Air Ambulance Provider Seeks to Restructure Debt

Air Methods—the privately-owned Denver, Colorado-based helicopter operator, the air-medical division of which provides emergency medical services to over one-hundred-thousand patients yearly—has filed for bankruptcy protection against a $1.7-billion debt. Air Methods' business has suffered on account of rising interest rates, higher labor costs, and a recent U.S. ban on so-called surprise medical bills; so stated filings made with a Houston, Texas bankruptcy court.

Hundreds of “Highly Concerning” Intercepts

The Pentagon has released footage of only a portion of the more than 180 intercepts of U.S. warplanes undertaken by Chinese aircraft over the last two years. The number exceeds the total such incidents transpired over the preceding decade and underscores an evolving, eminently worrying trend. The described photos and video were released in advance of the Pentagon’s soon-to-be issued annual report on China’s military power and the security threats to the U.S. and its allies posed thereby.

ALIA-250 Demonstrates … Range

An eVTOL aircraft developed by BETA Technologies has completed a non-stop 117-nautical-mile flight from Georgia’s Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) to the Peach State’s Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN) in Macon. The journey, which spanned one-hour, five-minutes, is part of a larger southbound trip the contraption is making to Florida.

Echoes of a Ramp Tantrum

On Monday, 24 October 2023, deputies of the Martin County, Florida Sheriff’s Department arrested student pilot Sumebh Singh, 23, after he allegedly vandalized no fewer than ten airplanes on Stuart, Florida’s Whitham Field (SUA). Subject aircraft belonged to Treasure Coast Flight School, at which Singh reportedly matriculated. Singh acted out after the school’s flight instructors denied him permission to undertake his first solo flight; so stated the Martin County Sheriff’s Department in a Facebook post.

New Propulsion Scheme Optimized for AAM Applications

Founded in  2017 by Eric Bartsch, Pat Anderson, and Erik Lindbergh (grandson of famed aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh) for purpose of accelerating the electrification of flight, VerdeGo sets out to combine conventional propulsion architectures with next-generation electric technologies. Of late, VerdeGo has been about the business of developing the VH-3 powerplant, an efficient means by which to convert the chemical-energy of liquid fuels—e.g., Jet-A, JP-8, SAF, e-fuels—into electricity. The hybrid-electric powerplant comprises a reciprocating aero-engine, power electronic

Increasing Risk, Decreasing Reward

As conflict in the region intensifies and flight cancellations mount, aviation war insurers are making ready to cancel coverage for a number of air-carriers domiciled in Israel and Lebanon; so state industry sources with knowledge of the matter. Aviation war insurers based in Europe, the United States, and the Lloyd's of London market are legally entitled to issue seven-day notices of cancellation or other changes to policy terms and conditions in the event a major conflict is determined by underwriters to pose a legitimate threat to commercial aircraft operations, thereby rendering long-term insurance coverage overly-risky.

Also: AOG Technic-CFM Battle, Lying To FAA, Citation M2 Gen 2 Autothrottle, EHang EH216-S Cert

Honda has officially announced their new Echelon light jet... filling in the blanks since they started discussing the program 2 years ago. Honda plans for the aircraft would carry a single pilot an ten passengers—or two pilots and nine passengers—a maximum distance of 2,625-nautical miles, cruise at 450-knots (0.67 Mach), and reach a service-ceiling of FL470. Bombardier unveiled images of its EcoJet research project’s second test phase to the attendees of NBAA-BACE 2023. The promising flight tests were conducted with an 18-foot-wide demonstrator an

Also: AOG Technic-CFM Battle, Lying To FAA, Citation M2 Gen 2 Autothrottle, EHang EH216-S Cert

Honda has officially announced their new Echelon light jet... filling in the blanks since they started discussing the program 2 years ago. Honda plans for the aircraft would carry a single pilot an ten passengers—or two pilots and nine passengers—a maximum distance of 2,625-nautical miles, cruise at 450-knots (0.67 Mach), and reach a service-ceiling of FL470. Bombardier unveiled images of its EcoJet research project’s second test phase to the attendees of NBAA-BACE 2023. The promising flight tests were conducted with an 18-foot-wide demonstrator an

Klyde Wonders... When is One Whitaker NOT Like Another?

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Global For Helicopters Debuts

FlightAware has debuted Global for Helicopters, a new flight tracking platform developed for operators of helicopter or mixed rotary- and fixed-wing fleets.

Unrest in the Forest, Trouble With the Trees …

The NTSB has released its preliminary report on an 11 October 2023 accident in which a Cirrus SR22, registration N253BC, was substantially damaged after striking trees shortly after departing Martinsville, Virginia’s Blue Ridge Airport (MTV). Neither the pilot of the accident-aircraft nor the three passengers therein sustained injuries resultant of the mishap. The accident-aircraft was operated as a personal flight under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.

Jon Damush Appointed uAvionix CEO

On 24 October 2023, uAvionix announced it had acquired Iris Automation, a Reno, Nevada-based concern specializing in small-form-factor, flexible, and cost-effective end-of-line automation solutions; and a provider of optical Detect And Avoid (DAA) technology. The acquisition occasions a synthesis of uAvionix’s extensive Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) and aviation expertise and Iris’ leadership in computer vision-based systems germane to the safe separation of aircraft. In addition to bolstering uAvionix’s capabilities and broadening the scope of its services, the acquisition marks an important leadership change as former Iris Automation boss Jon Damush is hoisted to t

Operator Aspires to Bring Business Connectivity to Africa

Nigerian business aviation concern and Falcon Aerospace Group subsidiary Vivajets—a Lagos-based provider of aircraft management, fractional ownership, and aircraft sales and acquisition services—has introduced a set of products conducive to business connectivity throughout the African continent. Additionally, the organization released a guide pertaining to fractional aircraft ownership, a specialized service by which Vivajets customers are afforded opportunity to acquire partial ownership stakes in contemporary business aircraft.

Flight Management Systems A computer system that uses a large database to allow routes to be preprogrammed and fed into the system by means of a data loader. The system is constantly updated with respect to position accuracy by reference to conventional navigation aids. The sophisticated program and its associated database ensures that the most appropriate aids are automatically selected during the information update cycle.

“I feel bad for him [the owner of Treasure Coast Flight School]. Ten airplanes down like that, it's got to put a big kink in his business because not only is [it] a thousand dollars to fix the plane, but the three-to-four days of revenue that the plane doesn’t fly, times ten, is a lot of money."

Source: Michael Leighton, who owns a competing flight school and has been flying since 1988, speaking about student pilot Sumebh Singh, 23, who allegedly vandalized no fewer than ten airplanes on Stuart, Florida&rsq