After Years On The Ground, The DC-9-21 Was Flying This Weekend For $150 A Drop

With a nearly mythical rep, the once silent Perris SkyDive DC-9 is ALIVE! Following an initial test flight and a few practice landings that were flown by a flight crew that had to be brought in all the way from Florida, the California DZ put the DC9 back in service and made at least three jump runs on Saturday, taking about 60 jumpers per jump run to about 15K'. For years, the grand old bird, which entered service in 2006, sat forlorn and engine-less as the folks at SkyDive Perris slowly brought it back to life on a facility that is not normally known for jetliner restoration.

Event Was Reportedly Recognized And Verified By A Guinness World Records Adjudicator

UVify is claiming a new Guinness World Record for the most unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) airborne simultaneously. This event took place in Songdo, Korea, where UVify orchestrated a display of 5,293 IFO drones that lit up the night sky. The fleet of IFO drones created intricate patterns and visuals above the crowd, showcasing UVify's programming and drone control technology. The record-breaking feat exceeded the previous record.

Strong Geomagnetic Storm Reaches Earth, Continues Through Weekend

Good ol' SOL is having a bit of a fit this weekend... NOAA space weather forecasters have observed at least seven coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun, with impacts expected to arrive on Earth as early as midday Friday, May 10, and persist through Sunday, May 12, 2024. NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite captured activity at sunspot AR3664 that occurred around 2 p.m. EDT on May 9, 2024. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Warning for Friday, May 10. Additional solar eruptions could cause geomagnetic storm conditions to persist through the weekend.

VA-1X, G-EVTL, Suffered Damage To Right Wing, Fuselage, Landing Gear And Engine Pylon

The AAIB has disclosed its findings after an accident befell an unmanned, remotely pilots test vehicle which suffered a forced landing following power unit failure, at the Cotswold Airport (Kemble), Gloucestershire on 9 August 2023. The report notes that, "The aircraft was being flown by a remote pilot on a test flight at 30 ft agl when a propeller blade detached from the electric propulsion unit 3 forward motor due to a failure of the adhesive bond between the propeller blade sheath and spar. Large out-of-balance loads generated by the blade release caused structural failure of the right inboard pylon, resulting in damage to the aircraft’s wiring harnesses. This caused a loss of thrust from motors 4 and 7..." 

Reaching The Ship’s Remote Location Required Three Helicopter Air-To-Air Refuelings

The Air Force Reserve Command’s 920th Rescue Wing successfully conducted a tricky civilian medical airlift operation of a critical patient aboard a cruise ship located more than 350-nautical-miles off the eastern coast of the United States May 4. Within hours of the call, the 920th RQW prepared and launched a rescue force consisting of two HH-60G Pave Hawks, two HC-130J Combat King IIs and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen to fly to the ship’s position and safely extract the patient for transport to the nearest capable medical center. “Everyone in the wing mobilized with exceptional speed," said Capt. Dylan Gann, 301st Rescue Squadron pilot.

Marks The 80th Anniversary Of D-Day, Includes Aircraft From Georgia, Texas, And Arizona

This May brings several opportunities to experience meticulously restored World War II aircraft in person at Dekalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK). The aviation event series, marking the significant 80th Anniversary of D-Day, includes aircraft from Georgia, Texas, and Arizona. “This is an amazing opportunity for aviation enthusiasts, history buffs, and family members of World War II veterans to experience a unique array of historic aircraft within a month in Atlanta,” said Airbase Georgia Leader Joel Perkins.

Also: NBAA on FAA Reauth, DJI AG Drones, HI Insurance Bill Defeated, SPSA Airtankers 

The Beechcraft Denali continues moving forward towards certification, having received its FAA Type Inspection Authorization early this year. Textron advertised that their single-engine turboprop competitor has logged more than 2,000 flight test hours across 830+ flights, on track for completion in 2025. Aerodyne, a new gyroplane manufacturer, will be commemorating its entry into the market with an attempt at setting some records as it runs a lap around the United Kingdom. Founder, executive chairman, and pilot Rangaraja Iyengar will make a full lap around the whole lot with his 8-year-old daughter assisting, aiming to complete a 3-day, 5,000-mile journey. The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) that alerts all owners, operators, maintenance technicians, and inspectors of Revo Incorporated Model Colonial C-1, Colonial C-2,

Also: Vertical Flight Society, NBAA Maintenance Conference, GA Honored, AMT Scholarship

For the first time, students from Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Florida, campus took top honors at the AIAA Design/Build/Fly (DBF) Competition, held in Wichita, Kansas. A second Embry-Riddle squad, this one from the Prescott, Arizona, campus, also placed among the top teams, earning eighth overall. The Leadership in Flight Training, or LIFT Academy, has expanded its training fleet with a recent order with Diamond Aircraft, bringing on 56 new planes. The deal sees LIFT gain 50 new single-engine DA40s, and 6 twin-engine DA42s. The training facility has continued to expand thanks to a steady pipeline of students. Epic Flight Academy has officially launched its new aircraft mechanic school at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), marking a significant advancement in aviation training and workforce development in Kentucky. The opening of this

Also: SkyReach Parts Support, Piper Service Ctr, Airliner Near-Miss, Airshow London

The Judge overseeing Icon's convoluted Chapter 11 process has approved $9 million in Chapter 11 financing and set a June asset auction for the Icon A5 Program -- and said that objections had apparently been resolved (for the moment) by shareholders who claimed (not surprisingly) that Icon was being sold to an 'insider.' Judge Craig T. Goldblatt gave final approval to Icon's (DIP) debtor-in-possession financing and approved the sales schedule... but has yet to approve that previously disclosed stalking horse bidder. On April 12, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky sentenced Morgan J. Wiljanen, former helicopter pilot for Air Evac EMS, Inc., to 8 months of incarceration, 18 months of supervised release, 4 months of home detention, and a $100 special assessment. In December 2023, Wiljanen pleaded guilty to operating an air common carrier while

Massive Aviation News Event Started 2024 Off With a Plethora of Exciting Info

Last year, we introduced the SnF Innovation Preview in which 25 companies introduced over 30 new planes, products, engines, accessories, and more… in other words… a LOT of news. Rotax previewed the powerful 916iS, CubCrafters showcased the Carbon Cub UL, Bose introduced the A30, Aerox revealed the Boomula… and so much more. This year, we went beyond that... way beyond all that, with a larger selection of news announcements that covered ALL aspects of sport, general and commercial aviation... all at the start of the 50th Annual SUN n FUN Aerospace Expo... the undisputed start to the aviation year. This year was also a major news-breaker... especially with the announcement that the DeltaHawk Diesel engine folks were working with Piper Aircraft on an STC for the PA44 Seminole. It also hosted the first forma