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October 13, 2020

Airborne-Unmanned 09.30.20: LAANC Boosted, Drone Racing League, Pipistrel Nuuva

Also: Vertical Flight Society, Volansi Raises $50M, Skyward-Parrot Partnership, FAA Collegiate Training Initiative

The FAA has made it easier for drone pilots to quickly and safely access controlled airspace by adding 133 air traffic facilities to the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) system. LAANC is an automated application and approval system for drone pilots requesting to fly below 400 feet in controlled airspace. It directly supports UAS integration into the airspace. The Drone Racing League (DRL) has announced their 2020 DRL Allianz World Championship Season and their

3rd UK Controller-Pilot Symposium Goes Online Next Month

Controller-Pilot Symposium Will Have A Completely Different Format Due To The Pandemic

GATCO and the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) are hosting the third edition of the Controller-Pilot Symposium in November 2020, which will have a completely different format given the current pandemic. The event will be online via Webex and will include 5 sessions spread over November, including presentations and panel discussions. Each session will be on a Monday morning at 10am UK time. The event aims to bring together air traffic controllers, pilots and other aviation and air traffic management professionals to discuss issues of mutual interest. Every session will include time for questions from the audience.

EASA OK's Increased Take-Off Weight Upgrade For A330-900

251 Metric Ton MTOW Variant Of The A330-900 Offers Much Greater Versatility

Airbus has achieved certification from EASA for its latest A330neo product enhancement enabling longer range: the 251 metric ton MTOW variant of the A330-900. With more range and even better economics, the new variant now offers a significant 650-nautical mile boost in range – or six tons more payload – when compared with the A330-900’s current 242-ton version. This increase in range responds to evolving market needs, enabling airlines to benefit from the economics of the A330neo for even longer missions – flying efficiently on routes from 20mn to over 17 hours. It also means that now the A330neo Family offers airlines even more flexibility with a w

Max-Viz 2300 EVS Receives Amended STC for Several Bell Helicopters

STC Includes Bell 212, 412, 412EPI Models

Astronics has received an amended STC for the Max-Viz 2300 EVS. Offered by Astronics PECO and obtained in cooperation with AVIO dg in Calgary Canada, the STC covers multiple Bell helicopter models, including 212, 412 and Bell 412EPI aircraft. With the FAA and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) approvals, images produced by the Max-Viz 2300 can now be presented on MFDs, PFDs, or on standalone displays depending on aircraft configurations. The amendment upgrades the wiring package to include VIVISUN Switches for more effective mission utilization with NVGs in search & rescue, emergency medical services, aerial firefighting, and military applications.

Everdrone Awarded Patent Enabling Drone Ops In Complex Airspace

European Patent Office Approves Application For Sensor-Related Safety Mechanism

Everdrone has been approved for its first patent by the European Patent Office (EPO). Everdrone’s latest patented technology focuses on combining vision technology with UAVs to allow drones to fly safely and accurately in low altitude airspace where obstacles such as buildings and vegetation are often present. More specifically, the recently approved patent relates to a method of comparing camera data in order to automatically validate that the onboard sensors are working correctly, thereby making drone operations safer.

Precision Conversions A321-200PC Freighter Makes First Flight

'Milestone Flight Was Nominal In All Respects'

321 Precision Conversions has completed the first post-conversion flight of the firm’s A321-200PCF freighter. 321 Precision Conversions President Gary Warner confirmed the event, stating “This milestone flight was nominal in all respects, with all primary and secondary systems- including the cargo door and supporting sub-systems, functioning perfectly as designed.” He went on to say, “Based on the results of this maintenance test flight – a prerequisite prior to entering certification flight testing – we look forward to a brisk progression to full certification.”

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Classic Aero-TV: An Ultralight Mainstay – A Kolb Aircraft OSH16 Update

From 2016: Ultralights Can Provide the Ultimate Experience in Recreational Flying…

ANN assistant news editor, Earl Downs, set out on a mission at EAA AirVenture 2016 to search out some honest-to-goodness real ultralights. His trek took him to the ultralight field on the south end of Wittman Regional Airport that is commonly referred to as, ‘the fun zone’. Downs met up with Bryan Melborn, the owner and CEO of the Kolb Aircraft Company. Kolb aircraft was one of the early entries into the ultralight business in the 1980s and they are still going strong. In the video, you’ll be

Royal Flying Doctor Service Converting PC-12s to Hartzell Five-Blade Props

West Coast Propellers, Hartzell Team to Support Transition to Five-Blade Composite Props

The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) in Western Australia is upgrading the flying performance of its Pilatus single-engine PC-12 turboprop aircraft by transitioning its fleet to Hartzell's 105-inch diameter five-blade composite propellers from Hartzell four-blade aluminum propellers. RFDS Western Operations uses its aircraft for medical emergencies and patient transfers between medical facilities, over the last year travelling 8 million kilometers across Western Australia to reach 9,012 patients. The RFDS' 24-hour aeromedical service retrieves patients from some of the most remote corners of Western Australia and their highly skilled pilots have experience l

Flight Safety Foundation Says ‘It’s Safe to Fly’

FSF Calls For Global Testing Standards To Lift Haphazard Travel Restrictions

After a six-month analysis of the air travel industry’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, Flight Safety Foundation has concluded that industry efforts have succeeded in greatly reducing the possibility of transmission in airports and on aircraft. “The latest evidence shows that aircraft and airports have very low levels of transmission,” said Dr. Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Foundation. “With the health and safety measures that airlines, airports and security personnel have now put in place,” Shahidi said, “the risk of contracting this virus appears extraordinarily low, much lower than in other public places. Given these

Power, Pulchritude and Performance: Flight Testing the Pipistrel Panthera-Part 2

By Jim Campbell, ANN CEO/Editor-n-Chief/Test Pilot (Arrogant, Over-Opinionated Know-It-All/Test Dummy)

ANN E-I-C Note: OK… sorry for the delay with Part Two, but it’s been a tough week at the Campbell Family Ranch (death in the family), while the workload at ANN has seen no diminishment, whatsoever… especially with BIG changes right around the corner… like, in a few days. Part Two gets into airplane descriptions and systems with a vengeance… with more to follow before we light the candle on this thing and launch into the stratosphere… which is kinda what a Panthera takeoff felt like.

Big Changes In The Works For ANN, Airborne

To Start, A New Host Will Take Over Airborne This Week... and There's MUCH More News Around The Corner!

We've been hinting about major changes for ANN and Airborne and we'll be unveiling a few of them over the next few weeks... including several new staffers. First off the bat, we looked extensively for someone to lead Airborne's next generation... and it sure looks like we've found her. She's an experienced video journalist who has been working the space coast for quite some time and has extensive credentials with the Florida Space Community. After a bit of training and orientation early this week, we'll put Kimberly Kay into the top slot as our Airborne Host... Before joining Aero-News Network, Ms. Kay worked for various broadcast TV stations in

NTSB Prelim: Piper PA25

The Main Wreckage Was Located Inverted In A Row Of Trees That Lined The Field The Airplane Was Seeding

On September 23, 2020, about 0750 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-25 airplane, N6106Z, was destroyed when it was involved in accident in Floral City, Florida. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. According to a solo student pilot who was in the traffic pattern at the nearby Inverness Airport (INF), Inverness, Florida, while turning right downwind for runway 01, he glanced down and saw that the accident airplane was “spraying” and “it looked to me like he pitched up to clear something and then abruptly went down.” The student

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ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (10.13.20)

Aero Linx: The Vintage Sailplane Association (VSA) The purpose of the Vintage Sailplane Association (VSA) is to promote the acquisition, restoration and flying of vintage sailplanes by its members, and to assist the National Soaring Museum in the preservation of soaring history and the promotion of vintage sailplane activity. A Vintage Sailplane is any glider of a type first flown prior to 1958, or a more recently built glider with appearance, performance and construction characteristics similar to gliders built before 1958. A Classic Sailplane is any glider of a type first flown prior to 1975, but not categorized as a Vintage Sailplane.

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (10.13.20): Airspeed

Airspeed The speed of an aircraft relative to its surrounding air mass. The unqualified term “airspeed” means one of the following: a. Indicated Airspeed - The speed shown on the aircraft airspeed indicator. This is the speed used in pilot/controller communications under the general term “airspeed.” (Refer to 14 CFR Part 1.) b. True Airspeed - The airspeed of an aircraft relative to undisturbed air. Used primarily in flight planning and en route portion of flight. When used in pilot/controller communications, it is referred to as “true airspeed” and not shortened to “airspeed.”

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (10.13.20)

“We now have disjointed testing rules, indiscriminate bans, and confusing quarantine rules that discourage passengers from making travel plans. Governments and industry need to coalesce around universally accepted testing standards to identify and prevent the spread of the virus until we get a vaccine.” Source: Capt. Conor Nolan, chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Governors and director of Safety and Security at Aer Lingus, discussing details contained in statements by the Flight Safety Foundation after a six-month analysis of the air travel industry’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Foundation concluded that industry efforts have succeeded in greatly reducing the possibility of transmission i

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