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July 02, 2014

Airborne 07.02.14: Pilot Bill Of Rights 2, LDSD Success, Quicksilver SLSA Cert

Also: Lee Bottom Fly-In Returns, Tragic Andreini Accident Report, LSA Expertise From Jim Scott, XCOR Update, 1500 747s!

Its been several decades since some of ANN’s leaders suggested the need for a Pilot’s Bill of Rights, but Oklahoma Senator, Jim Inhofe, who is a member of the Senate General Aviation Caucus, has announced the outline for a follow-on to the original lawmaking. Inhofe has requested the aviation community submit comments for the final Senate legislation. NASA has declared the June 28th test flight of its Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator, also called the LDSD, a success despite a parachute failure. The FAA has designated Qui

Also: Lee Bottom Fly-In Returns, Tragic Andreini Accident Report, LSA Expertise From Jim Scott, XCOR Update, 1500 747s!

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We're Accepting Resumes -- AND Hiring! ANN Puts Out 'Help Wanted' Sign

BIG Upgrades In The Works --- So, ANN Is Seeking EXCEPTIONAL New Staffers The last few years have been about as challenging a time as we can recall... but we survive (yeah, we're kinda surprised, too) and look forward to 2015 and what we see as a very rewarding (and yes, still challenging) new generation of activities at ANN. ANN continues to expand slowly, but surely, and we have some truly intriguing upgrades coming up over the next few months. In other words, we're about to grow again -- REALLY/TRULY -- and in some novel directions. The much-appreciated expansion of

Maximum Value Of The Contract Is $11.23 Million

NASA has awarded a contract to Precision Mechanical Inc. of Cocoa, Florida, to refurbish the Environmental Control System at Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The firm-fixed price contract with two options was awarded June 30 and has a maximum value of $11.23 million with a performance period of 412 days.

Not In Your Checked Baggage, Not In Your Carry-On, Not On The Airplane

The FAA reminds passengers who are flying this July 4th holiday to leave their fireworks at home. Fireworks pose a significant fire risk to aircraft in the air and on the ground and are not permitted in carry-on or checked baggage.

Sixteen Positions Are Firm With Eight Options Worth Up To $1.12 Billion

An unnamed customer has placed a firm purchase order for 16 CRJ900 NextGen regional jets and has also taken options for eight additional airliners of the same type, according to Bombardier.

LMC To Freeze Pension Plan For U.S.-Based Salaried Employees

Introduces Enhanced Company Contributions To Retirement Program

Lockheed Martin will freeze its salaried defined benefit pension plan and transition employees to an enhanced defined contribution retirement plan, the company announced Tuesday. The change will take effect in a two-step approach, beginning on January 1, 2016 with the freeze of pay-based benefits and concluding with the freeze of service-based benefits on January 1, 2020. The company expects that the plan will be fully frozen effective January 1, 2020.

Aircraft Technicians, Fleet Service Agents Covered Under The Pact

Horizon Air's aircraft technicians and fleet service agents have ratified a new six-year contract, according to an announcement from the airline and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).

Service Flies 17 Of The Patrol Aircraft

The U.S. Coast Guard’s fleet of seventeen Airbus HC-144A Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft has completed its first 50,000 hours of flight five years after the start of initial operational capability.

Will Be On Display At The Royal International Air Tattoo, Farnborough International Airshow

Textron AirLand's Scorpion aircraft is progressing on schedule toward a July departure from McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas. The aircraft’s first flight outside the US is planned to cover about 4,700 nautical miles from Wichita to RAF Fairford-Gloucestershire, 73 miles outside of London.

Agreement With Northrop Grumman Will Extend The Advanced Hawkeye Fleet To 50 Airplanes

The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a $3.6 billion fixed price, incentive fee multiyear contract to deliver 25 new E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft, bringing the total number of aircraft on contract to 50.

Flies At Altitudes Of Up To 70,000 Feet For Research

EAA this week confirmed that NASA will bring a Martin/General Dynamics WB-57F high-altitude aircraft to Oshkosh this year. Based at Ellington Field near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, the WB-57F operates in NASA’s High Altitude Research Program.

British Airways Misplaces Thousands Of Bags Over The Weekend

Airline Blames Baggage Handling System At Heathrow

British Airways reportedly "misplaced" thousands of pieces of luggage over the weekend, a situation it blames on an IT problem in the baggage handling system at Heathrow Airport.

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PRODUCT: Airbus Helicopters Model MBB-BK 117 C-2 helicopters (Previously Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH) Helicopters with a certain Goodrich rescue hoist damper unit (damper unit) installed.

An Exercise In Elegant Simplicity... AND Affordable Fun!

Model airplanes and ultralights are close cousins, and you’ll see what we mean by that in this video. ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell took the opportunity to talk with Brian Carpenter while at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo 2014. Carpenter’s Rainbow Aviation Services specializes in sport pilot training but they got their start with ultralights. Carpenter is convinced that ultralights still represent the perfect first step into piloting an aircraft. He also recognizes that ultralights have become scarce and he has an electrifying solution to fix that.

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Aero-TV: Stunning Simplicity–Adventure A/C’s Electric Affordable Motorglider

An Exercise In Elegant Simplicity... AND Affordable Fun!

Senator Inhofe Seeking Aviation Community Comment On Proposed Legislation

After getting little support for this concept when we first proposed it a few decades back, ANN is glad to see the associations start to back the concept of a Pilot's Bill of Rights. In fact, aviation organizations are now offering broad support for Senator James Inhofe's proposed Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, which the Oklahoma Republican released Monday.

Aviation Design Challenge/STEM Competition 2014 Completed

Student-Built Sportsman Awaits FAA Inspection

On Friday, the Formula X team from Sunrise Mountain High School in Las Vegas, Nevada watched the plane they built taxi down the runway. After two weeks of hard work, the winners of the GAMA/Build A Plane Aviation Design Challenge have finished building their Sportsman, and as soon as the FAA inspection is complete, the plane will be ready to fly.

Two Fatally Injured When AA-1A Airplane Went Down During Firefighter Recreation Day

The NTSB has released a preliminary report from an accident which occurred June 9th that resulted in two fatal injuries.

Unanimous Decision Clears Path For Economic Development Plans

The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday handed down a decision in favor of Paulding County regarding the issuance of bonds to pay for the widening and extension of its airport’s taxiways. In its unanimous decision, the court ruled that the County and the Airport Authority acted properly in regard to the issuance of the bonds.

Astrobotic Technology And Masten Space Systems Integrate Platforms To Validate Autonomous Capability

In a test conducted June 20 in Mojave, CA, the Astrobotic Autolanding System (AAS) successfully directed the Xombie vertical-takeoff vertical-landing suborbital rocket in a closed-loop test. In this technology demonstration, a computer vision system scanned the landscape, selected a landing spot, and directed a rocket-powered lander to a safe touchdown point, all without a human operator.

Flying Into EAA AirVenture At Wittman Regional Airport Can Be A Fun Adventure If Your Pilot Skills Are Tuned Up

For a recreational flyer, flying into Wittman Regional Airport during EAA AirVenture is part of the adventure. You’ll probably hear some wild stories about the arrival and departure procedures but if you are prepared it’s a lot of fun. But you DO need to be a proficient pilot.

“This legislation would further enhance the pilot and general aviation reforms in the first Pilot’s Bill of Rights, designed to support and grow the ability for people to participate in flying.” Source: Jack Pelton, EAA chairman of the board.

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (07.02.14): EHSI

Electronically generated HSI display, either CRT or LCD type, indicating all standard HSI functions on a video screen instead of using mechanical components.

American Helicopter Museum And Education Center

Established in 1996, the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center is a nonprofit organization that collects, restores and displays rotary-wing aircraft. As the nation’s premier helicopter museum we are dedicated to educating and inspiring all generations using the science and technology of vertical flight.