Also: A-10 Demo Team, AEA, AUVSI Novus, Avidyne SAIB, Raisbeck STC, Boeing-Turkey, NASA Marshall SFC

Airbus’ A340 laminar-flow “BLADE” test demonstrator aircraft, an A340-300, has made its successful maiden flight for the Clean Sky “Blade” project.

The aircraft, dubbed “Flight Lab”, took off from the Tarbes aerodrome in southern France at local time 11:00, and after a series of successful tests it landed at Airbus’ facilities in Toulouse Blagnac. The overall flight time was 3 hours and 38 minutes. ‘BLADE’ stands for “Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator in Europe.” It aims to improve aviation’s ecological footprint, bringing with it a 50% reduction of wing friction and up to five percent lower CO2 emission. This is what might happen when your drone grows up... Dubai edging closer to its goal of launching a pioneering hover-taxi service, with authorities announcing a successful "concept" flight made last week -- without passengers. The two-seater AAT, capable of transporting people without human intervention or a pilot, has been supplied by Volocopter, a Germany-based specialist manufacturer of autonomous air vehicles. FAA hurricane recovery efforts are now supporting an increasing number of commercial flights per day at Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As the agency continues to restore radars, navigational aids and other equipment damaged during Hurricane Maria, the number of commercial flights will increase. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!

Airborne 09.28.17 is chock full of info in this Daily News Episode, Thursday, September 28th, 2017... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Hosts Brianne Cross, Christopher Odom, and Laura Hutson, and is supported by ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell, Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, and Aero-Journalist Tom Patton, this episode covers:

• First Flight: Airbus’ 'BLADE' Laminar Flow Wing Demonstrator
• Driverless Hover-Taxi Makes First 'Concept' Flight In Dubai 
• Commercial Airline Service Resumes In San Juan
• A-10 Demonstration Team To Perform During 2018 Airshow Season
• Aero-Community Update: AEA
• AUVSI Novus Unmanned To Bring Together Startups, Investors 
• FAA Warns Of Airworthiness Concern With Avidyne Traffic Advisory Systems
• FAA Grants STC To Raisbeck Engineering For King Air 350 
• Boeing, Turkish Industry Establish Aerospace Initiative
• Vice President Pence Visits NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

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 tomorrow, LIVE from Oshkosh 2017, for the next edition of "Airborne Unlimited" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, tomorrow!

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