Pilot's Widow Sues, Blaming Jury-Rigged Aux Fuel System

A widow of one deceased pilot aboard Google co-founder Sergey Brin's DHC-6 Twin Otter has sued, citing his co-owners' approval for an allegedly improperly installed auxiliary fuel system. The suit describes a series of events wherein the short-legged Twotter hampered plans to fly the float-equipped plane all the way to Fiji, where Brin and co-owners wanted to station it for a time. In order to extend its range, the ownership authorized the installation of an auxiliary fuel setup to bolster available fuel on board. The suit alleges that the mechanic who did the work did not reference an assembly checklist, and installed the system from memory of previous work. The end result was a bone-dr

Increased Scrutiny Comes for Jet Owners in Crackdown On Leisure-As-Corporate Travel

The Internal Revenue Service will begin ramping up scrutiny on the use of corporate jets for flight departments around the country, hammering those who use their official corporate aircraft for decidedly non-corporate travel -- no matter what additional damage may result. “During tax season, millions of people are doing the right thing by filing and paying their taxes, and they should have confidence that everyone is also following the law,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “Personal use of corporate jets and other aircraft by executives and others have tax implications, and it’s a complex area where IRS work has been stretched thin.

Failed Merger Attempt Leaves Pilots Negotiating Last in the Pack

JetBlue Airways pilots have "announced their renewed focus on negotiating a standalone collective bargaining agreement with the Company" according to their union, the Air Line Pilots Association. The carrier recently swung for a $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines and whiffed the ball in court where the deal was shut down on antitrust grounds. For now, a pin has been put in that appeal that will see things advance this summer, but for now, JetBlue pilots worry about "uncertainties" throughout the carrier. As such, pilot leaders are "shifting their focus from negotiating a joint collective bargaining agreement for a combined JetBlue-Spirit pilot group to preparing to comm

Canadian DoND Seeks 800+ SkyRanger R70s for Passage to Ally

 Teledyne FLIR Defense announced a deal with the Canadian Department of National Defence to sell more than 800 SkyRanger R70 UAV systems, for eventual donation to Ukraine. The SkyRanger R70 UAVs will offer day/night thermal sensors, autonomous navigation capability, and multi-mission payload systems for up to 7.7 pounds. The deal is valued at $70 million USD, or $95 million CAD when counting the accompanying gear and equipment needed to operate the SkyRangers provided.

"AI-Powered" Maintenance App Gets New Brass

NovoFlight Technologies announced a new President in Giuseppe Caltabiano, taking up the helm of the management software firm. NovoFlight (stylized as "novoFlight") is "the ultimate platform for General Aviation safety and maintenance", according to the company's own self introduction. "Powered by cutting-edge AI," NovoFlight says, its app, Aviator, delivers predictive maintenance alerts - notifying owners of problems before they occur. Since it's app-based, there's plenty of the ol' flight school app functions bundled in there too, from scheduling for aircraft and instructors to logging of flight hours.

Taiwan Carrier Reinforces Air Cargo Capacity at Singapore Air Show

Starlux Airlines signed off another firm order for 5 Airbus A350F freighters and 3 A330neos, making their deal at the recent Singapore Airshow. The Taiwanese carrier has "continuously nurtured the cargo market since its inception, capitalizing on the strategic advantages offered by Taiwan's geographical location" according to Starlux CEO Glenn Chai. They currently operate an all-Airbus fleet, including A350-900s, A330neos, and A321neos. The new A350 freighter will be operated under the cargo operating arm, Starlux Cargo. 

Also: Midwest Aviation Expo, Hartzell-RAF, IAC Needs Help, AMA-FAA Reauth

ANN had the pleasure to drop in for a part of the 6th Annual Viking Engine Workshop... which turned out to be crammed with current engine flyers and a number of folks getting ready to do so. Nearly 80 people were hosted by the Viking organization who explained their engine lines and answered a number of questions, providing provided extensive insight into the rationale for their engine line... Another aviation-oriented Change.org petition has surfaced... at least until it offends someone and the Change.Org folks take it down... this time, the petition addresses the serious d

Also: Midwest Aviation Expo, Hartzell-RAF, IAC Needs Help, AMA-FAA Reauth

ANN had the pleasure to drop in for a part of the 6th Annual Viking Engine Workshop... which turned out to be crammed with current engine flyers and a number of folks getting ready to do so. Nearly 80 people were hosted by the Viking organization who explained their engine lines and answered a number of questions, providing provided extensive insight into the rationale for their engine line... Another aviation-oriented Change.org petition has surfaced... at least until it offends someone and the Change.Org folks take it down... this time, the petition addresses the serious deficit

From 2014 (YouTube Version): Stunning Update Of A Classic Biplane May Also Be Today's Best Aerobatic Trainer

During the last AOPA regional Fly-in event of 2014, ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell, had the opportunity to take a flight in a new Great Lakes biplane. In this video he talks with Peter Bower, the president of the WACO Aircraft Corporation. Waco has now added the Great Lakes to their line of aircraft. The original Great Lakes Aircraft Company started in 1929 with a great little airplane that was especially designed for the airborne sportsman. They only built 264 airplanes, but the design was so good that it has continued

The Uniform Crush Damage To Both Wings Is Consistent With The Airplane Encountering An Aerodynamic Stall Before (Impact)

Analysis: The pilot and student pilot-rated passenger departed to conduct low-level flight operations over and on a river in a remote area. After not hearing from either occupant, family members initiated a search and found the wreckage several hours later. The airplane came to rest on a remote island in the river, nose-down with the empennage in a near-vertical position. The leading edge of both wings exhibited aft accordion crush damage and the engine was pushed aft into the cabin of the airplane.

Aero Linx: Aviation Action Our amazing team of regulars and part-time volunteers are committed to helping fellow members of the aviation family. We all work in, or are linked to, aviation and can therefore provide excellent support, when and how you need it. Launched by Chris Wild (Head of Airfield Operations at Manchester Airport) and a team of amazing industry colleagues in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when the industry needed significant support, we felt support was missing for our aviation colleagues. Aviation Action was set up to support the people involved in aviation, from flight deck to firefighters and caterers to cabin crew.

Notice To Air Missions (NOTAM) A notice containing information (not known sufficiently in advance to publicize by other means) concerning the establishment, condition, or change in any component (facility, service, or procedure of, or hazard in the National Airspace System) the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations.

“While the contract extension last year served as a temporary measure during the merger process, it was never intended to substitute for a comprehensive contract. In the event the merger does not go forward, JetBlue pilots are ready to achieve the full collective bargaining agreement they have earned.” Source: Captain Justin Houck, chair of the JetBlue unit of ALPA, discussing JetBlue Airways pilots... "renewed focus on negotiating a standalone collective bargaining agreement with the Company."