As Low-Cost-Carrier Wars Continue as 2 Join Forces

Amid an increasingly crowded airline landscape, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have announced a definitive merger agreement under which they will combine to "create America's most competitive Ultra-low fare airline." The arms race of low cost carriers has accelerated over recent years, ultimately resulting in the designation of "ultra-low-cost-carriers" to distinguish those who continue to carve operating costs to the bone. The merger comes after a bid of nearly $3 billion by Spirit for its relative competitor, in what they hope will grow to strengthen their foundation in the market. The resulting company will serve destinations across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean

Firm Boasts Full Order Book As It Continues Production

Aéroclub des Pertuis in La Rochelle, France, has taken delivery of the first Elixir aircraft, intended for use as a general purpose trainer, rental, and leisure aircraft. The plane will enter their fleet as "the first 4th generation aircraft", designed and produced in the recently opened Elixir factory at La Rochelle. The Elixir is a low-wing, light aircraft with seating for 2, with fixed tricycle landing gear, a ballistic parachute, and a Rotax 912is powering a 3-blade MT-Propeller. Its production marks the first time in a long while that a French manufacturer has sought to introduce a light EASA-certified aircraft, a mark of pride for the club.

High-Profile Climate Activist Rankles with Conspicuous Consumption

In another high-profile example of private jet usage coming back to bite its owners, House speaker Nancy Pelosi has been revealed to have spent over $500,000 on private jet travel since 2020. Those who use their considerable voices to advocate for cracking down on emissions or personal vehicle usage are never too popular among those they seek to regulate, especially when they find out that they're the only ones expected to sacrifice their living. The Pelosi campaign paid a total of $437,000 between October 2020 and December 2021 to a Virginia area private aviation outfit, Advanced Aviation Team.

Also: Icon Investigation, SpaceX Moon Debris, Super Bowl Safety Plan, JetPack Aviation

Lilium has brought PHX2, one of its 5th generation technology demonstrators to the ATLAS Flight Test Center in Villacarrillo, Spain. The center will be the new home to Lilium's test program as they take their prototype to higher speeds over longer distances, expanding the testing program beyond its birthplace's German borders. Iran has sentenced a globetrotting tourist to nearly a decade in prison after his arrest along the Iran-Turkmenistan border last May. The sentence given consists of 8 years for spying, and an additional 8 months for the creation of propaganda a

Despite Promises to Lift the Private Flight Ban, Biden Admin Has Yet To Act

Caribbean Flying Adventures has announced the cancellation of their upcoming April fly-in to Cuba, due to uncertainty surrounding domestic aeronautical policy. Recent years have seen the original embargo lifted, only to just as quickly reinstate a portion of the ban that has shut off the island nation from private flights and cruise ships from June of 2019 to today. Commercial, scheduled flight service to Cuba was allowed, which is an option Adventures has used on their previous Cuba tour and trek. 

Costly Program Sees Another Price Drop as 42 of 200 King Stallions Now Ordered

Sikorsky is continuing production of another 9 additional CH-53K King Stallion helicopters as the Navy exercised the option of its 2021 Lot 6 contract. That deal allowed a small batch of the aircraft to be produced as part of the wider production run in an effort to restrict runaway costs in the build process. Ultimately, at least 200 of the helicopters are listed in the Program of Record, of which 47 remain in varying states of production. The company, a part of the Lockheed Martin umbrella, got an $878.7 million contract for Lot 5 of the helicopters last June, which included an option for this Lot 6 contract that was expected to cost $852.5 million for 9 aircraft

From 2011: How Cool Is YOUR Cockpit???

Aviation publications LOVE to write about all the new wiz-bangs that are seen front and center is today's cockpits... the latest generation of cockpit displays are about a slick as things get these and look sexy as hell. BUT... what about the BEHIND the scenes... those components that allow all those super-cool new technologies to remain... well, super cool? So... we spent some time with some of the coolest people we know, the folks of Sandia Aerospace, to get the skinny on avionics cooling fans and why such inexpensive devices might be some of the best bargains in all of aviation.

Special Mission Monitors, Console Slots Into Fore Passenger Seat For Quick Installation

Southeast Aerospace has received an STC to install their mission console in the Cessna 206H. The system provides an affordable, removable equipment base suitable for a range of working equipment for surveillance and survey. The Cessna Stationair may not have the same level of secret-squirrel, spyplane style as larger, factory-made special mission planes, but it has them beat when it comes to affordable reliability. 

Airplane Stopped Climbing And It Subsequently Descended Into An Area Of Tree-Covered Terrain

On January 15, 2022, about 0955 Hawaii standard time, a Flight Design CTLS light sport airplane, N992SA sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Hana, Hawaii. The pilot sustained serious injuries and the pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that, after completing four touch-and-go landings at the Hana Airport (PHHN), they elected to take a short break before returning to the Kahului Airport (OGG), Kahului, Hawaii. After their short break was complete, the pair departed for the return flight to

AD 2021-26-22 Prompted By An Uncontained Failure Of An HPT Stage 2 Disk

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2020-20-13 for certain General Electric Company (GE) CF6-80A and CF6-80C model turbofan engines. AD 2020-20-13 required ultrasonic inspection (UI) of high-pressure turbine (HPT) stage 1 and stage 2 disks and replacement of any HPT stage 1 or stage 2 disk that fails the inspection. This AD was prompted by an uncontained failure of an HPT stage 2 disk and the manufacturer's subsequent determination to expand the population of affected HPT disks requiring UI inspection. This AD requires UI of HPT stage 1 and stage 2 disks and replacement of any HPT stage 1 or stage 2 disk that fails the inspection. This AD also expands the appli

Aero Linx: Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) Since 1977, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) has represented more than 11,000 employees of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense (DoD) who install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries, develop flight procedures, and perform quality analyses of complex aviation systems used in air traffic control and national defense in the United States and abroad.

Micro-En Route Automated Radar Tracking System (MEARTS) An automated radar and radar beacon tracking system capable of employing both short-range (ASR) and long-range (ARSR) radars. This microcomputer driven system provides improved tracking, continuous data recording, and use of full digital radar displays.

“By embracing resilient, predictive logistics and sustainment, we are enabling CH-5K crews to make smarter, faster decisions, to increase reliability, and improve readiness and material availability at reduced burden to the fleet. After 50 years of supporting the CH-53E, Sikorsky has a deep understanding of the heavy-lift mission and an enduring partnership with the U.S. Marines Corps enabling our team and our proven supply chain to offer tailored solutions resulting in more efficient missions.” Source: Bill Falk, Sikorsky Director, CH-53K programs, discussing the background of Sikorsky continuing production of another 9 additional CH-53K King Stallion helicopters as the Navy exercised the option of its 2021 Lot 6 contract