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For those of you looking to make sure that ANN’s Jim Campbell gets a great Christmas gift, we have an idea for you... A 1960 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk has been listed for sale at an asking price of $995,000. Downright cheap in comparison to other veteran aircraft, often in multiples of the price when available at all. Not only collectible for its civilian airworthiness, combat pedigree, or historical value, the Skyhawk represents one of the few aircraft on the market that could provide a user with the full fighter-jet experience. Aura Aero has received Part 21 Subpart G approval for the entirety of its industrial facilities. The French civil aviation authority took 18 months to audit the Toulouse-Francazal and Bernay fabrication sites as well as the primary subcontractors for the company before approval. This will allow for serial production and assembly

Also: Commemorative Air Force, Skydiving Museum Fundraiser, SmartSky, Shadin Avionics

The Experimental Aviation Association has passed a big milestone for the once niche aviation organization. Begun in 1953 by a group wanting grassroots, enthusiastic support for aviation, the EAA has grown to over 250,000 members for the first time in history. The quarter of a million mark comes at the tail end of a bonanza over the last 5 years that saw group membership grow by 25%. Daher's Kodiak celebrated a milestone when it recently delivered the 300th plane, an important moment for the high-wing, turboprop workhorse. Introduced in 2007 as a STOL option for those needing reliable, capacious, hardy aircraft for remote missions, the Kodiak saw itself quickly pressed into service in humanitarian, medical, governmental, and special mission sectors. The Kodiak squared off with similar backwoods aircraft in offering an unimproved, dirt-strip performance

Also: DJI Joins AnimaMundi, Earth Defense Grid, Bladeless Balloon Drone, Aergility's ATLIS

E-Hang's 216 autonomous electric vehicle completed an aerial sightseeing demonstration at the tourist favorite of Bali, Indonesia working alongside local partner Prestige Aviation. During a 5-minute unmanned flight at Villa Blackstone Beach, VIP guests saw the aircraft take off and hover amidst the beautiful backdrop before returning to earth on the painted landing target. Guests from Indonesia's directorate of civil aviation, industry authorities, and other VIPs preceded the momentous flight by speeches and photos. Schiebel, working with Andøya Space Defence, recently completed a test of their Camcopter S-100’s search and rescue capabilities in a week-long trial aboard the Norwegian Coast Guard's Nordkapp in the frigid northern waters above the 75th parallel. The unmanned aircraft was the focus of the week-long program through the Norwegian Min

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Flight School Promotion  will receive its first Sonaca 200 Trainer Pro shortly. The Sonaca 200 Trainer Pro is the Glass Cockpit version of their two-seater low-wing aircraft with an all-metal structure and a 750 kg maximum take-off weight. The Volocopter VoloCity eVTOL aircraft has been officially added to the roster of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, granted through the application's Sim Update VII. The 33.4 gigabyte update added the first vertical takeoff and rotorcraft to the game as part of a joint effort with Volocopter as a multi-function advertisement, update, and training tool. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has chosen the International Test Pilots School (ITPS) in Ontario, Canada, for one of the biggest flight test training contracts in the school's history. Turkish Aerospace has a full roster of developing aircraft to test and evalua

The Biggest Shindig of the Year to Celebrate an Aviation Milestone

The United States Air Force is set for a great time at EAA's AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 as it joins the world's most diehard aviation fans in celebrating three quarters of a century since its founding. The annual fly-in convention from the Experimental Aircraft Association is every summer's must-attend event for anyone even tangentially affiliated with flight, and 2022 is no exception. Following World War II, the Air Force was established as a standalone, aviation-focused military arm, breaking from previous standing as the Army Air Corps. It was an announcement that cemented military aviation as a serious, professional, and vital role in warfighting, allowing for the Force to retain, train, and polish a highly effective, volunteer fighting force.

Blue Origin, Nanoracks, Grumman Chosen for the Start of "Commercial ISS" 

NASA has selected 3 winners for its Low-Earth Orbit (LOO) space station program, geared towards establishing a thriving commercial space economy. The awarded contracts amount to over $415 million, with Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman coming up as the lucky recipients of the agency's favor. If successful, the program would result in continuous American presence in space after the International Space Station is phased out of service. The burgeoning commercial space race has stimulated private investment into launch, delivery, and life support systems never before seen in space.

Klyde Can't Make Any Sense of ALL This, Either...

FMI: www.klydemorris.com 

Flyby Technology Hires Newest ATPL Students for Skylift Drone Operations

Skyborne Airline Academy celebrated the achievement of 2 recent ATPL UK graduates joining Flyby Technology as Beyond Line of Visual Sight Drone Operators. The students now put their training to use, supporting flight operations for an NHS trial to evaluate drug delivery for the Isle of Wight.  The graduates, James Kirk and Adam Prince, have begun working on a project with Apian for the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, researching the capabilities of drone technology to increase speed of delivery and access to chemotherapy drugs between Portsmouth and the Isle. If promising, the route could save a good deal of time and medication wastage, especially important for intensely expensive, temperamental chemo drugs.

Solid Rocket Launch Systems To Be Used in Artemis and Beyond

NASA has awarded the Booster Production and Operations Contract to Northrop Grumman for the agency's upcoming Space Launch System rockets. The launch system will be the primary system for use in the first 3 Artemis missions, with likely inclusion for the 4th. The contract comes in at a value of $3.19 billion, finalizing a contract awarded in 2020 that authorized Grumman to build the labor-intensive, expensive twin boosters for the next 6 SLS flights. The contract stands through 2031 and includes all the necessary flight materials and support equipment, as well as operations for the SLS. Artemis missions IV-VIII will see benefits of the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the boosters, with Artemis IX seeing bolstered specifications under the Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension (BOLE) program. 

From Oshkosh 2021: Sam Watrous Speaks With ANN At Oshkosh

Twenty-five years ago at Sun ‘N Fun, Sam Watrous was sitting with his good buddy and wondering what it would be like to have war replicas as a finished kit. The idea never went anywhere until his son’s senior project at Rhode Island School of Design. “He had to come up with a product, company, marketing research, and pitch to professors,” Watrous says. “He said, ‘Hey dad, how about this ScaleBirds design’ so he came up with everything. Once his professors got the pitch they said he had to finish the concept. It’s been six years in design and development but we are about ready. We are going to be flying in a month, month and a half.”