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The Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has sent a letter to dealers and representatives, announcing the end of continuous operations. The company has apparently seen lean times lately, and its owners have directed the company to declare Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Enstrom will leave behind nearly 1,500 unsupported aircraft around the world, unless the assets are bought out. Dornier Seawings has purchased the Flywhale seaplane program from its German parent, Uniplanes GmbH, in a package that includes all intellectual property, production assets, design data, drawings, manuals, tooling, and molds. The acquisition positions the Flywhale FW650 as a future Dornier product in line with the c
The Dubai Expo 2020, a convention running from October 2021 to March 2022, has seen a boost in its notoriety following an Emirates stunt aimed at publicizing the show as the expo enters its final half. Emirates recreated their previous announcement by once again placing a flight attendant atop the world's tallest 2,722-foot skyscraper while one of their Airbus A380s flew past for the perfect photo opportunity. The Airbus was decorated in colorful livery celebrating the Expo, giving a backdrop to skydiving influencer Nicole Smith-Ludvik as she rotated through cards with messages inviting passengers to fly Emirates to the exhibition.
The Mojave Air and Space Port Board of Directors, on Tuesday, unanimously approved a resolution officially changing the name of the airport, Honoring Burt Rutan for his lifelong work in building and promoting aviation at the field. The board has previously mentioned during deliberations that the name change would not put the Rutan name front and center as the primary brand for the airport, as it would remove focus from the space and flight development focus. The official rollout will be phased in across the airport, as funding has not yet been set aside for replacement signage and updated marketing materials. Todd Lindner, general manager and CEO of the port, says that the most prominent customer
Is Airbus Tired of Playing Games, or Making a Move of their Own?
The long-running dispute and court battle between Qatar Airways and Airbus has escalated, with both sides taking moves against one another that has seen billions of dollars pulled off the table. The origin of the argument began with the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, demanding restitution for paint flaws on the company's relatively new A350s. The aircraft were grounded in Qatar due to paint flaking, chipping, and peeling around the aircraft's anti-lightning mesh material. Reportedly, some sections of paint exposed seams and gaps on the aircraft, as well as supposed imperfections in some aircraft. European authorities found the issue relatively benign, saying it had
Airlines Fight Increased Pilot Demand With Bonuses and Better Pay
Airline hopefuls and captains-in-waiting have some good news, as the long prophesied pilot shortage may actually be upon us. The lingering effects of the post-9/11 slump, retiring baby boomer generation pilots, and a cluster of pandemic-induced early retirements have come together to make qualified, experienced aviators capable of carrier service a precious commodity. So precious, in fact, that regional carriers, once stereotyped as the begrudging employers of low-time pilots passing through on their way to the majors, are offering pay boosts and bonuses to retain their pilots as long as they can. David Neeleman's Breeze Airways has already raised its pay scale after only 7 mon
Supply Issues Still Raise Questions, But Sarasota Perseveres
The Sun ‘n Fun crew offered a somewhat off-season event at the lakeland Linder Airport a few weeks ago... giving ANN a chance to catch up with a number of companies from throughout the Aero-Verse. Kirk Fryar, President of Sarasota Avionics, took a moment out of the Sun n Fun Holiday Festival to talk with Aero-News Editor in Chief Jim Campbell about the state of his company heading into 2022.
Company Now Boasts Rare 4th Gen Adversary Fleet With AESA, HMCS, Datalink
Top Aces put their freshly modified and fully equipped F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighter through its first test flight, ensuring the company's Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS) is up to spec and ready for rollout across their fleet. The flight will be followed by a series of "robust operational test activities" prior to its entry into service. Once cleared, the F-16 will be the only true 4th generation airframe for adversarial use, perfect to train 5th generation fighter pilots. Top Aces has built their AAMS to replicate the most advanced capabilities of contemporary air-to-air combat opponents, allowing more realistic, accurate training scenarios.
The battle for market supremacy in space continues, and a new front is seeing competition: Entertainment studios in low-Earth orbit. Space 11, the parent company of future reality tv show "Galactic Combat", has found its commercial partner to build its space station film studio. Working with Voyager Space company Nanoracks, Space 11 hopes to complete a free-flying space station that will function as a soundstage in zero gravity. The announcement follows similar news from another business, Space Entertainment Enterprise, set to co-produce an upcoming Tom Cruise Movie. Their partner in station engineering is Axiom Space, another NASA contractor who has built modules on the ISS.
GE, SmartSky, and Mosaic Link Up for eVTOL Safety Systems
As the market for Advance Air Mobility comes closer to real world, omnipresent fruition, many companies see a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get in on the ground floor and become an integral part of the foundation of a nascent industry. The turn from small aircraft passenger service being based around half-century old light aircraft to ubiquitous, battery powered, eVTOL multirotor pod aircraft stands to make a considerable number of winners. Expansive rideshare services, sustainable aviation, and small-footprint airfields are closer to market than the layman thinks, and a recent NASA Innovation Award is building the ecosystem.
Indefinite Pause on Flights to Miami, Houston, Chicago, San Francisco, & More
Emirates announced the suspension of flights to a number of destinations in the United States, saying that the deployment of 5G network architecture causes the company concern. The company gave no timeline as to when service could be expected to return, only saying "we hope to resume our US services as soon as possible." The list of locations includes 9 fairly high profile destinations as outlined in the company's statement on January 18th. "“Due to operational concerns associated with the planned deployment of 5G mobile network services in the US at certain airports...
A Jumbled Radio Transmission Was Made By A Pilot And No Distress Call Was Received
On January 8, 2022, about 1919 central standard time, a Beech B58, N585CK, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Defiance, Missouri. The two commercial pilots sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. At 1910, the airplane departed Spirit of St. Louis (SUS), St Louis, Missouri, on an instrument flight plan to Centennial Airport (APA), Denver, Colorado. After climbing to 8,000 ft mean sea level (msl) on a west heading, the airplane made a gradual left turn toward a southeast heading and subsequently descended.
Aero Linx: The South Dakota Aviation Association
The South Dakota Aviation Association is an organization comprised of pilots, business owners and allied industry representatives. We use aircraft to assist agricultural producers in the production of food, fiber and biofuel. Our pilots take to the skies to not only protect crops, but also rangeland, timber and areas threatened by fire. Our organization takes pride in land stewardship and our focus on the safety of agricultural aviation.
Aircraft Conflict
Predicted conflict, within EDST of two aircraft, or between aircraft and airspace. A Red alert is used for conflicts when the predicted minimum separation is 5 nautical miles or less. A Yellow alert is used when the predicted minimum separation is between 5 and approximately 12 nautical miles. A Blue alert is used for conflicts between an aircraft and predefined airspace.
"Wow, I can see Dubai Expo." and "Finally, here come my friends."
Source: Just some of the signage that accompanied and Emirates announcement by once again placing a flight attendant atop the world's tallest 2,722-foot skyscraper while one of their Airbus A380s flew past for the perfect photo opportunity. The Airbus was decorated in colorful livery celebrating the Expo, giving a backdrop to skydiving influencer Nicole Smith-Ludvik as she rotated through cards with messages inviting passengers to fly Emirates to the exhibition.
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