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SpaceDev, Inc. announced today that SpaceDev Founder and Board Member James Benson, 63, died peacefully in his home. Benson was diagnosed in 2007 with a glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor, the cause of his death early this morning. Mr. Benson had resigned from an operational role in SpaceDev in September 2006. He retained a seat on the Board of Directors of SpaceDev where he had continued to support the Company that he founded in 1997. "Jim was a true visionary," said Mark Sirangelo, SpaceDev's CEO and Chairman of the Board. "He saw that space exploration could be more effective if done...

The Federal Aviation Administration has begun scrutinizing YouTube videos taken from the cockpits of Horizon Air planes. Although most of the videos have been taken down, the FAA and Horizon Air confirmed they are cooperating in an investigation into possible cockpit violations in which pilots allowed personal electronic devices to be used to record takeoffs and landings. With the exception of filming for training, it is against federal regulations for pilots or passengers to use such devices during takeoffs and landings, as they could interfere with instrument and landing system navigation radios. Cockpits also are supposed to be sterile environments,...

A passenger's laptop computer is being considered as a possible cause of the Qantas incident off Western Australia on Tuesday. The Airbus A330-300 was flying from Singapore to Perth when it suddenly plunged thousands of feet, leaving more than 50 people injured. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing at an air force base near Exmouth in WA. A computer malfunction involving the auto-pilot system is being blamed for the incident. 'There certainly was a period of time where the aircraft performed on its own accord as it pitched over nose forward,' said Julian Walsh from the Transport...

KATMANDU, Nepal — A small airplane crashed and caught fire Wednesday as it tried to land in foggy weather at a tiny mountain airport near Mount Everest, killing 18 people, including 16 tourists from Germany, Australia and Nepal, officials said. Witnesses raced onto the tarmac in search of survivors but there was only one — the pilot.

Japanese fighters intercept Russian bombers over Sea of Japan Wednesday 08th October, 10:06 PM JST MOSCOW — Four Japanese F-15 fighter planes intercepted two Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers over the Sea of Japan on two occasions during a long-range flight drill Wednesday, the Interfax news agency reported. The report quoted a senior official of the Russian air force as saying the planes did not infringe on airspace of other countries and conducted the flight in accordance with international law. Two Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets were escorting the bombers, it said. The bombers took off from the Russian Far East...

We’ve done it - again. After nearly 10 months of sweating, cussing, and prodding, XZ 439 made four successful takeoffs and more important - - four successful landings. Equal numbers of each, which is a good thing. The weekends of checking the systems, repairs, sheet metal work, and the endless gear retractions and extensions, plus the emergency gear extensions, all paid benefits. We had another Gas Turbine Starter (GTS) decide it was time to go on one of our taxi checks, but this time, we were better prepared. No chicken dances. We calmly and coolly extinguished the fire. No...

THRITY-SIX people were hurt, some seriously, when thrown from their seats as an international Qantas plane suddenly lost altitude over Western Australia today. WA police said at least 12 passengers were seriously injured, with broken bones and lacerations, when the Airbus A330-300 flying from Singapore to Perth struck what Qantas described as a "sudden change in altitude". The pilots sent a mayday call shortly before making an emergency landing at 1.45pm (WST) at Learmonth, about 40km from Exmouth on West Australia's Gascoyne coast, Qantas said. It had been due to land in Perth at 2.10pm (WST). Paramedics and emergency workers...

For nearly a decade, and nearly two-thirds of a trillion dollars, the U.S. taxpayer has been floating the Iraqi government and paying its defense bills. Well, no more. We learned last month that Iraq intends to purchase 36 of Lockheed Martin's (NYSE: LMT) F-16 fighter jets to start rebuilding its own air force. Over the weekend, the news broke of yet another purchase -- half a dozen Beechcraft King Air "spy planes," manufactured by the artist formerly known as Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) Aircraft Company. ("Formerly" because, as you may recall, Raytheon sold it to private-equity powerhouses Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS)...

LCA to be fitted with Israeli multi-mode radar Ravi Sharma BANGALORE: The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will, after years of delay, soon be fitted with its primary mission sensor, the multi-mode radar (MMR). P.S. Subramaniam, Programme Director, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the defence laboratory that is designing the LCA, told The Hindu that “airworthy units” of the Israeli – manufactured MMR would be arriving here early next week for integration into the aircraft. The Elta designed and developed MMR, Elta EL/M-2052 which will be an interim option since India is developing an indigenous one, has already undergone tests...

US encourages Brazil to buy F-18 fighter jets By ALAN CLENDENNING – 8 hours ago SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — The U.S. Embassy said Thursday that it is encouraging Brazil to buy Boeing-built F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets — one of three models selected by Latin America's largest nation as finalists for a fleet revamp. The embassy declined comment on whether a deal would include technology transfer — a key demand by Brazil's government as it upgrades its armed forces. But its statement said the "U.S. regards Brazil as a key strategic partner and supports Brazil's program to modernize its...

Per Sheppard Smith

The wreckage of a plane found near the town of Mammoth Lakes in California does belong to missing US adventurer Steve Fossett, officials say. A number plate confirmed the plane as the Bellanca Super Decathlon owned by the 63-year-old millionaire. No body has yet been found. The search began after a hiker found items thought to belong to Mr Fossett.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 2 -- Search crews high in the Sierra Nevada mountains have found wreckage of the small plane that belonged to adventure pilot Steve Fossett, who vanished 13 months ago after taking off alone from a Nevada airstrip, a local official in California said Thursday morning.........

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. — Search teams combing a rugged part of eastern California for any sign of Steve Fossett, the adventurer who vanished on a solo flight more than a year ago, have spotted what appeared to be wreckage Wednesday, authorities said. Erica Stuart, spokeswoman for the Madera County Sheriff's Office, would not reveal the exact location of the reported aerial sighting, which she said was called in around sunset. Searchers had been combing a 10-mile radius around the spot where a hiker had found what appeared to be a pilot's license and other items belonging to Fossett earlier in...

A hiker came across the papers in the backcountry near Mammoth Mountain, according to the Madera County Sheriff's Department. The adventurer vanished in September 2007. A hiker in the Sierra Nevada backcountry today found identification documents believed to be those of missing adventurer Steve Fossett, officials said. The ID cards were found by hiker Preston Morrow off a trail near the town of Mammoth Lakes earlier this week and were turned in to local police. The items reportedly carried the name of James Steven Fossett and the same date of birth as the adventurer, who vanished in September 2007 after...

A ride from a strip club to a Subway restaurant turned ugly, cops say, when the passengers -- two pilots -- punched and kicked their cabbie. Two Jet Blue pilots have been charged with two counts of theft and one of felony battery after allegedly attacking Miami cab driver Juan Martin over a $9 fare after a ride from a Fort Lauderdale strip club to a Subway restaurant, police said. Pilots William Hart Smith, 40, and Brad Leopard, 38, both of Fort Lauderdale, allegedly attacked Miami cab driver Juan Martin about 2 a.m. on Aug. 12, said Fort Lauderdale Detective...

The US Department of Defense has approved the sale of 25 F-35 stealth-enabled Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) to the Israeli Air Force (IAF), Israel Radio reported Tuesday evening.

UPDATE 1-Israel to buy $15.2 bln in Lockheed fighters By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Tuesday said it approved the sale to Israel of 25 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft built by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and an option for 50 more in coming years -- a deal valued at up to $15.2 billion. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which oversees major arms sales, said the deal is vital to U.S. national security interests to assist Israel as it develops and maintains "a strong and ready self-defense...

Pilot Missing In Action From The Vietnam War Is Identified The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He is Col. David H. Zook, Jr., U.S. Air Force, of West Liberty, Ohio. He will be buried Oct. 4 in West Liberty. On Oct. 4, 1967, Zook was on a psychological warfare operation over Song Be Province, South Vietnam, when his U-10B Super Courier aircraft collided in mid-air with...

India, Russia to develop 2 versions of 5th-generation fighter 15:03 | 29/ 09/ 2008 NEW DELHI, September 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and India will jointly develop two versions of a new fifth-generation fighter, the head of an Indian defense company said on Monday. A Russian-Indian advanced multirole fighter is being developed by Sukhoi, which is part of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), along with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), under an intergovernmental agreement signed in October 2007. "The aircraft will have different wings, electronics and radars," HAL Chairman Ashok K. Baweja said after a meeting of the Russian-Indian intergovernmental...

War game argues that USAF fleet could be outmatched by Chinese By Stephen Trimble Rand's 90-slide briefing presented in August argues that the US Air Force's fifth-generation fighter fleet could be outmatched by hordes of lesser-skilled Chinese Sukhoi Su-27 pilots in a 2020 battle over the Taiwan Straits. In the Rand war game, China launches an air attack on skies above Taiwan. Using advantages of proximity and sheer numbers, the assault force consists of 72 Su-27 Flankers, 24 in each of three regiments. Operating from Andersen AFB, Guam, the USAF can muster only six Lockheed F-22s in the Taiwan Straits...

BRITAIN is considering pulling out of a £9 billion project with America to produce the new Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, intended to fly off the Royal Navy’s forthcoming aircraft carriers. The move is part of an increasingly desperate attempt to plug a £1.5 billion shortfall in the defence budget. The RAF’s 25 new Airbus A400 transport aircraft could also be at risk. Studies have now been commissioned to analyse whether Eurofighters could be adapted to fly off the carriers. If Britain abandons the JSF, it will be seen as a further snub to the Americans following Gordon Brown’s decision...

The great heave forward...  Chinese passengers are forced to get out and push their broken passenger plane   By John Garth  Anyone who has ever used budget airlines know only too well how uncomfortable it can be: long queues, cramped seats and every tiny extra costs you.  But at least they are never told to get out and help push their plane.That is exactly what happened to a group of passengers in China who were asked to get out and push after their plane broke down shortly after landing.      The Chinese Shandong airlines flight CRJ7 arrived safely...

Swiss adventurer crosses English Channel using homemade jet wing DOVER, England — A Swiss adventurer using a homemade jet-propelled wing has flown across the English Channel from France in less than 10 minutes. Yves Rossy landed safely in a field near Dover on Friday. The National Geographic Channel showed Rossy leaping from a plane at an altitude of about 2,700 metres, then firing up his wing for the 35-kilometre flight from Calais, France, to Dover, England. Minutes later Rossy looped over onlookers on the British side.

The team operating NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has chosen southeast as the direction for the rover's next extended journey, toward a crater more than 20 times wider than "Victoria Crater." Image credit: NASA/JPL/ASU Click here to enlarge image (PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Mars Rover Opportunity is setting its sights on a crater more than 20 times larger than its home for the past two years. To reach the crater the rover team calls Endeavour, Opportunity would need to drive approximately 7 miles to the southeast, matching the total distance it has traveled since landing on Mars in early 2004....

India to Order 29 MiG-29Ks in Russia India intends to order additional consignment of 29 MiG-29Ks in Russia, Lenta.ru reported with reference to defense sources of Indian Express. The cost of the order is estimated at around $2 billion, but the negotiations with Moscow haven’t been launched yet. In 2004, India ordered 12 one-seat MiG-29Ks and four two-seat MiG-29KUB under the complex contract for supply of Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier cruiser. The deal budget amounted to $1.6 billion. The purchase of the second consignment will enable India to create additional squadrons. India plans to extend the 50 MiG-29K fleet to...

Two strategic Tu-160 bombers of Russia’s Air Force completed the flight in accordance with the plan to patrol remote geographical territories and returned to the airbase in Russia’s Saratov region from Venezuela, RIA Novosti reports with reference to a senior Air Force official, Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Drik. The two planes landed Friday at 01:16 a.m. Moscow time. Alexander Anfinogentov, Deputy Commander of the Russian Air Force, told the news agency that the two bombers set two world records during the flight from the Russian air base to Venezuela and back. The flight duration of the planes made up over 15...

CHICAGO (CBS) ― An American Airlines jet overshot the runway at O'Hare International Airport Monday afternoon, and the Fire Department was sent to the scene. American Airlines said the affected plane was Flight 268, which was headed from Seattle to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. It was diverted to Chicago for an unknown reason, and city Aviation Department officials said the plane was experiencing "electrical problems." After landing, the plane was poised at an angle about halfway off the runway. Passengers on the 757 plane were to exit using air stairs and be brought to the terminal on...

Lockheed Martin and the US Department of Defense are attacking the motivation behind a recent barrage of criticism aimed at the basic combat abilities of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Such “false claims” published in separate reports a few days apart have become a significant business risk for the programme, said Maj Gen Charles Davis, chief of the F-35 joint programme office. Each of the eight international partners must make acquisition decisions for the F-35 within the next year, said Tom Burbage, a Lockheed vice president. Some of partners, including Norway and The Netherlands, face controversial decisions within the next...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), its largest supplier, sought on Friday to shoot down criticism of their $299 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the costliest planned U.S. arms buy ever. Published reports that Russian-built Sukhoi fighter jets thrashed the F-35 in simulated dogfights last month are "just flat false," Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Davis, the Pentagon official in charge of the program, said in a teleconference hastily called by Lockheed to rebut negative publicity at a critical juncture for the program. > Citing U.S. Air Force analyses, he said the F-35 is at...

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 18, 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] delivered the 200,000th Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tailkit on Sept. 17, just 10 years after JDAM guidance tailkit deliveries to the United States and allied countries began. Boeing began JDAM production in May 1998 at its weapons manufacturing facility in St. Charles, Mo., and since then has delivered every tailkit on cost and ahead of schedule. The U.S. Air Force received the 200,000th kit. "When the Air Force and Navy needed a reliable weapon with battlefield power, reach and aimpoint accuracy, the Boeing JDAM team delivered," said Debra...

Addressing a critical shortage of pilots to operate unmanned air systems has moved to the top of the modernisation priorities for the US Air Force's newly installed leadership. General Norton Schwartz, appointed chief of staff in June, has unveiled a two-part plan to escalate the number of UAS operators from 300 to 1,100 in five years. First, 100 pilots every year in undergraduate pilot training will be assigned to UAS operations. Second, the USAF will launch a distinct pipeline for UAS operators on a trial basis that will recruit from the ranks of active pilots and perhaps even retirees. "The...

7 U.S. Soldiers Die in Helicopter Crash in Iraq By Sudarsan Raghavan Washington Post Foreign Service Thursday, September 18, 2008; 9:39 AM BAGHDAD, Sept. 18 -- Seven American soldiers were killed in the southern Iraqi desert early Thursday morning when their helicopter crashed, the U.S. military said. Officials said that the crash was not caused by enemy fire. The CH-47 Chinook helicopter went down about 60 miles west of the port city of Basra shortly after midnight, killing all seven soldiers aboard. The aircraft was part of a four-helicopter convoy flying from Kuwait to the northern city of Balad, the...

The Pentagon's top weapons buyer said the proposed aerial refueling tankers from both Northrop Grumman and Boeing were "technically outstanding" but differed by almost $3 billion on price. John Young, the undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said in an interview at the Pentagon yesterday that under the tanker proposal from Northrop Grumman and its partner European Aeronautic Defence & Space, developing the first 68 aircraft would have cost $12.5 billion, compared with $15.4 billion under Boeing's plan.

Bankrupt Alitalia canceled 40 flights on Wednesday after a small union called a four-hour strike to protest layoffs and other tough measures in a rescue plan by potential investors. The Italian airline is fighting for its survival as unions balk at accepting terms including longer hours, layoffs and reductions in routes and in the number of aircraft. Alitalia's Web site warned passengers about the walkout by the Cub union, scheduled to last from noon to 4 p.m. Affected flights included domestic routes and flights across Europe. The strike was the latest headache for the Italian government, which is trying to...

Near U.S. 52 and Minnesota 55 in Inver Grove Heights, a memorial marks the spot where an Air Force B-52 bomber slammed into a cornfield 50 years ago today, killing seven of eight crewmen aboard. About 15 miles west, Bloomington resident Dave Mattsson pays tribute to the crash in the basement of his Cape Cod-style home. The 45-year-old aviation history buff has spent parts of a decade researching the Cold War crash and collecting everything from black and white photos to pieces of the plane. "Anything old you can touch tells a story," said Mattsson, a former skydiving instructor and...

CCTV caught the moment the Russian passenger jet crashed killing 82 passengers and 6 crew. The camera pointing in the opposite direction caught the bright orange flash from the explosion. 82 passengers and six crew members have been killed in a plane crash near Perm in the Ural Mountains of central Russia. Emergency workers say there are no survivors. Seven children, including a baby, are re More..ported to have been on the flight from Moscow, which was operated by Aeroflot subsidiary, Aeroflot Nord. Monday has been declared a day of mourning in the region, as messages of condolence pour into...

Excerpt - MOSCOW. Sept 16 (Interfax-AVN) - Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers have patrolled the eastern coast of South America, aide to Russian Air Force commander Col. Lieut. Vladimir Drik told Interfax-AVN. "The aircraft took off from the Libertador military airfield in Venezuela at 4.30 p.m. Moscow time [on September 15]. They flew over neutral waters along the eastern coast of South America in the direction of Brazil. They landed at an airfield in Venezuela at 10 p.m.," Drik said. The Alexander Molodchy and Vasily Senko bombers were in air for about six hours. The crewmembers practiced synchronization and...

Private aviation group works on own attack-helicopter design By: Martin Zhuwakinyu Published: 12 Sep 08 - 9:00 South African aviation and defence company Advanced Technologies and Engineering (ATE) has embarked on conceptual planning for the development of what is to be known as the New Attack Helicopter (NAH), external affairs director Lorris Duncker tells Engineering News. This comes on the back of the successful upgrade of the Russian-made Mi-24 helicopter, now in production for the air force of a North African country and the demonstration of another upgraded Russian stalwart – the Mi-17 combat helicopter – to an unnamed potential...

A passenger plane has crashed near the central Russian city of Perm, Russian emergency officials say. The Boeing-737 was en route from Moscow and had 88 passengers and crew on board. All are feared dead. Communications with the plane were lost as it was making a landing approach, officials say. The wreckage was later found outside Perm, which is located in the Urals. Rescuers are at the site. The cause of the crash is not known. The plane burst into flames upon impact, officials say. "According to the latest information, the airplane fell into a ravine near the city limits,"...

This may seem like a small thing, but if the press cannot tell the difference between a fighter and a bomber it needs to be spanked and sent to boot camp. John McCain flew the A-4 "Skyhawk," a light bomber called a light attack aircraft by the DOD. The A-4 was assigned to VA squadrons; V meaning Navy Air Squadron and A meaning light attack. (In the 60s there were also VAH squadrons -- heavy Attack -- that flew the A-3 "Whale" and the A-5 "Vigilante.") Fighter squadrons are designated VF and at that time flew the F4 Phantom and...

Pakistan cites anti-terrorism need for F-16s Sat Sep 13, 2008 4:05am IST By Paul Eckert, Asia Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pakistan uses F-16 fighters to support a campaign against border militants and needs upgrades to be able to fly at night, a Pakistani official said on Friday. The official underlined equipment needs and listed recent achievements fighting al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents ahead of a U.S. congressional hearing next week that will examine the utility of F-16s in U.S. ally Pakistan's war on terrorism. Pakistan has flown nearly 100 missions during three weeks in August that produced some 500-550 Taliban...

NASA image of Antartica. A US Air Force plane left New Zealand for Antarctica early Friday on a key mission that could pave the way for year-round flights to the bottom of the world. (AFP/NASA/USGS/fILE) WELLINGTON (AFP) - A US Air Force plane left New Zealand for Antarctica early Friday on a key mission that could pave the way for year-round flights to the bottom of the world. < > "At the moment we make that last trip in February and then don't come back until August. If we can go in and out a couple of times a month,...

Opposition defends Joint Strike Fighter over simulated dogfights September 11, 2008 THE federal Opposition has dismissed new doubts about the multi-billion dollar Joint Strike Fighter project and the jet's performance. The JSF jets, for which Australia is likely to pay $16 billion, were comprehensively beaten in highly classified simulated dogfights against Russian Sukhoi fighters, it has been reported. The war games, conducted at Hawaii's Hickam airbase last month, were witnessed by at least four RAAF personnel and a member of Australia's peak military spy agency, the Defence Intelligence Organisation, The West Australian said. Opposition defence spokesman Nick Minchin said he...

Joint Strike Fighter: The Latest Hotspot in the U.S. Defense Meltdown While its illusion as an "affordable" multi-role fighter-bomber is alive and well in Washington D.C., the F-35 "Joint Strike Fighter" is already a disaster, and the bad news has barely begun to roll in. Internationally recognized combat aircraft designer Pierre Sprey and Straus Military Reform Project Director Winslow Wheeler summarize the many failures in a new opinion piece that appears in the Sept. 10, 2008 issue of Janes Defence Weekly and is reproduced below. "Joint Strike Fighter: The Latest Hotspot in the U.S. Defense Meltdown" by Pierre M. Sprey...

Russian strategic bombers in Venezuela for 'training': Chavez CARACAS (AFP) — Two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers were in Venezuela on Wednesday for "training flights," Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said, adding he would be piloting one of the aircraft. "I hope that stings, 'pitiyanquis'," he said, using a derogatory term for Venezuelan opponents who have perceived US sympathies. "What's more, I'm going to take the controls of one of these monsters," boasted the president, a former paratrooper and left-wing politician who has avowed antagonism towards the United States. "It's been a while since these planes have been around these parts, and...

Saudi Arabia, Egypt seek new attack, utility helicopters By Craig Hoyle Two Middle Eastern nations have requested purchases worth a combined $774 million to boost their inventories of US-sourced utility and attack helicopters. Saudi Arabia wants to buy 12 Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters and related equipment worth up to $598 million, with the aircraft to join 12 A-model Apaches already in its inventory. Announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency on 9 September, the request also covers the provision of General Electric T700-701D engines and Lockheed Martin Arrowhead modernised target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensors, plus...

The Pentagon has canceled its $35 billion tanker competition, according to a report Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal's online edition. According to the report, the Department of Defense will likely notify the companies and Congress later in the day of its decision, noting that it's unable to pick a winner by January. Boeing (BA:Boeing Co. News, chart, profile, more Last: 62.55-1.47-2.30% 9:43am 09/10/2008 ...

Pentagon notifies US Congress of missile sale to India WASHINGTON: The Pentagon said on Tuesday it has notified the US Congress of a possible sale to India of two dozen Harpoon air to ground anti-ship missiles. Such a deal would be worth as much as 170 million dollars, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said. "India intends to use the Harpoon missiles to modernize its air force anti-surface warfare mission capabilities and improve its naval operational flexibility," the agency said in a statement. Boeing would be the prime contractor. The 84L Harpoon Block II missiles are designed primarily as satellite guided...

THE STRIKE by 27,000 Boeing machinist workers may not directly influence who finally wins the Air Force tanker refueling contract, but it surely won't help the Boeing case. As the Pentagon reconsiders the Air Force decision to give the potentially $40 billion contract to the Northrop Grumman-EADS partnership that would assemble Airbus tankers in Mobile, Boeing now must try to make the case that it should have won the contract. And it has to make the case at the same time that its biggest union has shut down production of all of Boeing's commercial airplanes. The union's issues include job...