Erstwhile Spaceline Reopening Sales, With Prices Beginning at $450,000 Per Seat

The folks at Virgin Galactic are feeling their oats and pretty much believing all the hype created by the flight that carried their Boss, Richard Branson, to space. In a 2Q/21 legal filing, the company notes that they lost nearly 95 million dollars (more than 20 million more than the same period a year previoiusly) but put a pretty positive spin on the rest of the report.

NASA Boeing OFT-2 Starliner Spacecraft Continues To Sit Things Out

NASA continues to work side-by-side with Boeing to understanding the CST-100 Starliner’s service module valve performance, including the unexpected indications some of the valves were in the closed position during its Aug. 3 launch attempt of Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2). With troubleshooting ongoing in the United Launch Alliance Vertical Integration Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where Starliner will be powered and run through various procedures to help understand the issue, NASA will move forward with the launch and berthing of an important cargo mission to the International Space Station.

Andøya Space AS From Norway Took Delivery of A New DA62 MPP on July 21st

After a successful two-week flight trial back in 2019, Andøya Space evaluated the Diamond Special Mission Aircraft and thereafter ordered a DA62 MPP for their own operations. The DA62 MPP is equipped with a customized state-of-the-art mission system, that allows Andøya Space to conduct their missions in an efficient manner. Fredrik Pedersen, Project Manager Andøya Space said: “Back in 2019 Andøya Space started researching into a procurement of a manned aircraft and completed a feasibility study that resulted in the order for a factory new DA62 MPP in the end of 2020..."

TSA Assists Connecticut Air Guard With Drone Detection Test

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) law enforcement, the Connecticut State Police (CSP) and the Connecticut Air National Guard participated in a joint drone detection practical exercise on Thursday, August 5. The Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS) team designed the exercise to assess the Air Guard’s 103rd Security Forces Squadron’s ability to respond to a drone incursion on their base at Bradley International Airport (BDL).

Secretary General Salazar Is A Former Director General of Civil Aviation for Colombia

Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar of Colombia officially assumed the office of ICAO Secretary General, succeeding Dr. Fang Liu of China. He assumes this role as CEO of the UN’s specialized agency for civil aviation as the international flight network continues to assure the efficient global movement of food, vaccines, e-commerce, and other essential supplies and personnel, despite the air transport industry still being severely confronted by COVID-19, greatly diminished routes, and slowly rebounding international air travel and tourism.

GAMA Notes The Re-Opening Of A Government Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has announced that it is re-opening the application process for eligible businesses to apply for its payroll assistance program – the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection (AMJP) Program. The application process will re-open on Wednesday, August 8, at 8 AM ET, and remain open for four weeks, closing on Wednesday, September 1, at 5 PM ET. All eligibility requirements remain the same, including the applicant business having an active registration in the System of Award Management (SAM) before submitting an AMJP application.

Pilot Rotated Just Short Of The Displaced Threshold And According To The Witness, Barely Cleared The Fence

On July 15, 2021, at 1154 Pacific daylight time, a Mooney M20J airplane, N4474H, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Dinsmore, California. The pilot, the pilotrated passenger and two other passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. Review of radar data revealed that the flight originated from Fullerton Municipal Airport (FUL), Fullerton, California at 0700. According to a family member, the pilot and the pilot rated passenger departed for Perris Valley Airport (L65), Perris, California to pick up two rear passengers who were interested

AD 2021-15-02 Prompted By Reports Of Deficiencies In The Primary Flight Control Computer (PFCC) Software

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Canada Limited Partnership Model BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of deficiencies in the primary flight control computer (PFCC) software and the remote electronics unit (REU) software. This AD requires installation of a software update to correct deficiencies in the PFCC and REU software, as specified in a Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective September 9, 2021.

AD 2021-17-01 Requires Removing A Certain Oil Pump From Service And Replacing It

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Austro Engine GmbH E4 and E4P model diesel piston engines. This AD was prompted by a report of oil pressure loss on an E4 model diesel piston engine. This AD requires removing a certain oil pump from service and replacing it with a part eligible for installation. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective August 23, 2021. Supplementary Information: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community, issued EASA Emergency AD 2021-0143-E, dated June 16, 2021 (refer

Aero Linx: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Since 1963, members from a single professional society have achieved virtually every milestone in modern American flight. That society is the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 95 corporate members, AIAA is the world’s largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. Created in 1963 by the merger of the two great aerospace societies of the day, the American Rocket Society (founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society), and the Institute of the Aerospace Sciences (established in 1933 as the Institute of the Aeronaut

Squawk (Mode, Code, Function) Used by ATC to instruct a pilot to activate the aircraft transponder and ADS-B Out with altitude reporting enabled, or (military) to activate only specific modes, codes, or functions. Examples: “Squawk five seven zero seven;” “Squawk three/alpha, two one zero five.”

“In the second quarter, we made meaningful progress towards commencing commercial service in 2022. We successfully completed two spaceflights from New Mexico — the latest carrying a full crew of mission specialists in the cabin and garnering an extraordinary global media and consumer response. In addition, we received FAA approval to expand our existing launch license, marking the first time the FAA has licensed a Spaceline to fly customers to space.” Source: Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic, in a 2Q/21 report lauding the progress they have made after over a decade of delays.