(Fr - 07 Oct 2013) Bientôt le Wi-Fi dans quelques vols El Al vers l’Europe

Les passagers d’El Al, la compagnie nationale israélienne d’aviation, seront bientôt en mesure de surfer sur le Web et de parler sur Skype et WhatsApp !

L’avionneur blanc-bleu vient d’acheter 6 Boeing 737-900 ER pour ses destinations européennes. Dans le tas de nouveauté: un système avancé de climatisation, des coussins ergonomiques, d’énormes compartiments à bagage… Et un système internet pendant le vol (inflight).

Tous les sièges de la classe affaires seront équipés de prises électriques pour les ordinateurs et de ports USB.

Le système de divertissement sera mis en place une fois l’avion à 10.000 pieds soit quelques minutes après le décollage. Les passagers pourront utiliser leur ordinateur personnel , surfer sur le Web et discuter par Skype, WhatsApp et d’autres applications. Mais le coût de l’accès au web, par les voyageurs, n’a pas encore été dévoilé. En général, les compagnies aériennes facture 3€ de l’heure (ou 15€ par jour).

En 2005, plusieurs compagnies aériennes – notamment El Al – avaient installés des systèmes de connexion sur leurs avions Boeing, mais le service a été arrêté environ un an plus tard, principalement en raison des coûts élevés et de nombreux défauts techniques .

L’accord pour les six avions est estimé à 320 millions de dollars . Ces nouveaux Boeing compteront 172 sièges – 16 en classe affaires et 156 en classe économique.
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(En - 03 Oct 2013) Israeli scientists unveil latest innovations in aerospace medicine

The International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine begins on Sunday in Jerusalem • It will provide a glimpse into the most exciting new developments in the field • The guest of honor will be REX, a unique robot-dog that can transport equipment.

A helmet that would allow ground control to take over an aircraft should the pilot lose consciousness; an unmanned aerial vehicle that can evacuate wounded soldiers under fire without endangering lives; and a robotic dog that would assist combat soldiers with moving equipment and evacuating the wounded -- these are just three of the many exciting innovations to be presented at the 61st annual International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine beginning on Sunday at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem.

One of the most intriguing inventions to be presented is a helmet equipped with special sensors that can detect when the pilot is subject to a strong G-force, leading to loss of consciousness. The sensors will monitor the pilot's vital signs and other clinical indicators, and in the event of a medical problem, it will allow for remote control of the aircraft. 

Israelis have a painful experience with this phenomenon. Just weeks after Israel Air Force pilot Captain Asaf Ramon, son of the late Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, completed the IAF pilot training course in 2009, he took part in operational training aboard an F-16A Fighting Falcon jet. He apparently lost consciousness while in flight, leading to a plane crash and his death. 

The conference is being held under the auspices of Dr. Yehezkel Caine, a former combat helicopter pilot, and now an aerospace medicine expert and director of Herzog Hospital. According to Dr. Caine, some of the innovations will soon be operational. The conference will also showcase newly developed technologies in the field of human factors engineering and medicine. 

"REX," developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, is one of many innovations to be presented at the conference. It is a robotic dog capable of transporting equipment and people. Another technology is a UAV capable of entering battlefields to evacuate the injured without endangering air force personnel. A representative from NATO will be present at the conference to discuss the requirements for evacuation by unmanned air vehicles.

The conference takes place annually in various global locales and attracts leaders from around the world in the fields of aerospace and health. This year, there will be a panel devoted to the topic of space medicine, in light of developments in space tourism. In recent years, civilians have registered to fly into space with Virgin Galactic, a subsidiary of Virgin Group Ltd. Its first commercial flight is scheduled for December 25. Space tourists, unlike astronauts, do not undergo years of rigorous training before flying to space, and the panel will discuss the resulting health implications. 

Among the experts taking part in the conference are International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine President Tony Batchelor; Aerospace Medical Association President Dr. James Webb; Professor Yossi Leshem of the Life Sciences faculty of Tel Aviv University; the chief medical officer of the Israel Defense Forces, Brig. Gen. Dr. Itzik Kryce; and head of the IAF manpower department, Brig. Gen. Ilan Boger.

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(En - 18 Sept 2013) F-16I Squadrons Return for Training

Two months have passed since the F-16I Division was grounded following the crash last July, and now they have returned to flying. As part of a gradual process, last week, F-16I squadrons held their first training sessions at the Ramon airbase since the grounding. "It's like an athlete who needs to get back into shape"

After two months of being grounded, the F-16I planes are back in the air: the first training session since the abandonment of a plane by two aerial team members last July was held in the F-16I squadrons at the Ramon airbase. "Its return to flight is a complex process, like an athlete who needs to get back in shape", says Major Dor, Deputy Commander of the "One" squadron at the Ramon airbase. "So, we held refresher-tutorials and updated our training program to return to operational readiness".

The training opened with an exercise of the basics, in which the teams practice air-to-air combat. Afterwards, they work on complex scenarios, using smart munitions and even practice aerial refueling. "The return to flying is done in steps", explains Major Roy, Deputy Commander of the "Bat" squadron at the Ramon airbase. "Flight proficiency is refreshed from one training session to another, as well as coping with stress of missions in the air. It is important to get the soldiers, both regular and reserve, in the aerial teams back to these issues gradually".

The return to the routine wasn't just felt in the air: the Technical Division of the F-16I squadrons is rushing, in a short period of time and with great professionalism, to prepare the planes for the flights, after two months of vacation. "On the first day of the flights, lightening could be seen in the eyes of the technicians", adds Major Lior, a commissioned technical officer in the squadron. "The soldiers wanted to get back to the job, complete their mission, and do it with satisfaction and pride".

Last July, an F-16 plane crashed in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, while the aerial team members parachuted and were rescued to safety. Following the accident, the Commander of the IAF ordered a grounding of the F-16I Division and an investigation into the circumstances of the accident. Apparently, a technical malfunction in the engines of the planes is what led to the plane crash.
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(Fr - 11 Sept 2013) El Al suspend ses vols vers Eilat « jusqu’à nouvel ordre… »

La compagnie nationale israélienne El Al a suspendu ses vols vers la station balnéaire d’Eilat, au bord de la mer rouge, pour « des questions de sécurité. »

« Les lignes aériennes vers Eilat ont ont été modifiées pour des raisons de sécurité », a déclaré un responsable d’El Al à JSSNews mercredi midi. « Nos pilotes ne sont pas encore prêts pour ce changement… Et il y a toujours des vols, sur IsrAir et Arkia, vers et depuis cette destination. »

Les nouveaux protocoles appellent à des plans de contournement autour de la mer Rouge. Jusqu’à présent, les avions survolaient la chaîne de montagnes d’Eilat à basse altitude le long de ​​la frontière avec l’Egypte, le problème est que de cette façon, ils étaient à portée des roquettes et des armes anti-aériennes possédées par les terroristes islamistes dans le Sinaï.

Ces derniers mois, plusieurs missiles envoyés depuis l’Egypte se sont écrasés sur Eilat et ses environs. L’aéroport de la petite ville étant en centre-ville, il est menacé en permanence par ces tirs arabes. Eilat est une ville située sur la frontière israélo-égyptienne, mais aussi israélo-jordanienne.

En Juillet, Israël a déployé une batterie de son système anti-missile Dome de Fer à Eilat.
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Happy New Year 5774 - Bonne nouvelle année 5774 - שנה טובה 5774

(Fr - 03 Sept 2013) Un drone étranger s’écrase à Césarée, sur la côte israélienne

Dans la région de Césarée, sur la coté nord israélienne, un avion sans pilote a été retrouvé aujourd’hui, écrasé sur la plage.

Le drone, peint « en couleurs de camouflage » selon la police israélienne, n’appartient pas à l’Etat d’Israël ou à son armée.

« Compte tenu de la couleur du drone, il pourrait d’agit d’un drone libanais (armée régulière) ou appartenant au Hezbollah.

La région de Césarée est « stratégique » puisque l’on peut y trouver l’une des plus importantes centrales électrique du nord du pays, dans la ville voisine d’Olga.

Le drone avait été repéré par l’armée israélienne au-dessus de Haïfa.

En avril dernier, Israël avait déjà abattu un drone étranger au large de ses côtes.
En ce qui concerne l’incident de ce matin, la police explique que « l’enquête est ouverte – et que toutes les pistes sont ouvertes. »
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(En -03 Sept 2013) Israel seeks R-model KC-135s from USA

The Israeli air force says it will only evaluate a US offer to sell it surplus Boeing KC-135 tankers if the aircraft involved are R-model examples.

Washington has so far only proposed the sale of three KC-135Es, worth around $200 million.

Israeli sources say the air force has made it clear it prefers the CFM56-powered R-model aircraft. These are included in the USA's excess defense articles programme, which allows Washington to give its allies military hardware for free, or at a greatly reduced price.

The Israeli service is looking for new tankers, and surplus KC-135s were included in a US offer of equipment several months ago, which also featured the Bell-Boeing V-22 tiltrotor.

Israeli sources say that if the USA agrees to supply the longer-range KC-135R a deal could include 12 examples, to be transferred after undergoing depot maintenance in the USA.

The air force intends to use two of the aircraft for VIP transport applications, the sources add.

The Israeli government has for some years evaluated options for an "Air Force One"-type capability to conduct missions such as flying the nation's prime minister to foreign countries. An earlier programme was shelved following a request for information process, however, due to its price.

No official response has been given to the status of the negotiations.

The Israeli air force is currently using a fleet of upgraded Boeing 707 in-flight refuelling tankers, which were converted by Israel Aerospace Industries. These continue to be modified, with recent enhancements having introduced a new glass cockpit, modern communications equipment, a global air traffic management system and the same type of refuelling boom used by the US Air Force's KC-135s.
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