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November 23, 2020

Airborne 11.23.20: Drone Pilot Arrest, AirVenture 2021!, Virtual WAI

Also: Vega Flight VV17, Expanded ISS Crew, XTI Aircraft-Verdego Aero, Helo Maritime Strike Squadron 37

Special agents with the FBI this week arrested a Hollywood man on a federal charge alleging that he recklessly operated a drone that crashed into a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter. 22-year-old Andrew Rene Hernandez,was arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint that charges him with one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. Using data from the remains of the drone that hit an LAPD helicopter last September and other evidence, the Feds believe they have found the operator of the rogue aircraft. The drone damaged the LAPD aircraft and the pilot was forced to initiate an emergency landing. At last week's fall meeting – held in a virtual format – th

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Rocket Lab Launches 16th Mission, Completes First Booster Recovery

Deployed 30 Small Satellites To Orbit

Rocket Lab has successfully launched its 16th Electron mission and deployed 30 small satellites to orbit – the largest number of satellites deployed by Electron to date on a single mission. The ‘Return to Sender’ mission also saw Rocket Lab complete a successful splashdown and recovery of the first stage of an Electron launch vehicle for the first time, bringing the stage back to Earth under a parachute after launch. The recovery of a stage is a major milestone in Rocket Lab’s pursuit to make Electron a reusable rocket to increase launch frequency and reduce launch costs for small satellites.

In 2021, CREATeV Will Attempt To Set The FAI Record For Longest Unmanned Flight

On Thursday, November 12, 2020, the CREATeV solar-powered airplane flew nonstop for over 10 hours. After taking off at 9:11 am, the aircraft circled over the field of Canada's York Soaring Association for over 10 hours. The landing went well despite being two hours after sunset. This flight was a major milestone in a quest to break the world flight endurance record. The goal of the CREATeV project is to develop an ultra-long endurance solar powered aircraft capable of sustaining flight for 60 days continuously. The major challenge with sustaining multi-day flights is the ability to cruise through an entire night on battery power, without the ability to recharge the bat