Also: Second Boeing 777X Flies, CO Airport Closure Questioned, UK Pilot Union, Skydio Donations

The successful completion of Virgin Galactic’s first SpaceShipTwo test flight from Spaceport America has just taken place.

This glide flight marks the inaugural solo flight of VSS Unity in New Mexico. On SpaceShipTwo’s flight deck were Dave Mackay and CJ Sturckow who, together with the team in Mission Control, executed some of the key elements of a spaceflight profile. These included take-off and landing along with high-altitude release from the mothership, VMS Eve, which was piloted by Michael Masucci and Kelly Latimer. The flight took off from the Spaceport America runway, with VSS Unity attached to the carrier aircraft, VMS Eve. The vehicles climbed to an altitude of 50,000ft before Unity was released, at which point VSS Unity flew freely for the first time in New Mexico airspace. We've been keeping an eye on an interesting project for quite some time... an intriguing, if not exotic power system for Pipistrel's curvy four place Panthera and the Taurus G4. Pipistrel now tells us that the MAHEPA Electric Drive unit has completed all the qualification tests and is ready to be integrated in the Panthera and Hy4 aircraft. The first flight of a MAHEPA hybrid-electric aircraft is one step closer to reality. One of the highlights, as well as a requirement for a new or returning Reno race Pilot, is the attendance at 'Rookie School' otherwise known as the Pylon Racing Seminar. For over 2 decades, the Reno Air Racing Association has utilized the Pylon Racing Seminar (PRS) program to allow race pilots to prepare, practice and become certified to race in the races each Fall. This year's rendition, however, originally scheduled for June, has now been postponed to the week before the annual races, themselves. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!

Airborne 05.04.20 is chock full of info in this Daily News Episode, Monday, May 4th, 2020... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Host Sophie Hurlock. Sophie is supported by ANN Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, as well as ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell. This episode covers:

• SpaceShipTwo Completes First Flight From Spaceport America
• MAHEPA Electric Drive Unit Completes Pre-Flight Qualification Tests 
• Reno Air Races’ ‘Rookie School’ Postponed
• Second Boeing 777X Completes First Flight
• Colorado Airport Closure Questioned, Protested
• UK Pilot Union Sends Out A ‘Mayday’
• Skydio Equips First Responders With Drones

Get Comprehensive, Real-Time, 24/7 coverage of the latest aviation and aerospace stories anytime, at aero-news.net. And be sure to join us again tomorrow, for the next edition of "Airborne Unlimited" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, tomorrow!

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