Small-Timer Gets a Win in Court, but the Battles Are Far From Over

A lawsuit against Boeing from shuttered electric aircraft startup Zunum went against the big manufacturer, with the jury awarding the little upstart $81 million in damages. Zunum had pressed the case saying that Boeing's investment during a seed round was actually a covert technology transfer, allowing the big dog to snatch its nascent technology and beat the smaller company to market. Zunum was working on a hybrid aircraft to tackle the small regional jet market, anticipating a shift in the travel market. The jury believed its case that Boeing's actions were "willful and malicious", which opens the door for even more damages to be awarded. 

Autonomy Developer Picks Most Wanted

Merlin's completed test flights with the KC-135 have borne just some fruit, with the firm's recent publication of updated tasking for their autonomy development team. They point to a trio of tasks that they put at the top of their to-do list, including automated checklist procedures, dynamic navigation, and emergency landing. Merlin stressed that they aren't just doing it all in a vacuum either, since they're working with "human pilot expertise to build a comprehensive autonomy framework that underpins the full suite of pilot skills and supports a safer, more scalable and resilient air network."

Also: Aerox 'Cylinder Sentinel', Annual TBM Reunion, Hubble Pause, Utah AAM 

A combined Spanish-Portuguese aerobatic demo team suffered a fatality at the Beja AirShow, when one of their aircraft clipped another during a performance. The show was held in the southern region of Portugal, the performing team's own backyard given their base in Ponte de Sor. Apparently, the lost pilot was the only one to die, with the other making a landing without incident. Electra has successfully achieved the first high-performance ultra-short flight operations of its piloted blown-lift hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing(eSTOL) demonstrator aircraft (EL-2 Goldf

Improvement Brings LSA to Poland, Germany, & Hungary

Czech LSA manufacturer Direct Fly has given its low-wing, tricycle geared LSA an upgrade, with a bump to a max takeoff weight of 600kg. The news comes after their Light Aircraft Association, their domestic aero regulator, approved the takeoff weight increase for the Alto NG. The change isn't anything too new for US buyers, since local Alto NG's are good to go at our full 1,320-pound max, but the approval does pave the way for the firm to begin selling the Alto NG in Poland, Germany, and Hungary.

Last of its Kind to Make Rare Showing at 71st Fly-In

As time runs out before AirVenture 2024, the Royal Canadian Air Force has confirmed it will make an appearance with a vintage WWII Avro Lancaster Mark X, the last example of the breed on the continent. The addition of the Canadian bird will bring out plenty of their other gear, too, with the Lancaster being accompanied by the Canadian Forces CF-18 demo team. It's a rare showing for one of the "rarest warbirds in North America" for the 71st edition of the country's biggest fly-in.

eVTOL Developer Now Hunting for UAS Contracts

Joby Aviation snapped up Xwing Inc. in the hopes of bolstering its Autonomy Division, using the firm's Superpilot software suite. Joby apparently felt that it was easier just to grab something off the shelf instead of starting from square one, and Xwing was fairly good to go. In operation since 2016, the firm had made Superpilot to be the "world’s first fully autonomous gate-to-gate flight technology", using it to complete hundreds of fully automated flights and even more auto-landings.

Also: Hubble On Pause, FedEx Pilots Picket, Nexus eVTOL, VFS Honors

The Rotax folks have published a Service Bulletin after issues were noted that may affect all R915i and R916i series engines. Rotax operators have reported occasional, isolated, cases a momentary slipping of the overload clutch -- which may lead to a slight exceedance of the maximum rpm limit, followed by the engine rpm quickly normalizing. As previously noted, the next Starship launch seems to be pending... soon. According to Elon's troops, the fourth flight test of Starship could launch as soon as June 6 (pending regulatory approval). The launch window will open as early as 0700

After Years of Lag, Stakeholders Discover 'Prevention' Worth Just as Much as 'Cure'

In the usual run-up to summer, the wildfire industry is getting ready for another "hot one", as they seemingly have every year for the last decade or more. Even if it's just media bluster, it's nifty to know someone's on the case, ready to strike pop up fires and head off crises before they can spin out of control. The US National Guard signaled their readiness after a small roundtable designed to bring attention to readiness, though not everyone is on the same level of wildfire risk.

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

Also: NATA CEO In Legal Dilemma, WestJet Encore Settle, Drone Bill H.R. 8416, USN Jet Trainer 

GAMA released their 1Q/24 GA Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report -- with mostly mixed news. The results for the first three months of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023, show deliveries were flat for piston airplanes and piston helicopters, decreased for turboprops and turbine helicopters, and increased for business jets. Total aircraft billings were up 3.2% at $4.7 billion. Czech sportplane manufacturer Direct Fly has finished delivering its 200th ALTO NG, the latest iteration of their 600-kg sportplane. The Alto was previously offered

Also: Starship Set To Launch, Nexus eVTOL, Merlin, SPRINT X-Plane

The Drone industry has raised its hackles regarding the Drones for First Responders Act introduced by Congressional rep Elise Stefanik, describing it as a boon to the EMS/Fire/Police crowd at the expense of the recreational and commercial drone industries. Pivotal signed an 'Other Transaction Authority' contract with the US Air Force and its AFWERX Agility Prime program, providing them with access to testing facilities, segregated airspace, and "expert resources" for a 2-year term. The firm sees the contract as a very solid step in the right direction, where they'll be able to make

Helix Grants Optimized, Lighter, Slimmer Seats with Bigger IFE

RTX's Collins Aerospace showed off its new Helix main cabin seat suite aimed at aircraft overhaulers and operators, providing an in-flight system that cuts weight and adds comfort for those in the cattle car. The Helix seat is more than just a bigger screen in a traditional seat, being a full product in its own right. The Helix suite sports increased underseat storage and minimized weight impact while supposedly providing a similar level of comfort to legacy seating. Seatbacks can be had with a large touchscreen for those raking it in with in-flight entertainment. In a more down-to-Earth approach to saving money and keeping things timeless, Collins offers the Helix without any of that

Also: uAvionix AV-Link, F-16 Viper Demo, TN National Guard, 'Staff the Towers'

A Saturday afternoon jump run, originating from SkyDive Kansas City, went bad when it was reported that, "a Skydiver premature parachute deployment at 14,000 msl damag(ed) the tail section." The turbine-upgraded Cessna 206, N29173, was abandoned by the pilot, who made a safe and successful jump, though the aircraft is a total loss. The parachute-equipped jump pilot exited the aircraft after all six jumpers had cleared the aircraft. The fourth flight test of Starship could launch as soon as June 5, pending regulatory approval. SpaceX notes that Starship’s third fli

Also: VA Scholarships, Certification Standards, 'Staff the Towers', Women in Aviation Advisory

In partnership with Revv Aviation and the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID), Coe College is opening a new flight school and aviation management program. Those interested in becoming a professional pilot can complete their certification while enrolled as students within Coe's new aviation management concentration. Just as they got themselves a new contract, things spiraled out of control as the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots claimed, "Managers use intimidation, aggressive interrogation tactics to silence the Union's voice." Scarcely a few weeks passed si

Klyde Is Getting Mighty Tired of The Waiting Game

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Also: Midnight eVTOL Certification, Falcon 9 Record, Pro Line Fusion, Europa Clipper

The warbird community celebrated Mark Novak, Chief Pilot of their B-29 'Doc', and his accomplishment of racking up 500 hours in the vintage bomber. On top of that, Novak built up more than 300 hours of time flying the other B-29 'Fifi', making him the modern era's most experienced B-29 pilot. The Airspace Center for Excellence has been given the blessing to begin operating Lakeland Linder International Airport's first concessions store, riding on the tail of new commercial service by Avelo Airlines. Evidently, there weren't too many bidders for the opportunity, wi

Easy Online Forms Available For Sport Plane Manufacturers And Suppliers To Be Listed In The Upcoming eSPRG

Work on the SportPlane Resource Guide is going well… Albeit a little bit behind schedule, because as we got into this process, things became a bit more complicated simply because we learned we could do an even better job at certain aspects of this project than we thought from the beginning. They say that the enemy of true quality is the phrase "good enough" and we want to be far more than “good enough.” FMI: www.sportplane.com, Read More