of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties president criticised the policy and stated that "there was no basis for the ban". He said it was wrong to assume that all adult males posed a danger to children .[71] The policy has also been criticised for failing to take female abusers into consideration.[72]
Price fixing
Qantas has pleaded guilty to participating in a cartel that fixed the price of air cargo. Qantas Airways Ltd. was fined $155,000 CAD after it admitted that its freight division fixed surcharges on cargo exported on certain routes from Canada between May 2002 and February 2006.[73]
It is often claimed, most notably in the 1988 movie Rain Man, that Qantas has never had an aircraft crash.[51] While it is true that the company has neither lost a jet airliner nor had any jet fatalities, it had eight fatal accidents and an aircraft shot down between 1927 and 1945, with the loss of 63 people. Half of these accidents and the shoot-down occurred during World War II, when the Qantas aircraft were operating on behalf of Allied military forces. Post-war, it lost another two aircraft with the loss of 17 lives. To this date, the last fatal accident suffered by Qantas was in 1951.
Since the end of World War II, the following accidents and incidents have occurred:
On 7 April 1949, Avro Lancastrian VH-EAS swung on landing at Dubbo during a training flight, causing the gear to collapse. The aircraft was destroyed by fire, but the crew evacuated safely.[52]
On 16 July 1951, de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover VH-EBQ crashed off the coast of New Guinea (in the Huon Gulf near the mouth of the Markham River) after the centre engine's propeller failed. The pilot and the six passengers on board were killed. To date, this was the last fatal accident suffered by Qantas. [53]
On 24 August 1960, Super Constellation VH-EAC crashed on take-off at Mauritius en route to the Cocos Islands. The take-off was aborted following an engine failure, the aircraft ran off the runway, and was destroyed by fire. There were no fatalities.[54]
On 23 September 1999, Qantas Flight 1, a Boeing 747–400 VH-OJH, overran the runway while landing at Bangkok, Thailand, during a heavy thunderstorm. The aircraft ended up on a golf course, but without fatalities. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau criticised numerous inadequacies in Qantas' operational and training processes.[55]
On 25 July 2008, Qantas Flight 30, a Boeing 747–400 VH-OJK, on the leg from Hong Kong to Melbourne, suffered a rapid decompression[56] and made an emergency landing in Manila after an explosion. There were no injuries. The ATSB officially stated that the incident was caused by the failure of an oxygen tank.[57][58][59]
Wikinews has related news: Hole in fuselage causes Qantas flight to make emergency landing
On 7 October 2008, Qantas Flight 72, an Airbus A330-300 VH-QPA "Kununurra" travelling from Singapore to Perth, suffered a rapid loss of altitude in two sudden uncommanded pitch down manoeuvres causing serious injuries while 80 nautical miles (150 km) from Learmonth, Australia. The aircraft safely landed in Learmonth, with 14 people requiring transportation by air ambulance to Perth. Another 30 people also required hospital treatment, while an additional 30 people had injuries not requiring hospital treatment.[60] Initial investigations identified an inertial reference system fault in the Number-1 Air Data Inertial Reference Unit as the likely origin of the event. On receiving false indication of a very high angle of attack, the flight control systems commanded a pitch down movement, reaching a maximum of 8.5 degrees pitch down.[61]
On 30 August 2010, Qantas Flight 74, a Boeing 747-400 with 213 passengers and 18 crew, left San Francisco International Airport for Sydney. It suffered an engine turbine failure, with passengers witnessed sparks and flames streamed from the number-four engine exhaust just after 15 minutes from departing. ATSB's preliminary report revealed that as the engine vibrated, disintegrating parts were flung outwards, tore a large hole on the far side of the engine cover and peppered the near side with holes. The debris also hit the underside of the wing and puncturing the wing flaps. The plane turned around, dumped excess fuel and landed safely in San Francisco with no injuries.[62][63]
On 4 November 2010 Qantas Flight 32, an Airbus A380 "Nancy-Bird Walton" VH-OQA suffered a serious failure of its left inboard engine. The flight landed safely, and all 433 passengers and 26 crew on board are safe. Cowling parts of the failed engine fell over Batam island.[64][16] This incident resulted in the grounding of Qantas’ entire A380 fleet.
On 5 November 2010 Qantas flight QF6 (Boeing 747-400) from Singapore suffered engine problems shorty after take off, and safely returned to Singapore Airport. There were no injuries. [65] Despite the similarities raising safety concerns, there was no apparent connection between the incident and QF32 the day before. [66]
Extortion attempts
On 26 May 1971, Qantas received a call from a "Mr. Brown" claiming that there was a bomb planted on a Hong Kong-bound jet and demanding $500,000 in unmarked $20 bills. He was treated seriously when he directed police to an airport locker where a functional bomb was found. Arrangements were made to pick up the money in front of the head office of the airline in the heart of the Sydney business district. Qantas paid the money and it was collected, after which Mr. Brown called again, advising the 'bomb on the plane' story was a hoax. The initial pursuit of the perpetrator was bungled by the New South Wales Police Force who, despite having been advised of the matter from the time of the first call, failed to establish adequate surveillance of the pick-up of the money. Directed not to use their radios (for fear of being "overheard"), the police were unable to communicate adequately.[67] Tipped off by a still-unidentified informer, the police arrested an Englishman, Peter Macari,[68] finding more than $138,000 hidden in an Annandale property. Convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison, Macari served nine years before being deported to Britain. Over $224,000 has still not been found. The 1985 telemovie Call Me Mr. Brown, directed by Scott Hicks and produced by Terry Jennings, relates to this incident.
On 4 July 1997, a copycat extortion attempt was thwarted by police and Qantas security staff.[69]
Sex discrimination controversy
In November 2005, it was revealed that Qantas has a policy of not seating adult male passengers next to unaccompanied children. This led to accusations of discrimination. The policy came to light following an incident in 2004 when Mark Wolsay, who was seated next to a young boy on a Qantas flight in New Zealand, was asked to change seats with a female passenger. A steward informed him that "it was the airline's policy that only women were allowed to sit next to unaccompanied children".[70]
Cameron Murphy of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties president criticised the policy and stated that "there was no basis for the ban". He said it was wrong to assume that all adult males posed a danger to children .[71] The policy has also been criticised for failing to take female abusers into consideration.[72]
Price fixing
Qantas has pleaded guilty to participating in a cartel that fixed the price of air cargo. Qantas Airways Ltd. was fined $155,000 CAD after it admitted that its freight division fixed surcharges on cargo exported on certain routes from Canada between May 2002 and February 2006.[73]
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