Wildfires, Beetles Endanger Oldest Growth in the Country, Requiring Attentive Care

The US National Park Service isn't very accepting of drone operations throughout its purview, but once in a while even they see some use in the little tools, particularly where they can be used to assess the health of old growth forests without the hubbub of a crewed aircraft. Doodle Labs highlighted its work in networking a recent effort to scan, document, and assess the health of 'General Sherman', the world's largest living tree. A crew brought out a Firefly Astro Prime and one of the Labs' mesh networks to provide a C2 uplink as the drone checked the tree for beetle damage. 

First Non-Conforming Aircraft Coming Along Nicely Down in Brazil

Eve Air Mobility showed off the process of building its first full-size eVTOL prototype, getting a little attention boost while giving out some visual proof of their advancement. “From the beginning, we’ve made strategic choices in the design and configuration of our eVTOL to be able to accomplish a variety of urban mobility missions in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible, with a high safety level and reduced impact in the communities where it will be operated. Higher dispatch reliability equals more flights per day, an important factor for our customers and their business model.” said Luiz Valentini, chief technology officer at Eve Air Mobility.

Expanded Services Address Customer Service Shortcomings Down Under

A 2020 purchase of Premiair Aviation Maintenance is now bearing fruit, with Textron Aviation announcing a name change to embody its primary Australian presence. After 4 years of digestion, the firm has finished integrating the Premiair brand into their company, and will now emblazon their Australian assets as Textron Aviation Australia Pty Limited. Now, Premiair's facilities in Perth, Gold Coast, and Melbourne will be prominent nodes in Textron Aviation's comprehensive global service network. 

Florida Air Museum Has New Attractions for Children Looking to Learn

Sheltair Aviation and the Aerospace Center for Excellence continued their ever-expanding portfolio of activities with the opening of the Jerry Holland Destination: Aviation Playground, offering a fun, engaging play environment for kids in Lakeland, Florida. The playground was opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by ACE president and CEO Gene Conrad, with remarks from Lisa Holland, President and CEO of Sheltair and daughter of Jerry Holland.

Advisory Circular Aims to Reduce the Amount of Paperwork Needed for eVTOL Certification

The FAA is looking for public commentary on a draft Advisory Circular regarding the type, production, and airworthiness certification of powered-lift. The FAA says recent applications for the type certification of powered-lift have proposed passenger seating configurations of six or fewer, weighing 12,500 pounds or less, and utilizing battery-powered electric propulsion. For such projects, the FAA published the proposed airworthiness criteria for public consideration and comment, and has drawn on that body of work to draft an advisory circular called “Type Certification—Powered-lift.”

Middle East and South Africa VFR Charts Added to A La Carte Offerings

ForeFlight announced a modest update to their flagship EFB product, with ForeFlight 16.5 adding one moderately useful feature and a pair of pretty niche ones. Top of mind for the update is an alert for wake turbulence events, a slick little system that draws data from FLARM and ADS-B systems to calculate the prospective wake turbulence caused by traffic ahead of the user. When flying at or above 500 feet AGL, ForeFlight continuously calculates wake effects from nearby aircraft using their position, altitude, speed, weight category, and winds aloft information, then compares these with its current flight path. If the course is set to intersect with the expected pocket of turbulence, ForeFlight can issue a prominent audiovisual alert to notify the pilot. 

Revised Runway Revitalizes Airport with Smooth Pavement, Extra Capacity

Renovations to Pueblo Memorial Airport’s (KPUB) runway 8R/26L have been completed after a closure of 21 days, granting locals and transients 10,500 feet of runway. The local Pueblo, Colorado FBO, Freeman Jet Center, is happy to announce that things are up and running there, with amenities sufficient to accommodate aircraft up to a C5 in size. To celebrate the change and entice visitors to try out the new tarmac, Freeman Jet Center is giving double AVTRIP Points through the end of July, which. The renovation project, which began earlier this year and closed the runway for 21 days, includes 10,500 square feet of brand-new runway surface, ready to accommodate aircraft up to a C5.

Wreckage... Was Spread Over A Distance Of 0.8 Miles... Consistent With An In-Flight Break-Up

Analysis: The non-instrument-rated pilot was in cruise flight when he advised the air traffic controller that he was looking at his cockpit weather radar display and requested a deviation between what he described as a gap between radar echoes. The airplane subsequently transitioned through echoes consistent with areas of light, moderate, heavy, and then extreme precipitation before track data depicted a steep, descending right turn that continued until contact with the airplane was lost in the vicinity of the accident site.

Official Trade-In Program Helps Reuse Serviceable Parts with Manufacturer Expertise

Hartzell has continued to expand its product offerings for current operators, this time announcing a purchasing program for serviceable cores and serialized parts. The program is open to fleet operators, MROs, and aircraft owners themselves. The change is aimed at reducing overhaul lead times, while giving buyers options to acquire parts that hit the sweet spot between usable and affordable. Now, Hartzell will accept a customer propeller for any general aviation make or model, and accordingly reduce the purchase price of a new or used piece.

Continuing the Tradition of Pioneering Women in Aviation

The Air Race Classic will launch from Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) in Carbondale/Murphysboro on Tuesday July 18 and terminate 2,610 statute miles later on Saturday July 21 at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL) in Loveland, Colorado. The annual competition of planning, strategy, skill, and teamwork goes back 95 years to the 1929 Women’s Air Derby when twenty pilots raced from Clover Field in Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland, Ohio, where the National Air Races were held.