Longtime Customer Buys Company As Aging Founder Exits the Game

"After Turning 70 years old twenty months ago, I began to think it was time to let someone younger take charge of the company," said Bearhawk Aircraft's outgoing owner Mark Goldberg. "We will be revising kit manuals, developing new products, and overall expanding the offerings that Bearhawk has for its customers," Virgil Irwin said, referencing his new co-owner and wife Mackenzie. "Our new facility in Fairview, Oklahoma, will be home to our demo planes, transition training, a build-assist center, warehousing, and so much more. We look forward to welcoming all to the new facility and we anticipate hosting several events throughout the year.”

"Discretionary Enforcement" Goes Away on March 16th

The FAA's policy to exercise discretion in prosecuting those who fall afoul of UAV Remote ID Rule is coming to a close, ending the grace period allotted to the industry. The FAA expected compliance with the rule after September of 2023, but said that it would “consider all factors in determining whether to take enforcement action” given the limited availability of broadcast modules. The regulator had given UAV pilots until March 16th to bring their aircraft into compliance, but now they'll have to play by big-boy rules. Remote ID requires one of three compliance methods, whether that's the purchase of a UAV with a factory-equipped ID broadcasting system, a separate broadcaster to

Brazilian Regulator Okays Overwater Operations for E190 and E195

Embraer has secured approval for 120-minute extended twin-engine operations approval for its E190-E2 and E195-E2 from its domestic air regulator. The Civil Aviation Authority ANAC (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil), FAA, and EASA will now allow E2 operators to schedule direct, non-limited routes over water and remote areas without airfields, saving time for pax and fuel for ops. These days, the novelty of ETOPS has probably long worn off to some, but in days past it was high praise for the overall reliability of any aircraft with less than 3 or 4 engines. Embraer’s E2 series getting the nod is great for the brand, granting them proof they belong with t

Boeing's Woes Topple Dominoes Downstream

America's own homegrown underperformer Boeing continues to affect the wider airline industry thanks to delivery cancellations and delays, this time pushing Southwest Airlines to trim operations. The carrier said that they originally expected to take delivery of 79 737s this year, a figure that has been further adjusted to 46. The C-suite, however... isn't all too pleased with their forebears' decision to maintain an all-Boeing narrowbody fleet. There isn't much wiggle room when building out their schedules, they either have their particular aircraft, or they don't. And for now, until Boeing really tightens up its delivery schedules, they won't. At best the carrier will see those 46 MAX 8s, and with the

Surprisingly, an Oasis-Class Ship Doesn't Host a Landing Pad

The US Coast Guard deployed one of their MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters to pluck a stroke patient from the Royal Caribbean International ship Symphony of the Seas, bringing the 57-year-old to medical services ashore. The operation went nice and slick, thanks to a daytime flight in calm seas, but acts as a useful reminder of the wide gamut of services provided by the USCG. The Oasis-class cruise ship radioed ahead to request a medical evacuation, citing a US citizen with stroke symptoms aboard. For ischemic attacks, time is invaluable when minimizing long-term symptoms, but despite its size, the Symphony of the Seas isn't equipped with the necessary clot-busting pharmacopeia. The only so

30-Year Love Affair With C-208 Continues

The Djiboutian Air Force has snagged a pair of Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft via the US Army Contracting Command, making it the 3rd delivery order under a previously established indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract allowing up to $100 million USD to be used on Textron Aircraft over a 5-year period. The new aircraft will sport the quintessential "special missions" color scheme, a dim cement grey. They'll be used for the usual ISR missions as the DAF guards its airspace. The order follows similar deals for Peru and Ecuador, who got Beechcraft King Air 360ERs under the program, a pair for the former and a single for the latter. With the Djibouti order, 5 planes have been bought under the I

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KE Works of Mount Dora, Florida is hard at work bringing a 1929 Lockheed Vega 5C back to life. The rebuilder, JKE Works, has completed its fair share of restorations in its time, with the company recently handed down to its 2nd and 3rd generation owners. Jim Kimball started things off, restoring some mundane GA Aircraft and good old classics like the Stearman, Travelair, and Beech Staggerwing. Three of the passengers aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 have filed suit against the carrier and Boeing, citing the usual host of psychological issues seen or ima

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A memo from Southwest Airlines has begun circulating out on the web describing the company's plans to halt all hiring through the rest of the calendar year, stating that the company's current size is sufficient for anticipated growth and demand. SWA has already begun rescinding conditional job offers to pilots in its pipeline, with water cooler talk sounding as if those with class dates past April are more likely to be canceled. CBP has reported that their Direct-Hire Authority to hire 200 air interdiction agents has been extended through Jan. 30

Pilot Said He Initially Smelled Smoke And He Immediately Began Flying To An Area Known As Kalalau Beach

On February 27, 2024, about 1330 Hawaii-Aleutian standard time, an MD Helicopter 369E, N633JH, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident on a remote beach about 14 miles north of Kekaha, Hawaii, on the island of Kauai. The pilot and three passengers sustained minor injuries, and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 sightseeing flight. According to the pilot, while conducting a doors-off, helicopter sightseeing flight near the northern shoreline on the island of Kauai...

From 2022 (YouTube Version): Jenny, I’ve Got Your Number...

Among the magnificent antique aircraft on display at EAA’s AirVenture 2022 was a 1918 Curtiss Jenny painstakingly constructed to Curtiss’s original specifications by the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Chapter 1414 in cooperation with the Vintage Wings and Wheels Museum. The two organizations, both of which hail from the village of Poplar Grove in north-central Illinois, set about the project in service of a noble, joint ambition to build a flying aircraft representative of aviation’s iconic early days. Construction of the Jenny began in Februar

Aero Linx: Canadian Aerospace Medicine and Aeromedical Transport Association (CAMATA) Canadian Aerospace Medicine and Aeromedical Transport Association (CAMATA) is a national organization committed to the advancement of expertise of health and aviation professionals actively involved or interested in aerospace medicine and aeromedical transport in the fields of direct patient care, education, research, and administration. The development and delivery of quality air medical training is key to our commitment to the promotion of quality air medical services.

Radar

A device that provides information on range, azimuth, and/or elevation of objects by measuring the time interval between transmission and reception of directional radio pulses and correlating the angular orientation of the radiated antenna beam or beams in azimuth and/or elevation. 

AEA Dallas 2024 is coming up soon, running from March 19th to the 22nd -- and the Aero-News network, in over 15 years of expert coverage, will bring you the very best of it LIVE at www.airborne-live.net. ANN LIVE Coverage of the 2024 AEA Convention and Trade Show Starts Tuesday, 03.19, at 0915ET With the New Product Introduction Session! LIVE Interview Segments Start at 1500ET, on Wednesday and 1200ET on Thursday! Join Us At www.airborne-live.net! Source: OK... it's a bit self-serving

"After Turning 70 years old twenty months ago, I began to think it was time to let someone younger take charge of the company..." Source: Bearhawk Aircraft's outgoing owner Mark Goldberg, as he passes the baton to new company owner, Virgil Irwin, who took delivery of the aircraft family earlier this year, starting off a move from their home base in Texas to Oklahoma. Originally, Irwin joined the fold as a customer, searching for a rough & tumble mission-ready aircraft that provided truly livable mission readiness. He became the first owner of a Bearhawk Model 5 kit after talking things over with Goldberg, cementing him as an operator of a true off-airport, 6-spot aircraft once complete.