Order For Up To 500 Electric Aircraft Valued At US$2 Billion

Avolon and Vertical Aerospace have agreed on a ground-breaking US$2 billion order for up to 500 electric eVTOL aircraft. This agreement, which is subject to certain conditions, will introduce the ultra-short-haul aircraft category to commercial aviation. The agreement will see both companies collaborate throughout the development, road map to certification and subsequent commercial roll-out of the VA-X4. Avolon will join Microsoft, Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, and American Airlines as equity investors in Vertical, working also with Virgin Atlantic who will be a VA-X4 launch airline customer in Europe.

Zenith AeroTech's Quad 8 Tethered Aerial Vehicle Sets Record

Zenith AeroTech has, over the span of a week, flown its Quad 8 multi-rotor platform for a total of 161 hours and 49 minutes—108 hours of which were continuous, uninterrupted flight. “Small, multirotor-type drones are notorious for their limited air endurance. By contrast, tethered aerial vehicles, which draw power from a generator on the ground, can stay aloft for hours at a stretch,” said Kutlay Kaya, CEO of Zenith AeroTech. “But no other TAV company has ever been able to fly a platform for as long as we just did. This is a major technological breakthrough for small unmanned systems.”

Witness, 'Saw Pieces, And Then The Tail Section Separating From The Helicopter'

On May 25, 2021, about 1747 eastern daylight time, a BHI H60 Helicopters LLC, UH-60A, N9FH, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Leesburg International Airport (LEE), Leesburg, Florida. The pilot, copilot, and two crew members were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 post-maintenance test flight. According to the operator, a new water tank and snorkel were installed on the helicopter to facilitate firefighting operations in accordance with supplemental type certificate (STC) #SR00933DE on May 17, 2021. Several days of ground testing and calibration were performed before the accident flight, wh

AD 2021-10-28 Results From Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information (MCAI)

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Pilatus) Model PC-24  airplanes. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI identifies the unsafe condition as the need to revise certain airworthiness limitations and certification maintenance instructions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective July 15, 2021.