Aero-News Network: The aviation and aerospace world's daily/real-time news and information service

Hide/Show Archive Navigation.

All News

May 20, 2019

Airborne 05.20.19: Icon Layoffs, Perlan Mission II, Lilium Air Taxi

Also: #HonorTheWASP, NASA Funds Research, Boom Supersonic And Dassault, New FlightSafety CEO

Amid recent reports of yet another sinking of an Icon A5 airframe, a heretofore unsuccessful attempt to raise more capital, and GAMA stats showing that Icon’s promised production targets are not being met, along comes news of company layoffs. An Icon A5 was sunk in Washington state last week after witnesses reported it to have suffered a hard landing... not the first such report. The airframe sunk to wing level and required winching out of the water, for repair. Reported attempts to raise additional capital appear to be unproductive and promises of completing as many as 12-20 airframes per month have definitely not been reached as GAMA noted that their First Quarter productio

More Videos

AA Pilots Confronted Boeing Concerning MCAS Prior To Second Accident

Audio Of A November 27 Meeting Leaked To The Media

An audio recording of a meeting between the Allied Pilots Association and Boeing officials held before a 737 MAX went down in Ethiopia shows that the pilots confronted the company about the MCAS which has become the focus of that accident as well as one in Indonesia.

Boom Supersonic And Dassault Systèmes Announce Partnership

Will Advance The Development Of Overture, History’s Fastest Commercial Airliner

Boom Supersonic is deploying the 3DEXPERIENCE platform developed by Dassault Systèmes to accelerate the design and development of Overture, its Mach-2.2 commercial airliner, with an aim to make supersonic travel mainstream and affordable.

David Davenport Named President & CEO Of FlightSafety International

Previously Served As Co-CEO And President, Commercial

FlightSafety International has named David Davenport as the company's new president & CEO. He most recently served as Co-CEO and president, Commercial.

#HonorTheWASP Over Memorial Day Weekend

WAI Urges Everyone To Visit And Decorate A WASP Gravesite From May 24-27, 2019

May 15, 2019 – Women in Aviation International members and friends will #HonorTheWASP over Memorial Day weekend by visiting their graves and leaving an appropriate decoration in the form of flowers or other remembrances.

New South Wales Government Signs Purchase Agreement With Coulson Aviation

Will Acquire A Coulson Fireliner, Two Citation V Lead/Intelligence Aircraft

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service has entered into a purchase agreement with Coulson Aviation USA for the acquisition of one Boeing 737 Fireliner and two Citation V Lead/Intelligence Aircraft. The purchases are accompanied by a ten-year operational contract where Coulson will provide all flight and maintenance personal.

Advertisement

Shrinking Moon May Be Generating Moonquakes

Diameter has Decreased More than 150 Feet Over The Last Several Hundred Million Years

The Moon is shrinking as its interior cools, getting more than about 150 feet skinnier over the last several hundred million years. Just as grape wrinkles as it shrinks down to a raisin, the Moon gets wrinkles as it shrinks. Unlike the flexible skin on a grape, the Moon's surface crust is brittle, so it breaks as the Moon shrinks, forming "thrust faults" where one section of crust is pushed up over a neighboring part.

Bombardier, JETEX Sign Agreement For New Line Maintenance Station In Dubai

Will Serve All Challenger And Global Business Aircraft

Bombardier has signed an agreement with JETEX for the establishment of a new Line Maintenance Station in Dubai, further complementing the tip-to-tail maintenance services provided by Bombardier’s Service and Support Network in the Middle East and around the globe.

EASA Awards STC For Kodiak 100 Series With 5-Blade MTV-27 Propeller

Company Is Pursuing An FAA STC

EASA has awarded an STC for the installation of the MT-Propeller Quiet Fan Jet composite propeller MTV-27 on the Quest Aircraft Design LLC Kodiak 100 series. The company is pursuing an FAA STC.

Sea-Tac Airport Fuelers Ratify First Contract With Teamsters Local 174

Lengthy, Contentious Negotiation Results In Record-Setting First Contract For Swissport Workers

A group of over 150 fuelers, dispatchers and mechanics working at Sea-Tac Airport, have voted to ratify their first-ever Teamster contract. Workers voted enthusiastically and overwhelmingly in favor of the contract, a contract which makes them among the highest paid Swissport fuelers in the country, and codifies strong language that will dramatically improve their daily lives on the job.

Gulfstream G550 Reinforces Reliability And Capabilities With World Speed Record

Connects Shanghai With Seattle In Record Time

A Gulfstream G550 recently established a new city-pair speed record, connecting Shanghai with Seattle in 10 hours and 29 minutes, bringing the number of records the jet has earned to 55.

DJI Drones Comply With New Transport Canada Requirements For Advanced Operations

DJI Customers Can Continue Using Drones In Controlled Airspace Without Interruption

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, is pleased to declare that nine of its drone models comply with the latest Transport Canada regulations for advanced drone operations in controlled airspace. This allows DJI customers to continue using their preferred drones in these operations after June 1, when Transport Canada’s new regulatory framework for civilian drone operations takes effect across Canada.

Advertisement

WAI Adds Two New Board Members

Elected At 30th Annual Membership Meeting In Long Beach, CA

Two new board members were elected by Women in Aviation International members at the organization's 30th annual membership meeting held in Long Beach, California.

Icon Layoffs Reported/Confirmed

Less Than Promised Production Numbers and Other Factors Spell More Trouble For Icon

Amid recent reports of yet another sinking of an Icon A5 airframe, a heretofore unsuccessful attempt to raise more capital, and a GAMA publication showing that Icon’s promised production targets are not being met, along comes news that yet another layoff has come to the company. An Icon A5 was sunk in Washington state last week after it appeared, according to witnesses, yto have suffered a hard landing... not the first time such has been reported. The airframe was seen to have sunk to wing level and required winching out of the water to recover the airframe for repair. Long rumored attempts to raise additional capital appear to be highly unproductiv

First Flight For Lilium Electric Air Taxi

Company Will Manufacture And Operate The Lilium Jet As Part Of A 'Revolutionary' On-Demand Service

Munich, Germany-based Lilium, a startup company developing a revolutionary on-demand air taxi service, has taken the wraps off its new five-seater air taxi prototype. The unveiling of the new Lilium Jet came as the all-electric aircraft completed its maiden flight in the skies over Germany earlier this month.

Pegasus Universal Debuts Its New ‘VTOL’ Business Jet Concept At EBACE

Airplane Targeted For Certification In Five To Seven Years

Pegasus Universal Aerospace from South Africa is making its debut at EBACE 2019 this week to showcase the pioneering work it has achieved with Pegasus One, its revolutionary Vertical-Business-Jet VBJ. Founding Chairman and visionary Dr Reza Mia will be showing a scale model of the ground-breaking design, which combines the convenience of helicopters with the benefits of jet travel, at the Show’s Innovation Zone, adjacent to the main entrance.

Diamond Launches DA50 Exterior Design Contest

Entries Accepted Through August 14

If you've ever fantasized about how you would paint your dream plane, now you’ll have the chance to turn this dream into reality. Through the DA50 Exterior Design Competition, Diamond Aircraft is calling for exterior paint scheme design proposals.

Aerospace Innovators And Policymakers To Keynote EBACE2019

Event Taking Place Next Week In Geneva, Switzerland

Volocopter CEO Florian Reuter and the Rt. Hon. Grant Shapps, United Kingdom (U.K.) member of Parliament, will open the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2019), taking place May 21-23 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Advertisement

NASA Funds Aviation Research On A New Fuel Concept

Agency Provides $6 Million For CHEETA Program

Researchers at the University of Illinois are leading a newly funded project from NASA to develop a novel approach for all-electric aircraft.

FAA Kit Evaluation Completes Evaluation Of CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX-3 Kit

Aircraft Has Been Added To The List Of Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits That Satisfy The Majority Build Requirement

In April of this year CubCrafters received notification from the Federal Aviation Administration that their National Kit Evaluation Team had completed its evaluation of CubCrafters’ Carbon Cub EX-3 amateur-built aircraft kit.

Airborne 05.17.19: Virgin Galactic, Rotax 914, FlightDesign F2

Also: Robinson Delivers 2 More Cadets, Bristow Group Bankruptcy, Gogo AVANCE L3, IFD Software Upgrade

At a press conference late last week in Santa Fe, Virgin Founder Sir Richard Branson announced that Virgin Galactic’s development and testing program had advanced sufficiently to move the spaceline staff and space vehicles from Mojave, California to their commercial operations headquarters at Spaceport America, New Mexico. The move, which involves more than 100 staff, will commence immediately and continue through the summer, to minimize schooling disruption for families. Rotax has issued a NEW Se

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.20.19): Discrete Frequency

Discrete Frequency A separate radio frequency for use in direct pilot-controller communications in air traffic control which reduces frequency congestion by controlling the number of aircraft operating on a particular frequency at one time. Discrete frequencies are normally designated for each control sector in en route/terminal ATC facilities. Discrete frequencies are listed in the Airport/Facility Directory and the DOD FLIP IFR En Route Supplement.

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.20.19)

Aero Linx: Brigade Air The Mission of Brigade Air: To inspire young people toward serving in mission and humanitarian aviation through a unique mentoring curriculum and challenging summer camping program. Mission aviation agencies are urgently seeking candidates to fill positions as pilots, mechanics & other support personnel providing air service for many organizations globally. Brigade Air, Inc., integrates the goal of winning and developing youth to be leaders for Christ, with the added goal of encouraging young men and women toward missionary aviation.

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.20.19)

“ICON eliminated less than 20 positions this week as part of an organizational realignment. Our current employee count remains at nearly 700 people spread throughout North America.”

Source: From a quote offered up by an Icon Aircraft spokesperson (following a request by ANN), after reports of recent layoffs were webcast to social media. The quote obviously tries to mollify the impact of the layoffs, but the claim of 700 North American staffers seems a mite hard to believe based on previous reports from the company as well as this week's GAMA stats asserting that only 14 airplanes were built in the first quarter of 2019.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Top Videos

Airborne-Flight Training 04.17.24: Feds Need Controllers, Spirit Delay, Redbird Flt

Airborne 04.16.24: RV Update, Affordable Flying Expo, Diamond Lil

Airborne 04.12.24: SnF24!, G100UL Is Here, Holy Micro, Plane Tags

Advertisement

Podcasts

AeroTwitter

Please wait while our tweets load

If you can't wait - check out what we've been twittering

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC