Also: Pilot Shortage, 777X Hopefuls, Volcano Warning, F/A-18 Anniversary, Pearl Harbor Vet Mistreated by Airline

It flies... and apparently does so fairly well.

The joint venture between Textron AirLand and AirLand Enterprises has produced a flying prototype of the Scorpion Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)/Strike aircraft. The bird completed its first flight at 10:30 AM Central Time. The aircraft took off from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas and conducted a range of handling maneuvers for approximately 1.4 hours of flight. Today’s flight marks one of the fastest developments of a US-built tactical jet, progressing from initial design to first flight in less than 24 months. A group of lawmakers has decided to try and force the FAA to do what it clearly did not want to do... namely, free many (but not all) Private Pilots of being required to hold a Third Class medical certificate. The International Council of Airshows, also known as ICAS, has filed an Amicus Brief to support EAA in its suit brought against the FAA. The suit filed by EAA against the FAA was made to recover charges incurred for FAA air traffic control participation at EAA AirVenture 2013. ICAS claims their organization may be materially affected by a decision in this case. All this... and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!

Airborne 12.13.13 is chock full of info about the half-week period ending Friday, December 13th, 2013... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Host Ashley Hale, and supported by ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell, Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, and Aero-Journalists Tom Patton, and Glen Moyer, this episode covers:

• First Flight: Textron Scorpion
• Another Glimmer Of Hope: General Aviation Pilot Protection Act Proposed
• ICAS Files Amicus Brief In EAA v FAA Fee Dispute
• WA Federal Delegation To Boeing: Washington Is the Best Place For The 777X
• Pilot Shortage Hits Small Markets
• Enviro Group Takes Legal Action Against FAA, State Of Arizona
• Aviation Warning Issued For Ash Cloud From Russian Volcano
• NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly Joins World View Enterprises
• Navy Honors F/A-18 For 35 Years Of Distinction
• T-38 Accident Investigation Complete
• Pearl Harbor Vet Bumped From Flight To Hawaii

Get Comprehensive, Real-Time, 24/7 coverage of the latest aviation and aerospace stories anytime, at aero-news.net. And be sure to join us again next week for the next edition of "Airborne" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, in just a few days!

© 2013, Aero-News Network, Inc., ALL Rights Reserved.

FMI: www.aero-news.net, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews, The Full ANN/YouTube AIRBORNE Roster -- www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL42E90078D99B1053&feature=view_all