Scale Will Prove Very Difficult to Achieve in a 100% Sustainable Industry

Ryanair founder Micheal O'Leary got a focus piece in the papers recently, putting together a melange of quotes and firebrand moments recapping the chief's polarizing statements in recent years. O'Leary is unimpressed by concepts showing a global aviation industry thriving solely off of SAF, finding them fanciful given the necessary quantities. “They’re a wheeze," said O'Leary.

Aviation YouTuber's Unimpressed Review Gets Him the Blacklist

Qatar Airways appeared oddly sensitive after news broke that it banned a passenger due to a negative review. Josh Cahill posted a 13-minute video titled, in typical clickbait fashion, "The Shocking Decline of Qatar Airways". Throughout the review, he went over the myriad ways he felt that Qatar Airways had slipped from the heights it once enjoyed. During a flight, Cahill found fault with nearly every aspect of the flight, from the cleanliness of the aircraft to the enthusiasm of the crew. 

MPP Aircraft Find Another Welcoming Home Down South

Diamond Aircraft publicized a welcoming ceremony for two Nigerian DA62 MPP aircraft, showing off an eager NAF reception for the new planes. The Nigerian Air Force now sports 4 aircraft, each equipped with Diamond's "cutting-edge electro-optical systems". The MPP package provides a series of light, compact sensors that make for a cost-effective, versatile ISR platform. The MPP's twin-engine reliability doesn't imply a high fuel burn, with all 1,264 nm of its max range unwinding to the tune of 7.4 gallons per hour. Add in a 126-knot cruise and seating for 4 and it makes sense why cash-strapped operators love the DA62 MPP as an achievable eye in the sky.

End of an Era Looms for a Legendary VTOL Pioneer

The Harrier's time is coming to a close in US Marine Corps service, as the last 2 pilots in the type enter the training pipeline. The new Harrier pilots will be training until 2027, giving them a scant few years with their legacy airframe. Similar happenings are afoot for the fixed-wing Hornet, with the USMC winding up training units in preparation to swap to the F-35 platform.

New Faces Join General Staff

The Commemorative Air Force has announced the results of its recent election, bringing on Kathy Mizell's 2nd term and 2 new members. The 11-person General Staff is the oversight body of the CAF, meeting throughout the year to monitor the organization's state and sustainability. It's important work, given the complexity and cost inherent to keeping vintage warbirds operable and safe. General Staff members are voted on by CAF members, though their meetings are open to all CAF members at the Colonel or higher level. Agenda items are available upon request, or can be added on request through Diana Bueno, Chief of Staff.

Skyway UAS Range Chooses Mainstay for Drone Evaluation Facility

uAvionics has been awarded a contract by Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education, making them the primary developer and system integrator for the Skyway UAS range near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company will "deploy centrally managed, networked Command & Control (C2) and Detect & Avoid (or DAA) services that enable uncrewed Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations between nodes on the Skyway." The backbone of the scheme will be uAvionix’s SkyLine Cloud-based service, the same one that was approved for the firm's recent BVLOS testing in North Dakota.

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Yeah.... it's one heck of a milestone. CubCrafters made company history this week by delivering its 1000th new aircraft to Tim Sheehy, CEO of Bridger Aerospace, in Bozeman, Montana. The milestone aircraft, a CubCrafters CC19-215 XCub, was delivered in Bridger Aerospace firefighting livery, the paint scheme itself a tribute to the company’s fleet of Canadair CL-415 “Super Scooper” water-bomber aircraft -- where the bird is going to be in GOOD company. A Cessna 172 attempting a landing on Upper Red Lake broke through the ice, apparently taki

A Very Classic Klyde From 06.26.17

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

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One of the greatest airshow events in the UK has been cancelled for 2024 and question marks litter the landscape thereafter. A letter addressed to friends, partners, and colleagues on the Flying Legends website stated that, “It is with much regret that we confirm our decision to cancel the upcoming Flying Legends Air Show 2024. This decision has not been made lightly and an in-depth assessment of our options for the year ahead.” Christmas came early for the fine folks at CAP... and we're a little jealous. Seven new aircraft will join a whopping fl

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Sierra Space's "Dream Chaser", the "world's only commercial spaceplane", has begun its final testing phase ahead of planned operations in 2024. Dream Chaser nestled into the NASA test facility to join Sierra's cargo module, the Shooting Star. Both will be unified in a launch stack for testing in the coming weeks, evaluating their resilience to forces, vibration, and wear. Airspeeder's 2023 EXA Series Championship saw the last of its 3-car races finish this month, capping off the 2023 season with a win to Zephtali Walsh. The win capped off the "world's inaugura

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Originally scheduled for today, Monday, December 18th at 08:30 CST, New Shepard’s 24th mission launch is now TBD, having been scrubbed due to a “ground system issue the team is troubleshooting.”  They expect to set a new launch target for this week. Once in flight, it will have brought more than 150 projects into space. A bevy of military aircraft demo teams and a unique private jet group have been added to the air show lineup for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024. AirVenture 2024 has received commitments from the F-22 Raptor demo team,

Shortly After Departing The Runway, He Experienced A Loss Of Engine Power

On December 2, 2023, about 1343 Pacific standard time, Cessna P210N, N7LV, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Big Bear City, California. The pilot received serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that after landing at Big Bear City Airport (L35), Big Bear, California, he topped off the wing fuel tanks and taxied to runway 26. During the takeoff, he applied takeoff power and rotated at 80 knots. Shortly after departing the runway, he experienced a loss of engine power.

From 2018 (YouTube Version): : American Barnstormers Tour Storms Through AirVenture

From July 5-29, 2018, the 2018 American Barnstormers Tour undertook a 5-city, 5-state tour through MO, IA, SD, MN and WI. The 2018 American Barnstormers Tour exclusively featured 10 vintage Travel Air open cockpit biplanes. Five of the biplanes will function as static displays at each venue, with owners and restorers available to answer crowd questions. Five of the biplanes offered ride experiences to tour attendees.

Aero Linx: Piper Aviation Museum The Piper Aviation Museum is an aviation museum at the William T. Piper Memorial Airport in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. It is focused on the history of the Piper Aircraft Corporation. It is dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of the Piper Aircraft Corporation and its founding family.

Off-Route Obstruction Clearance Altitude (OROCA) A published altitude which provides terrain and obstruction clearance with a 1,000 foot buffer in non-mountainous areas and a 2,000 foot buffer in designated mountainous areas within the United States, and a 3,000 foot buffer outside the US ADIZ. These altitudes are not assessed for NAVAID signal coverage, air traffic control surveillance, or communications coverage, and are published for general situational awareness, flight planning, and in-flight contingency use.

“They’re a wheeze. Unless governments get in behind the production and sourcing of sustainable aviation fuels – and they’re only going to come from, ultimately, the oil majors, the only ones who are going to make them – I don’t see where we will get the supply in the volumes we need. You want everybody running around collecting fucking cooking oil? There isn’t enough cooking oil in the world to power more than one day’s aviation." Source: Some interesting observations from Ryanair founder Micheal O'Leary... who is unimpressed by concepts showing a global aviation industry thriving solely off of SAF, finding them fanciful given the necessary quantities. Instead, he wants more realist