Factory Option Enhances NVG Ops for Helo Operators

Avidyne Corporation has announced the addition of Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatibility as a factory option for their IFD550, IFD545, IFD540, and IFD510 (IFD5-Series) integrated avionics suites. The change is a nice addition to the lineup for the small but vital niche of all-weather, day/night operators in public safety, military, and security services, allowing them to avail themselves of familiar Avidyne systems while enjoying its somewhat more accessible price point. NVG mode is more than just a brightness shift, they note - the system requires an entirely different color spectrum for acceptable contrast through the tubes. Reds and yellows have to be dimmed without affecting their green

Virtual Ultralight Days Sheds Light on Finer Points of Light Flying

The Experimental Aviation Association is holding a series of webinars from February 20th to the 22nd again, this time focusing on the spectrum of Ultralight topics and issues. The webinars are, as always, free to attend but require prior registration. Those that make it for the full class each time will be eligible for FAA WINGS credit, further adding value to their learning experience. This year's topics will start off rounding the bases for beginners with "Getting Started in Ultralights" and Introduction to Powered Paragliders", before moving on to a review of operational needs and maintenance considerations for everyone's favorite ultralight mill, the 2-stroke Rotax.

Handful of Brand New 280FX Southward Bound for Career as Trainer Helos

Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has announced a purchase agreement with the Paruvian Army and Air Forces, selling 4 brand new Enstrom 280FX aircraft to the South American country. The aircraft will be split, with a pair going to each branch to serve as training aircraft. The deal is a redux of former cooperation with the Peruvian Army, stretching back more than 30 years. Once delivered, Enstrom's latest and greatest will be flown alongside seasoned veterans of the marque.

Agreement Aims to Electrify Airports, Vertiports & More Ahead of eVTOL Wave

Volatus Infrastructure & Energy Solutions signed a memorandum of understanding with Tennessee-based sustainable transport company PowerUp America to "electrify the infrastructure at airports, vertiports and other relevant electric mobility locations within the United States". While the finer points of the deal aren’t published, the duo showed off a co-branded Volatus and PowerUp wall charger design, sporting a noticeable, bright red finish and distinctive ‘V’.

Big Name in the Airline Game Goes Against the Grain

One of the only industry bodies eagerly supporting the prospective retirement age increase for airline pilots, the Regional Airline Association, took issue with a recent missive from the Air Line Pilots Association. The RAA took particular issue with a handful of statements from ALPA, which accused "corporate special interests" of "misleading data to manufacture a crisis". Additionally, ALPA's apparently complacent attitude about pilot replenishment chafed, too - they said "2023 pilot product

Agency Moves to Refine UAV Regulations in Bid to Future-Proof Industry

The FAA has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding maintenance inspections for crewed and uncrewed aircraft flying under Part 91 rules. The changes don't affect drones under 55 pounds, public aircraft, or those operating under Part 107. The aim seems to be the imposition of more rigorous, standardized maintenance for this new market of commercial operations - while a small niche right now, the future is shaping up to be pretty drone-heavy across the board, and slipshod maintenance always manages to creep into cost-focused operations wherever legal. An organized, defined maintenance and inspection program helps to keep things in line, however, adding much-neede

Klyde Learns A Thing Or Two From HIS Failures...

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Also: NetJets Row, Flight Jacket Artwork, Event Canceled Due To FAA, Airwolf Gains STC

After an extensive deep-water search, a group of underwater archaeologists and marine robotics experts claim to have found a sonar image that may answer a great mystery - the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Captured westward of Earhart's projected landing point, in a swath of the Pacific untouched by known wrecks, the image reveals contours that mirror the unique dual tails and scale of her storied aircraft. A 1983 Cessna 185F Skywagon practicing touch-and-go's at Ogden, Utah's Pineview Reservoir broke through the ice, stranding the two occupants with a partially-subm

Also: NetJets Row, Flight Jacket Artwork, Event Canceled Due To FAA, Airwolf Gains STC

After an extensive deep-water search, a group of underwater archaeologists and marine robotics experts claim to have found a sonar image that may answer a great mystery - the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Captured westward of Earhart's projected landing point, in a swath of the Pacific untouched by known wrecks, the image reveals contours that mirror the unique dual tails and scale of her storied aircraft. A 1983 Cessna 185F Skywagon practicing touch-and-go's at Ogden, Utah's Pineview Reservoir broke through the ice, stranding the two occupants with a partial

Facility Could One Day Produce 1 Billion Gallons of Diesel, Jet Fuel 

LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels opened up the "world's first ethanol to sustainable aviation fuel production facility" as it headed into 2024. LanzaJet's ethanol tech is supposed to be key to their aims of scaling up production on synthesized SAF and renewable diesel, a key part of the wider industry's aims of achieving net zero by 2050. The Freedom Pines facility alone is slated to pump out more than 1 billion gallons by 2030.

Also: Collier Trophy Nominations, Japan v V22, Electra Order Book, AerCap Ransomware Attack

The sad story of a once cool helicopter kit company continues make news with a questionable attempt to right the ship... We reported that nearly 100 customers have been affected by broken promises, undelivered and incomplete  kits, and ‘untrue’ statements by the company as it attempted to prop up its faltering operations... and many other ills. The latest Van's Aircraft situational update has repeated a familiar refrain... that builders can eventually get what they paid for... but it's going to cost them more money... Unfortunately, we have

Pilot Said He Was Unaware Of The Airplane Blocking The Runway Until He Heard A “Thump” During Landing

On January 7, 2024, at 2019 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 421C, N421TP, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Carson City, Nevada. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal  Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) data showed that a Piper PA-46, N819RL, landed at Carson City Airport (CXP), Nevada at 1826. The airplane subsequently departed the runway due to icy runway conditions, spun 180° and came to rest  adjacent to the active runway with the left wing partially blocking the runway. Th

French Firm Finds 35% of Revenue in the US Market

Daher announced its 2023 financial results for the year, showing overall revenue of €1.65 billion as it embarked on its first of a five-year plan called “Take Off 2027”. All in all, the French company continues to rely heavily on the US market, seeing more than 35% of its revenue generated here. The firm was decisive in getting everything in order, kick-starting an Industrial Services division, reinforcing its acquisition of the Assistance Aéronautique et Aérospatiale (AAA) company, and continuing its development of the hybrid electric EcoPulse demonstrator. Daher managed to "transform" its managerial culture by deploying the "Daher Leadership Model" to 1,500 exe

From 2016: Learn To Fly Your New Drone Without Breaking Anything...

Okay, you’ve got your eye on a really nice multirotor drone that can perform numerous functions that meet your needs, but you’re concerned about spending a fair amount of money and then taking a chance that it will get damaged when you’re learning to fly it. ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell, attended the AMA Expo 2016 and found that there may be a solution to this dilemma. Jim visited with Josh Schiff, a Marketing specialist for a company named Hobbico. Hobbico has developed a simulator training system that

Offer Cuts $1,000 off the Purchase of Backcountry Line of Props

Hartzell Propeller is looking to bolster support for the RAF - the Recreational Aviation Foundation, not the Royal Air Force - and is extending a $1,000 discount to those who support it. The discount will take a grand off purchases of Hartzell's biggest and best sellers in the backcountry bushplane lineup like the Voyager, the Pathfinder, and the Trailblazer. The Voyager's 3-bladed scimitar design is well suited for bush Cessnas like the 180, 182, 185, and 206, with new engines like the Conti 520 and 550 recently added to the line via STC.

Aero Linx: Mercy Flight Southeast Mercy Flight Southeast’s mission is to arrange free flights so children and adults can have access to the far-from-home doctors that can save their lives. Mercy Flight Southeast coordinates missions to fly organ transplant candidates, people involved in clinical trials, chemotherapy or other repetitive treatment, victims of abuse seeking relocation, families receiving help from Ronald McDonald Houses, Shriners Hospitals and many other charities, disabled or sick children to special summer camp programs, disaster relief and for many other humanitarian reasons.

Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) [ICAO] Area navigation based on performance requirements for aircraft operating along an ATS route, on an instrument approach procedure or in a designated airspace. Note: Performance requirements are expressed in navigation specifications (RNAV specification, RNP specification) in terms of accuracy, integrity, continuity, availability, and functionality needed for the proposed operation in the context of a particular airspace concept.

“We’ve supplied the Peruvian Army with training helicopters since the 1990s... We’re proud to remain a trusted partner in helping train yet another generation of pilots. They put our helicopters through a highly competitive evaluation. Ultimately, Enstrom’s 280FX performed the best in Peru’s demanding hot and high-altitude environment. We look forward to helping the Air Force complete their fleet’s transition to Enstrom.” Source: Dennis Martin, Enstrom’s Chief Commercial Officer, discussing the recent repeat sale to the Peruvian military.