The Pentagon Publicly Notes UFO Investigative Capability

As previously noted on a number of occasions this year, the truth can often be stranger than fiction... yet another case in point. On Aug. 4, 2020, Deputy Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist approved the establishment of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force (UAPTF).  The Department of the Navy, under the cognizance of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, will lead the UAPTF. The Department of Defense established the UAPTF to improve its understanding of, and gain insight into, the nature and origins of UAPs. The mission of the task force is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. nationa

Also: XPONENTIAL 2020 Goes Virtual, FCC Fines Hobbyking, Drones Protect Sea Turtles, King Schools Giveaway

The prototype of Airbus Helicopters’ VSR700 UAS has performed its first free flight. The VSR700 performed a ten minute flight at a drone test centre near Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. This is a significant step in the programme following the first flight in November 2019 when the prototype was tethered to comply with regulatory requirements. To enable this free flight, Airbus Helicopters implemented geofencing, a virtual perimeter, which enabled and justified a flight clearance from

Free And Available For All, Enrollment Is Now Open

Women in Aviation International's 6th Annual Girls in Aviation Day (GIAD) will deliver a free, year-round experience for girls ages 8-17 around the world through the launch of a new Aviation for Girls (AFG) App, sponsored by the U.S. Air Force. Available to all interested in aviation/aerospace and STEM, the AFG App is the tool WAI will provide to deliver valuable content and resources including career videos, virtual museum tours, scholarship information, hands-on activities, book readings in multiple languages, as well as digital issues of Aviation for Girls magazine. And despite the name, girls and boys are both welcome to participate.

Booster Will Be Flown (And Hopefully Recovered) For SIXTH Time

SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, August 18 at 10:31 a.m. EDT for launch of its eleventh Starlink mission, which will include 58 Starlink satellites and three of Planet's SkySats. Falcon 9 will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Falcon 9’s first stage previously supported the Telstar 18 VANTAGE mission in September 2018, the Iridium-8 mission in January 2019, and three separate Starlink missions in May 2019, January 2020, and June 2020. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Falcon 9&rsq

The Public Is Not Likely To See Or Hear The Exercises

North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct an air defense exercise this week, ranging from the Beaufort Sea to Thule, Greenland. The exercise will include Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter aircraft, CP-140 long-range patrol aircraft , and a CC-150T air refueler; as well as United States Air Force F-15 fighter aircraft, KC-10 refueler, and C-17 transport aircraft. The exercise will be based out of 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta; and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

From 2019: A New Type Of Aircraft Needed A New Type Of Panel

When you design a new type of aircraft, for instance one that is intended to be driven on a road as well as flown like an airplane, you need a new type of panel that will work in both configurations. For the Samson Sky Switchblade roadable aircraft, the company turned to Avilution to design just such a panel. Sam Bousfield, CEO of Samson Sky and designer of the Switchblade, told Aero-News at AirVenture 2019 "we're doing a flying sports car, so, it has a dual use ground and air."

pingRX Pro Weighs Less Than 8 Grams

uAvionix has released pingRX Pro, a new Detect and Avoid (DAA) ADS-B Receiver for professional Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). pingRX Pro detects private and commercial aircraft operating on 978MHz and 1090MHz. The received aircraft identity, position, and altitude are visualized on a moving map in real-time allowing the UAS operator or autopilot to remain well clear. By adding the protection of an aircraft-grade aluminum case and detachable remote mount antenna, pingRX Pro is the ideal ADS-B receiver for professional UAS operators who need performance, quality and flexibility for limitless UAS applications.

Pilot 'Pitched Up The Airplane To Avoid Two Rows Of Trees And Impacted A Third Row Of Trees'

On August 9, 2020, about 1430 central daylight time, a Piper PA-22-150 airplane, N6849B, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Burlington, Wisconsin. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to law enforcement personnel who spoke to the pilot after the accident, the pilot reported that the engine was not developing the RPMs he expected during the takeoff, which resulted in a reduced rate of climb. During the attempted initial climb, the pilot performed various pitch maneuvers to gain airspeed and lift. About 1 mile from

AD 2020-16-11 Prompted By Reports Of In-Flight Engine Failures Due To Fractured Cross-Flow Cylinder Assemblies

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Continental Aerospace Technologies, Inc. model GTSIO-520-C, GTSIO-520-D, GTSIO-520-H, GTSIO-520-K, GTSIO-520-L, GTSIO-520-M, GTSIO-520-N, IO-550-G, IO-550-N, IO-550-P, IO-550-R, IOF-550-N, IOF-550-P, IOF-550-R, TSIO-520-BE, TSIO-550-A, TSIO-550-B, TSIO-550-C, TSIO-550-E, TSIO-550-G, TSIO-550-K, TSIO-550-N, TSIOF-550-D, TSIOF-550-J, TSIOF-550-K, and TSIOF-550-P reciprocating aviation gasoline (AvGas) engines with a certain cross-flow cylinder assembly installed. This AD was prompted by reports of in-flight engine failures due to fractured cross-flow cylinder assemblies. This AD

AD 2020-16-06 Requires Repetitive Inspections Of The Forward Horizontal Stabilizer Support Assembly...

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Aviat Aircraft Inc. Models A-1, A-1A, A-1B, A-1C-180, and A-1C-200 airplanes. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the forward horizontal stabilizer support assembly and the rear horizontal stabilizer support tube and reporting information to the FAA. This AD was prompted by field reports of complete failure of both the forward support assembly and the rear support tube due to fatigue. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective September 1, 2020.

Aero Linx: Iowa Public Airports Association (IPAA) Advocacy, Education & Networking for Iowa Aviation: The nonprofit Iowa Public Airports Association (IPAA) was founded in 1984 — an outgrowth of the Iowa Airport Executives Association. Membership is open to all public use airports in Iowa, as well as associates with an interest in Iowa’s aviation system and the industry that supports it. The association is under the direction of a 14-member volunteer board of directors.

Class C Airspace Generally, that airspace from the surface to 4,000 feet above the airport elevation (charted in MSL) surrounding those airports that have an operational control tower, are serviced by a radar approach control, and that have a certain number of IFR operations or passenger enplanements. Although the configuration of each Class C area is individually tailored, the airspace usually consists of a surface area with a 5 nautical mile (NM) radius, a circle with a 10NM radius that extends no lower than 1,200 feet up to 4,000 feet above the airport elevation, and an outer area that is not charted. Each person must establish two-way radio communications with the ATC facility providing air traff

"WAI is thrilled to connect with girls all year, without geographic constraints, and on their schedule, through our virtual experience delivered in the Aviation for Girls App. WAI will continue our expanding program of encouraging and inspiring girls-no matter where they live or learn-all-year-round with a continuously growing library of content that is key to the GIAD experience. We're grateful that the U.S. Air Force values the importance of Girls in Aviation Day and has partnered with us to help launch the Aviation for Girls App, allowing us to bring the world of aviation to so many all over the world." Source: WAI CEO Allison McKay, discussing plans for a virtual Girls in Aviation Day.