Microchip Will Accompany Europa Clipper with Names In Tow

Members of the public are invited to add their names to the upcoming NASA Europa Clipper mission before the spacecraft heads off to the Jupiterean moon in fall of 2024. Members of the public are invited to add their names to the upcoming NASA Europa Clipper mission before the spacecraft heads off to the Jupiterean moon in fall of 2024. 

rescEU Aerial Firefighting Fleet Balloons to 28 Aircraft Ahead of Summer

The European Union has doubled its combined rescEU aerial firefighting fleet ahead of the 2023 wildfire season, with 24 fixed wing and 4 rotary wing aircraft from 10 EU member states. The composite fleet was announced at the 105th anniversary of the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre by Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic. The fleet will include 16 light planes from Sweden, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Germany, and Cyprus; 10 'medium scooping planes' from Spain, Italy, Greece, France, and Croatia; and 4 helicopters from Czechia, Greece, and France.

Supplier's Part Out of Spec, Exceeding Tolerances in Horizontal Stabilizer Assembly

The Dreamliner will see delays once again after Boeing discovered another manufacturing SNAFU inside the 787's construction. The company said that it was inspecting all 787s in inventory in search of "a nonconforming condition related to a fitting on the horizontal stabilizer. The inspections and required rework will affect the timing of near-term 787 deliveries."

Fire of Known Origin

Poor air quality resultant of smoke and haze secondary to a series of Canadian wildfires compelled the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, on 08 June 2023, to issue a second ground stop for flights bound for New York’s LaGuardia airport (LGA).

Also: FAA Reauthorization Bill, B-52 Upgrades, USAF Pilot Shortage, Qantas Retiring A380s

DOT Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg has been selected to serve as acting FAA administrator, replacing the eminently qualified Billy Nolen, who announced his intention to step down earlier this year. Kathryn “Katie” Thomson will serve as the FAA’s deputy administrator, replacing Brad Mims, who is assuming a new, senior role at the DOT as head of the agency’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. In the first week of June, low visibility instantiated by smoke from wildfires in the Canadian Province of Quebec occasioned flight de

Configuring on the Fly

Emirates, the world’s fourth-largest airline and one of the United Arab Emirates’ two flag-carriers, is contemplating the future of its wide-body fleet and the best means by which to ensure the stability and profitability thereof. Speaking on 06 June at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, Emirates president Tim Clark set forth: “We are looking at buying a number of extra aircraft.”

Readying for the Age of AAM

Founded in 2014, Salt Lake City, Utah’s Robotic Skies is the world’s sole global maintenance network for commercial Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The company’s field support infrastructure—which spans upwards of fifty nations—includes over 250 independently owned and operated FAA Part 145 repair stations and the international equivalents thereof. Robotic Skies offers a comprehensive turnkey field service program devised to keep commercial UAS platforms safely and affordably aloft. The company’s services include airworthiness certifications assistance, routine and field maintenance

Third Annual Design & Build Event Closely Contested

On 09 June 2023, the Vertical Flight Society (VFS), an international non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of vertical flight, announced the winners of its third-annual Design-Build-Vertical-Flight (DBVF) Student Competition. Auburn University prevailed, with the University of Maryland taking second place, and McGill University finishing strongly in third place.

Betting Big

On 09 June 2023, the NBAA welcomed the introduction of a bipartisan measure to reauthorize—which is to say refund and re-task—the Federal Aviation Administration through 2028. Slated to be brought before the U.S. House of Representatives, the bill includes provisions supported by the NBAA and the broader general aviation community.

Also: Diamond DA62 SurveyStar, Blue Origin, Radio Altimeter 5G SAIB, ALPA v 1500 HR Rule

The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) is now accepting bids from airports and localities seeking to partner with the organization for purpose of hosting future air racing events. Last March, 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). North Carolina-based charter and fractional ownership concern Jet It—the world’s 12th largest private jet operator by t

Pilot Training and Operational Standards Set Forth

The Federal Aviation Administration has taken a definitive step toward competently regulating the emergent Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector. On 08 June 2023, the agency proposed a comprehensive rule pertaining to the training and certification of pilots of Powered-Lift aircraft—the architecture common to the majority of the electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) platforms currently under development.  

After The Airplane Crossed The Runway Threshold, The Flight Track Data Showed The Flight Path Shift To The Right

On May 6, 2023, at 1522 central daylight time, a Cessna 310D, N6798T, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Ennis, Texas. The pilot and front seat passenger were seriously injured, and the backseat passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) data revealed that the airplane departed David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (DWH), Houston, Texas, at 1424 and proceeded to Ennis Municipal Airport (F41) and arrived at 1522. ADS-B data also revealed that the airplane began a descent on final

Aero Linx: Whirly-Girls International  Whirly-Girls International is a nonprofit, educational and charitable organization dedicated to advancing women in helicopter aviation. The organization’s goals include the promotion of women in the helicopter industry.

Circle-To-Land Maneuver

A maneuver initiated by the pilot to align the aircraft with a runway for landing when a straight-in landing from an instrument approach is not possible or is not desirable. At tower-controlled airports, this maneuver is made only after ATC authorization has been obtained and the pilot has established required visual reference to the airport. 

“Inspiration is what fueled the people who developed this flagship mission and who hand-crafted the largest spacecraft NASA has sent to explore the solar system. It’s what drives humanity to ask the big questions that this mission will contribute to. Inspiration is riding along with every single name that will be making the journey to Europa.” Source: Laurie Leshin, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, which leads the development of Europa  Clipper. Members of the public are invited to add their names to the upcoming NASA Europa Clipper mission before the spacecraft heads off to the Jupiterean moon in fall of 2024. Submitted names will be stenciled on a