High-Altitude LTA Tourism Operator Moving on to Test Flights

Space Perspective, the "world's first carbon-neutral spaceflight experience company" showed off the first peeks at its Neptune testbed. The capsule serves as a first look at what future tourists will be using to travel upwards into the heights of the atmosphere, suspended under one of the firm's SpaceBalloon. Appearing somewhat similar to terrestrial bathospheres, Spaceship Neptune will be accompanied upward with the large balloon and a reserve descent system.

Blimp Hangar Remains Make for Expensive Asbestos Hazard

Tustin, California will be home to an expensive, Navy-sponsored cleanup after one of its historic 17-story blimp hangars burned down last year. The hangars suffered a fire in November 2023, destroying much of the structure and leaving the 120-foot doors standing. The mess required quick action on the part of the city of Tustin and the US Navy, who sprayed down "gorilla snot" in an effort to tamp down and retain as much of the asbestos-ridden dust and debris as they could. In order to make good on the cleanup, the Navy signed a $6.3 million deal with ECC Environmental LCC that will see them take care of everything from here on out.

Sanctions Haunt Russian Aerospace, But Govt Says $7.73B Could Buy Independence

Russia has issued more than $12 billion USD in state subsidies and loans to keep its homegrown aerospace industry on life support, making up for difficult sanctions that cut off the country’s supply on vital parts & technical equipment. While Russia sits somewhat more comfortably in terms of homefield industry than other “service based economies”, aerospace assemblies and engine parts remain a difficult thing to make even in the best of times - tight tolerances, high materials quality, and consistent production make home-grown alternatives an unlikely prospect any time soon.

Airbuses Leased to Rossiya Airlines Result in Settlement

Imagined post-sanction aircraft transference cases in Russia may not be as exciting as hoped by the laymen, if a recent insurance settlement is any indication. A pair of GA Telesis Airbuses were leased to Rossiya Airlines, an Aeroflot carrier when the war in Ukraine broke out in February 2022. As such, the ensuing sanctions cut off the flow of funds, parts, support, and even aircraft between Russia and the assorted Western nations. GA Telesis, looking to do right by their shareholders, opted to claim the 'loss' of its aircraft on insurance. Telesis appears to have been made whole, with an announcement telling investors that the firm had "received cash insurance settlement proceeds in full se

Despite Promising Start, Drone Darling Doesn’t Make the Cut

PrecisionHawk is in pretty bad shape, despite a recent purchase by Euro company Field Group, to the point they have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The firm is apparently $17 million in debt, with about a quarter million in overdue rent for its Glenwood, North Carolina headquarters. The situation was the subject of an announcement from PrecisionHawk's interim CEO Krister Pederson.

Small Pseudo-Carrier Aims for Motley Collection of Eco-Friendly Aircraft

JSX announced its intent to acquire up to 332 hybrid-electric aircraft from a handful of manufacturers including Electra, Aura Aero, and Heart Aerospace. The firm signed a letter of intent to buy up to 82 of Electra’s 9-seat eSTOL aircraft, with only 32 of that number being a firm order. Aura Aero sees 50 firm orders and 100 options for its 19-seat Era aircraft. Heart Aerospace sees 50 firm orders and 50 options for its 30-seat ES-30 aircraft.

Also: Universal Avionics STC, Airspeeder 2023, Firefighting A400M, Aerobility Chief CFI Mike Owen

Daher's 100th TBM 960 has been delivered to a customer, showing just how popular the newest iteration of the personal turboprop has been since its introduction. The buyer is a "Californian businessman who is stepping up from a piston-engine airplane to this top-of-the-line member of the high-speed, turboprop-powered TBM aircraft family," according to a Daher release. Not much news on the Regent front since last October, when they got a $4.75 million deal with the US Marine Corps for a Seaglider demonstration - but the company remains hard at work for a commercial

"JetBlue Foundation is Still the First and Only Airline Nonprofit Dedicated Solely to Championing Diversity"

The JetBlue Foundation announced its 10-year anniversary, saying "JetBlue Foundation is Still the First and Only Airline Nonprofit Dedicated Solely to Championing Diversity in STEM and Aviation Education". Since its inception, the Foundation has "continued the airline’s efforts to place aviation top-of-mind as a career choice for students by igniting youth interest throughout JetBlue’s network to explore careers in aviation."

Also: Universal Avionics STC, Airspeeder 2023, Firefighting A400M, Aerobility Chief CFI Mike Owen

Daher's 100th TBM 960 has been delivered to a customer, showing just how popular the newest iteration of the personal turboprop has been since its introduction. The buyer is a "Californian businessman who is stepping up from a piston-engine airplane to this top-of-the-line member of the high-speed, turboprop-powered TBM aircraft family," according to a Daher release. Not much news on the Regent front since last October, when they got a $4.75 million deal with the US Marine Corps for a Seaglider demonstration - but the company remains hard at work for a commercial

From 2013 (YouTube Version): OK... Admit It -- Wouldn't You Have Loved To Fly In This Adventure?

In this video ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell brings us an adventure story. While at the NBAA 2013 convention Jim had the chance to talk with Mike Laver, the President of Air First Aviation Companies. But this interview was not about Laver’s company, it was about his flight around the world and in an MU-2. A lot of pilots would love the opportunity to fly around the world just to do it. Well, Mike Laver felt the same way and he did it. Laver describes his trip in detail and accompanies his description with som

Instructor Assumed Control Of The Airplane, Attempted To Restore Power, And Performed A Forced Landing

Analysis: The student pilot and flight instructor reported that the engine lost partial power during cruise flight. The instructor assumed control of the airplane, attempted to restore power, and performed a forced landing to a cleared area of wooded terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the exhaust valve in the No. 3 cylinder was stuck in the open position. Based on this finding, it is likely that the partial loss of engine power was the result of the No. 3 cylinder’s stuck exhaust valve. The engine maintenance records were not available for revie

Aero Linx: The JAA Training Organisation (JAA TO) The JAA Training Organisation (JAA TO) is a Dutch non-profit organization and an Associated Body of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC). JAA TO has a history of 50 years training the aviation industry and national authorities on regulation in the air transport sector. JAA TO is the only Training Centre of Excellence - Platinum (TCE) in Europe recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and a leading member of the EASA Virtual Academy (EVA).

"I'm incredibly proud of our Engineering team. The entire company is hugely motivated by reaching this milestone together and seeing Spaceship Neptune come to life before our eyes so spectacularly."   Source: Space Perspective co-CEO and CTO Taber MacCallum, detailing some thoughts about the first peeks at its Neptune testbed. The capsule serves as a first look at what future tourists will be using to travel upwards into the heights of the atmosphere, suspended under one of the firm's SpaceBalloon.