It’s a Gas, Gas, Gas …

O2 Aero Acquisitions and Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems announced that the latter has acquired the aviation oxygen assets of Air Craft Industries Inc. [doing business as Sky-Ox.] The acquisition broadens Aerox’s line of portable oxygen systems for cargo, commercial, business, and general aviation users—as well as STCs [Supplemental Type Certificates] for O2 systems in a range of general aviation aircraft models. 

Loehle Coatings: One Paint For Many Surfaces

Mr. Mike Loehle, owner of Loehle Coatings opened the discussion by stating “I was never happy on anything I ever did, from an easy riser on with professional coatings in paint that was done on fabric especially. So, my passion for my own use became, working with different chemical companies, to come up with my own formulas, not as a chemist, but what worked to make flexible coatings.

Also: Pilotless Airplane--Oooppps, Surf Air Mobility, Starliner Docks, Easy Aerial

The United States Air Force (USAF) and the Drone Racing League (DRL) have apparently expanded their efforts to accelerate the recruiting and training of drone pilots, in the hopes of supplying new talent to the USAF. For the past five seasons, the USAF has renewed its partnership with the DRL, capitalizing on the latter’s expertise in marketing and attracting talent for its annual first-person view (FPV) drone racing competitions. Amazon received Part 135 Air Carrier Certification in August 2020. In Jun 2021, an Amazon ‘Prime Air’ drone crashed in easte

Agreement Includes Industry-First Incentives 

Silver Airways LLC, the U.S. regional airline headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood International Airport, has finalized a letter of agreement with its pilots. The deal includes a unique block or actual hours flown supplement that applies to all pilots regardless of position or seniority. The supplement entitles all pilots who fly within the airline’s passenger operations to a 10% override applicable to the number of block hours they fly. Per the supplement, the $52.03 first-year hourly rate for a First Officer would effectively become $57.23. The first-year Captain’s base pay of $92.01 would increase to $101.21. Both rates are industry bests. 

Forty-Six-Years On, Piper’s Twin Trainer Remains Relevant 

PiperAircraft has announced the delivery of a new, Piper Seminole, twin-engined, training aircraft to Select Aviation College. The aircraft is the second of its type the legendary, Vero Beach, General Aviation Marque has delivered to the respected, Canadian aviation college. The Seminoles join an impressive fleet of training aircraft that includes twenty-five, single-engine aircraft; two amphibious seaplanes; and six helicopters. 

Fleet Modernization and Rigorous Mission Favor Twin-Engine Bird

Leonardo S.p.A., the quasi-nationalized, Italian, multinational company specializing in aerospace, defense, and security has announced that three of its AW139 intermediate, twin-engine helicopters will enter Emergency Rescue Helicopter Service (ERHS), in Western Australia. The aircraft, which will carry out search-and-rescue and inter-hospital patient transport missions, are part of the Australian state’s fleet modernization effort.  

Stratolaunch Readies to Validate Release Systems and Separation Dynamics 

Stratolaunch, the Seattle-based aerospace company, has debuted a prototype of its Talon-A separation test aircraft. Stratolaunch states in a press release that it will use the prototype to test and validate its carrier aircraft release system and study separation dynamics. Subject tests will be conducted in advance of powered tests to be carried out by a successor prototype dubbed TA-1, which will attempt actual hypersonic flight later this year. The term hypersonic describes vehicles or missiles capable of traveling in excess of Mach 5–which is to say, five-times the speed of sound.

Klyde Bemoans The Disastrous Increase In Fuel Costs Plaguing ALL of Aviation

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Northern Plains UAS Test Site to Host Summer Event

Vantis, North Dakota’s statewide unmanned aircraft systems network, has named the companies and organizations that will be flying real-life use cases on its network this summer. The six winners were selected following a request for proposal (RFP) process that sought multiple unmanned aircraft systems to support operational testing of beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights on the statewide network. Vantis Program Manager Jim Cieplak states, “We have selected some of the most innovative and advanced UAS operators and manufacturers out there … We look forward to this next stage, with multiple aircraft flying multiple use cases on Vantis simultaneously.”

Deal Includes Options for One-Hundred Additional Planes

IAG, the parent company of British Airways, has finalized an order for up to one-hundred-fifty, Boeing 737 MAX jets. The confirmed order is for 25 of the high density Max 8-200 variant and 25 of the stretched Max 10, with options to purchase an additional one-hundred of Boeing’s most popular airliner family. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2023 and continue through 2027, with any exercised options available from 2025 through to 2028. The aircraft are to be available to any of IAG’s subsidiary airlines, including: British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling.

Flight Safety International To Train Dronamics Pilots

Flight Safety International (FSI) has signed an agreement with Dronamics to develop and deliver training for Dronamics pilots, and at a later time, a similar package for dispatch and maintenance personnel. FSI is renowned for its professional pilot training for pilots, technicians, and other aviation professionals in the commercial government, and defense sectors as well as a provider of flight simulators and visual systems. As such, Dronamics hopes to leverage FSl’s expertise as a developer and provider of professional training programs for the uncrewed cargo airline.

Lilium & Livent Seek To Advance Hi-Performance Lithium Batteries

Lilium, a German-based company credited with introducing the first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet has sought to collaborate with Livent, headquartered in the USA and specializing in producing lithium compounds for use in markets seeking green energy, modern mobility, light alloys and other derivatives. The fruits of this agreement is expected to result in the advancement of lithium metal technology for use in high-performance battery cells.

USAF’s A-10 Rusty Penny! Back In 20

The United States Air Force (USAF) brass has had their knuckles cracked trying to push the “Warthogs” A-10 Thunderbolt II into the dust bucket yet again. It wasn’t that long ago, actually it was 2019 when the USAF Materiel Command issued a statement about having completed re-winging the last of the A-10’s and that the fleet would be ‘good’ until the late 2030’s. This project cost a whopping $1 billion to line Boeing’s pockets in 2007 to replace the wings on about 280 aircraft.

Also: Pilotless Airplane--Oooppps, Surf Air Mobility, Starliner Docks, Easy Aerial

The United States Air Force (USAF) and the Drone Racing League (DRL) have apparently expanded their efforts to accelerate the recruiting and training of drone pilots, in the hopes of supplying new talent to the USAF. For the past five seasons, the USAF has renewed its partnership with the DRL, capitalizing on the latter’s expertise in marketing and attracting talent for its annual first-person view (FPV) drone racing competitions. Amazon received Part 135 Air Carrier Certification in August 2020. In Jun 2021, an Amazon ‘Prime Air’ drone crashed in easte

Aero Linx: Australian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group Aircraft and wildlife, especially birds, have been coming into contact with one another since the beginning of aviation. The first reported bird strike occurred in 1905, when the Wright Flyer flown by Orville Wright struck a bird over an Ohio cornfield. Bird strikes happen every day, and occur most commonly at airports (90 per cent according to ICAO), when aircraft are landing, or taking off. The majority happen at low altitudes: 50–60 per cent of bird strikes occur at zero to 50 feet, and 30 per cent between 50–500 feet.

Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot weather reports (urgent PIREP/UUA), center weather advisories (CWA), airmen’s meteorological information (AIRMET/WA) and any other weather such as isolated thunderstorms that are rapidly developing and increasing in intensity, or low ceilings and visibilities that are becoming widespread which is considered significant and are not included in a current hazardous weather advisory.

“Our acquisition of Sky-Ox will allow us to provide our customers with more options for oxygen systems for their aircraft... Sky-Ox holds multiple, legacy STCs for installed oxygen systems that will continue to be supported, providing aircraft owners with the ability to use and maintain these very important systems with confidence.  We intend to update these STCs with more modern hardware and to expand them to additional aircraft types to give aircraft owners a wider range of options.”   Source: O2 Aero Managing Director and Aerox president Scott E. Ashton detailing aspects of his buyout of Skyox.