Holding Out for a Hero

The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) announced on 30 May 2023 that it is accepting bids from airports and localities seeking to partner with the organization for purpose of hosting future air racing events. On 09 March 2023, the Reno Air Racing Association’s board of directors regretfully announced that 2023’s 59th National Championship Air Races—spanning 13 through 17 September—are to be the last held at Reno, Nevada’s Reno-Stead Airport (4SD).

The Bigger They Are …

North Carolina-based charter and fractional ownership concern Jet It—the world’s 12th largest private jet operator by the metrics of charter and fractional flight hours—is reportedly shuttering the entirety of its flight operations. On 26 May, Jet It informed its employees by way of letter that the company was closing down and their jobs were permanently terminated. Jet It CEO Glenn Gonzales has ascribed blame for his company’s failure to HondaJet exclusively, claiming the plane-maker’s Honda HA-420 HondaJet is inherently flawed. Mr. Gonzales’s allegations were subsequently condemned by the HondaJet Owners & Pilots Association (HJOPA), a group representing Hond

Pair to Assist with Dream Chaser Space-Plane Mission to ISS

On 25 May 2023, Sierra Space announced it had hosted a training event, during which astronauts representing NASA and Japan’s JAXA space agency learned the inner-workings of the company’s Dream Chaser commercial space-plane. Currently under development, Dream Chaser is a reusable lifting-body space-plane which, when complete, will be capable of carrying up to seven passengers and cargo to and from Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Sixty Days of Bose’s A-30 Aviation Headset

Established by American electrical and sound-engineer Dr. Amar Bose in 1964,  Framingham, Massachusetts-based Bose Corporation is an American manufacturer of audio equipment renowned for its up-market home audio systems, speakers, professional audio products, automobile sound systems, and noise-canceling headphones and aviation headsets. The Bose Corporation’s majority owner is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to which Amar Bose—an alumnus of the storied institution—bequeathed non-voting shares upon his 2013 death.

Supplying Resupply

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office has awarded SURVICE Engineering a production contract by which the Belcamp, Maryland-based engineering concern will produce nearly two hundred sophisticated multi-rotor drones known in military argot as Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft Systems (TRUAS). Subject drones will be equipped with uAvionix’s AIMS-certified RT-2087/ZPX Combat ID and Air Traffic Control surveillance system.

U.K.-Ireland FBO Network Eyes International Expansion

Weston Aviation, the U.K. and Ireland-based aviation services specialist, has reimagined itself, launching a new brand identity to be introduced throughout the company’s FBO network. The new branding, to be made public in May 2023, is intended to support the planned expansion of the company’s portfolio of services in support of its broadened international ambitions.

New Facility in the Gulf Coast Will Convert Low-Carbon Ethanol into SAF

Honeywell announced the creation of a new facility in the Gulf Coast region of the USA that will annually produce 250 million gallons of SAF per year from ethanol-based feedstocks. The new location will make use of the brand’s “Ethanol to Jet” or ETJ technology, licensed to Summit Next Gen. That firm will use the process to convert low-carbon ethanol into Sustainable Jet Fuel. Using base feedstocks like corn, sugar, and cellulose will allow for overall lifecycle emissions to amount to only 20% of those found on traditional petroleum Jet-A.

Grant Provides Access to Blood Supply for Air Crews in Rural British Columbia

A pair of $20,000 grants have gone towards maintaining a consistent supply of blood for air ambulances crews operating in rural Kelowna, Canada.The "Blood on Board' program has been slowly growing after expanding into Vancouver Island in March of last year. Prior to the program, pre-hospital blood was simply unavailable to paramedics operating throughout the Vancouver Island, Okanagan area, worsening patient outcomes by missing a valuable tool.

Air Ambulance Operator Adds Turboprop to All-Jet Fleet

Medical transport company Alpha Star Aviation inked a deal at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition for a brand new Beechcraft King Air 360C. They opted for a King Air equipped with a full cargo door layout, giving more flexibility in loading to an already spacious and capable cabin layout. The choice to go for a twin turboprop is a novel one for Alpha, whose fleet currently consists of a pair of Hawker 900XPs. A recent purchase will eventually see the addition of a pair of Cessna Citation Latitudes, too.

Aero Linx: SuperCub.Org 2021 marks the twentieth year of the SuperCub.Org on-line community. Laura and "the pilot" are both overwhelmed and greatly humbled by all of the incredible people we have crossed paths with because of SuperCub.Org and intend to be the stewards of this organization for a long time to come.

Final Approach Fix The fix from which the final approach (IFR) to an airport is executed and which identifies the beginning of the final approach segment. It is designated on Government charts by the Maltese Cross symbol for nonprecision approaches and the lightning bolt symbol, designating the PFAF, for precision approaches; or when ATC directs a lower-than-published glideslope/path or vertical path intercept altitude, it is the resultant actual point of the glideslope/path or vertical path intercept.

“We are incredibly excited to look at this next evolution of the National Championship Air Races and the ways in which we can further grow the event for current and future generations of air race fans. This year’s event will be a celebration of our legacy and allow us to springboard forward as we search for a new home for the event. We’re thankful for all of the interest we’ve already received from prospective sites and look forward to an exciting RFP process.” Source: The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) announced that it is accepting bids from airports and localities seeking to partner with the organization for purpose of hosting future air racing events.