Model Airplanes

Airbus’s surprise move to swallow Bombardier’s CSeries airplane program gives it a new small-jet family without spending the billions of dollars it would take to develop one itself.

Besides the likely impact of the deal on the Boeing-instigated U.S. trade case against Bombardier, that leg up for Airbus could trigger a serious strategy shift for Boeing.

The deal Airbus announced Monday, giving it control of Bombardier’s freshly introduced two-model family of small narrowbody jets — the 110-seat CS100 and the 130-seat CS300, — could ultimately force Boeing to redraw the road map of new airplane development that it had settled on.

Article source: https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/boeings-future-plans-threatened-by-airbus-bombardier-pact/

Oct. 16 (UPI) — As firefighters worked to put out wildfires that have rampaged Northern California, authorities said that drone operators are hindering firefighting efforts by flying their machines in the area.

The California Highway Patrol announced the arrest of at least one drone operator for the offense of flying in a wildfire area. In a Facebook post, the law enforcement agency said Cal Fire, the state’s forestry and fire protection service, reported multiple drones in the area.

Using all uppercase letters for emphasis, the CHP warned on Facebook: “FIRE FIGHTING PLANES CANNOT FLY IF YOUR DRONE IS IN THE AIR!”

They added: “Land them if you want these fires out!”

Nestor Rodriguez, 24, was arrested for allegedly flying a drone near an airport that Cal Fire helicopters were using, and officials said firefighting efforts there were stopped for 10 minutes.

Rodriguez was cited for impeding emergency personnel. He told police he did not know flying the drone in that area was illegal.

“The drone was not only potentially perilous for the helicopters landing at and leaving the airport, it also held up the operation endangering lives and further fire damage to an already fire ravaged area,” the Petaluma Police Department said in a press release.

Drones are not a new problem for California firefighters. When wildfires burned in the state in 2015, a four-foot drone caused operations to shut down for one evening, which resulted in an additional 3.5 acres burned, KTLA-TV reported

Article source: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017/10/16/Officials-Drone-operators-impede-California-firefighter-efforts/1291508210439/

Information via W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home

Ralph F. Spinnler of Branford, CT, formerly of Glastonbury, CT died peacefully at his home on Saturday October 14, 2017, surrounded by his family. The youngest child of Rose and Aloysius Spinnler, Ralph was born on July 25, 1939 in Lynnbrook, New York.

A graduate of Lynnbrook High School, Ralph received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University and a Masters Degree from Rensslaer Polytechnic Institute. He earned a commission in the United States Navy through the ROTC program at Duke. Ralph married his hometown sweetheart, Cynthia Williams, and they moved to Yorktown, VA before settling in Connecticut. He joined Raymond Engineering in 1969 where he began a project to investigate the market potential and technical feasibility of a wireless transmission system for communicating data from an oil well to the surface.

A joint venture company was formed with Raymond and Elf Aquitaine and in 1972, Teleco Oilfields Services, Inc. was acquired by Sonat Inc. Ralph remained as CEO of Teleco until the company was sold to Baker Hughes in 1992. Ralph took great pride in the Teleco family. Above all he believed in the importance of hiring the best people.

After retirement, he was honored to serve on the board of APS Inc, a company started by a group of former employees. Ralph Spinnler is survived by his wife of 56 years, Cynthia Marie Williams Spinnler and their three daughters, Julie Spinnler Crager and her three children Jack, Elizabeth, and Ned; Marie

Article source: https://patch.com/connecticut/branford/obituary-ralph-f-spinnler-78-branford