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June 20, 2017

Airborne 06.20.17: MAKO Near 1st Flt, Proteus 1000th, Pegasus Flying Car

Also: SR-72 Details, Aero-Calendar, Spitfire Flips, Tecnam Twins, Space Tourism, Iridium NEXT, Falcon Aviation

The first new product since the relocation of experimental aircraft pioneer Lancair International to Texas is the 4-place MAKO. The new aircraft is scheduled to make its first appearance at this summer's EAA AirVenture event July 24-30. Focused on setting a new price/performance benchmark, the new design features dual gullwing cabin doors, a first for a Lancair model. Newly designed low-drag "scimitar" wingtips incorporate lightweight LED lighting and, along with other aerodynamic refinements i

Also: Solar-Powered UAS, NK Drone, UAS Survey, Brian Wynne Interview

The team at AUVSI is staying plenty busy as they and 13 other organizations authored a letter to members of Congress urging them to consider the potential consequences for the UAS industry if legislation was enacted affecting the federal sovereignty of the airspace. One of the technologies on display at the Paris Airshow this week seeks to deal with anti-collision programs to separate UAVs form manned vehicles. To integrate UAVs into the national airspace, the National Research Council of Canada has developed the Passive Intelligent Co

Also: Solar-Powered UAS, NK Drone, UAS Survey, Brian Wynne Interview

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Airborne 06.20.17: MAKO Near 1st Flt, Proteus 1000th, Pegasus Flying Car

Also: SR-72 Details, Aero-Calendar, Spitfire Flips, Tecnam Twins, Space Tourism, Iridium NEXT, Falcon Aviation

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GE Aviation At The Center Of Aviation Re-Fleeting

New Engines For Several New Commercial Aircraft

Show with several new engines entering service or under development while engine production continues at record levels.The numbers are eye opening. GE Aviation and its engine partner companies now have more than 65,000 commercial and military engines flying today. Between 2016 and 2020, they will deliver another 10,000 engines. GE Aviation's industrial backlog of engines and long-term engine service contracts exceeds $150 billion.

Company Publishes Updated Service Instruction To Its Online Knowledge Base

The FAA has granted Lycoming Engines a 200 hour extension to the TBO on certain engine models.

U.S. Warplane Shoots Down Syrian Jet

Pentagon Says Aircraft Had Just Bombed An Area Near U.S.-Backed Forces

A U.S. F/A-18 Hornet has shot down a Syrian SU-22 jet, according to the U.S. Central Command. According to a statement from the Central Command, at approximately 4:30 p.m. Syria time, June 18, Pro-Syrian regime forces attacked the Syrian Democratic Forces-held town of Ja'Din, South of Tabqah, wounding a number of SDF fighters and driving the SDF from the town.

Validating Technologies On An Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) Demonstrator

Airbus Helicopters recently started autonomous flight trials of a VSR700 Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) demonstrator, paving the way for a first flight of the actual VSR700 prototype in 2018. A light military rotary-wing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle, the VSR700 is being developed jointly by Airbus Helicopters and Helicopteres Guimbal, the original manufacturer of the civil-certified Cabri G2 helicopter from which the VSR700 is derived.

Deliveries Expected To Begin In 2018

Turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR and Shaanxi Tianju Investment Group (Tianju) have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for the purchase of 10 ATR 42-600s to develop commuter service in Xinjiang, China. The first deliveries are expected to start as soon as possible in 2018.

Company Joins 737 MAX 10 Launch Customer Group

CDB Aviation Lease Finance, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited (“CDB Leasing”), announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Boeing for forty-two 737 MAX 8s, ten 737 MAX 10s and eight 787-9 Dreamliners during the 2017 Paris Air Show. In doing so, CDB Aviation joins the ranks of the launch customers for the 737 MAX 10 aircraft. Included in this MOU, the company has converted six of its existing 737 MAX-8 orders to 737 MAX 10s.

Has Been Selected For Use In Russian, Chinese Helicopters

Safran Helicopter Engines has received EASA engine type certification for its Ardiden 3G engine, which powers Russian Helicopters' Ka-62. The helicopter made its official maiden flight on 25 May 2017. Since its first ground test, the Ardiden 3 maturation and certification campaign has accumulated more than 8500 hours of test. Thanks to this extensive test phase, the Ardiden 3G will demonstrate a high level of maturity at entry into service.

Contract For AW169, AW139 And AW189 Helicopters Valued In Excess Of $120 Million

Leonardo and Lease Corporation International (LCI), the aviation division of the Libra Group, have announced an order for an additional nine helicopters. The order is valued at over US$120 million and covers the entire family of new generation helicopters - the AgustaWestland AW139, AW169 and AW189. Deliveries will commence this year and continue into 2018.

Gone West: Clyde Shelton

FAA Examiner With More Than 10,000 Check Rides To His Credit

One thing is for certain. Clyde Shelton got a lot of pilots started in their aviation careers. Shelton has Gone West after what was described as a brief illness. He died June 10 at the age of 86.

Included Garmin G600 System And Dual-Screen Displays

The FAA has awarded an STC to L3 Technologies for the updated digital avionics and cockpit for its AT-802L Longsword missionized aircraft.

Airport At St. Marys, GA Closing In Less Than A Month

Two businesses located at the St. Marys Airport in southeastern Georgia will not have to pay their final month's rent ... but they'll be out of business by the end of the July.

Standard ADS-B Legends For Popular, Fast-Track Version Of Korry 389 5/8-Inch Cockpit Switch Featured At Paris Air Show

Esterline is showcasing its latest pilot interface products at the Paris Air Show, June 19-25, Hall 5, Stand C250. Featured among several of its brands will be a recently released selection of Korry 389 5/8-inch LED switches configured as annunciators for ADS-B global positioning system (GPS) transceivers. They will be available for fast delivery as part of the Korry Quick Switch program.

Planemaker Says Additional Order Shows Confidence In The Fuel-Efficient Airplane

GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric, has signed a firm order for 100 A320neo Family aircraft at the 52nd International Paris Air Show. GECAS has selected CFM’s LEAP-X engine for all 100 A320neo Family aircraft.

Agreement Includes 20 New 737 MAX 10s, 20 Conversions To 737 MAX 10s From Airline's Existing 737 MAX 8 Order Book

Boeing and SpiceJet have signed a memorandum of understanding for 40 737 MAX airplanes. The agreement, valued at $4.7 billion at current list prices, is split evenly between 20 new orders for the 737 MAX 10 and conversions of 20 of the low-cost carrier's 737 MAX 8 airplanes from its existing order to 737 MAX 10s.

Boeing, AerCap Announce Order For 30 787-9 Dreamliners

Makes AerCap The Larges Dreamliner Customer

Boeing and AerCap have announced an order for 30 787-9 Dreamliners at the 2017 Paris Air Show. The agreement, valued at $8.1 billion at list prices, makes AerCap the largest customer for the 787 Dreamliner.

Says New large winglets to provide up to 4 % fuel burn savings

Airbus is presenting a development study for an enhanced A380, the “A380plus”. The study includes aerodynamic improvements in particular new, large winglets and other wing refinements that allow for up to 4% fuel burn savings. Added to an optimized A380 maintenance program and the enhanced cabin features first shown at Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in April, the overall benefit is a 13% cost per seat reduction versus today’s A380.

Championship Race To Be Shown From London July 28

ESPN has released its schedule for broadcasting the Drone Racing League events on ESPN, ESPN2, and as a live stream on the ESPN app.

Represents The Production-Ready Model Of The Shadow M2

Textron Systems Unmanned Systems introduced the Nightwarden Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) at the 2017 Paris Air Show. Building upon Textron Systems’ lineage of TUAS, the Nightwarden TUAS is the company’s new next-generation platform, representing the production-ready model of the developmental Shadow M2.

Will Power 35 Aircraft For British Airways; 20 Aircraft For Iberia

International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world's largest airline groups, has selected CFM International's LEAP-1A engine to power a total of 55 Airbus A320neo family aircraft.

Also: Kratos Order, SoftBank Acquires Boston Dynamics, Sherriff UAV Finds Missing Man, Michael Huerta Update

An Administration proposal released last week by President Trump as part of an infrastructure initiative seeks to separate the ATC system from the FAA and place it under the control of a private corporation administered by an administrative board that appears to offer significant power to the airlines and unions that make up the rank and file of the ATC personnel system. Much of the airline industry seems to be quite supportive of this effort, while it is largely opposed by much of the non-

Airborne 06.19.17: Drone Reg Effort, K-MAX Extended, Blimp Fire

Also: ALPA Pilots, Rod Machado, New KCI?, NATA BoD, ATR, Boeing Mid-Size?, Advanced Hawk Demonstrator

In the light of recent issues surrounding the status/legality of various regulatory models overseeing the Unmanned Vehicle industry, it was only a matter of time before new regulatory models were put forth by industry players. ADS Infrastructure Partners has announced that it will lead a national campaign to help fund and establish a Drone/Unmanned Aircraft Systems Regulatory Association as a first step to unlock the full economic value of the sector. On June 6th, ADS hosted a roundtable meeting in Wash

"The A380plus is an efficient way to offer even better economics and improved operational performance at the same time. It is a new step for our iconic aircraft to best serve worldwide fast-growing traffic and the evolving needs of the A380 customers.” Source: John Leahy, Airbus COO Customers, discussing a development study for an "A380plus" at the Paris Air Show.

An authorization by air traffic control for the purpose of preventing collision between known aircraft, for an aircraft to proceed under specified traffic conditions within controlled airspace.

British Parachute Association British Parachute Association (BPA) was founded in 1961 and incorporated as a company limited by guarantee, British Parachute Association Limited, in 1966. We are a democratic, not-for-profit organisation of individuals whose purpose is to organize, govern and further the advancement of Sport Parachuting (skydiving) in the UK.