Aero-News Network: The aviation and aerospace world's daily/real-time news and information service

Airborne 03.16.16: NASA's Kelly Retires, Fighter Pilot Shortage?, Germanwings

Also: EasyJet, Tecnam Juggernaut, A380neo, Flightstar STC, Meridian Jet Ctr, AAIB, ULA And XCOR Award

NASA astronaut, and one-year crew member Scott Kelly, will retire from the agency, effective April 1. Kelly joined the astronaut corps in 1996 and, with 520 days in space accumulated over four missions, he currently holds the American record for most time spent in space. After retiring, Kelly will continue to participate in the ongoing research related to his one-year mission. He will provide periodic medical samples and support other testing in much the same way that his twin brother, f

Restoration Team Says Columbine II Nearly Ready To Fly

Airplane To Be Headed to Bridgewater, VA Soon

The team working to restore the Lockheed Constellation Columbine II to airworthy condition is nearly ready to ferry the plane back to Bridgewater VA, where the restoration will be completed. But the team also says that the flight won't be just under an airworthiness certificate for a ferry flight. It will be able to make the trip as a certified aircraft.

World ATM Congress 2016 Welcomes Record Attendance, Aviation Technology

For The Fourth Year, Air Traffic Leaders Convene To Plan The Future Of Global Aviation

The fourth annual World ATM Congress concluded last Thursday. As the world's largest air traffic management (ATM) exhibition, the Congress welcomed 7,175 registrants and 225 exhibitors.

Aero-TV: Versatile PC Simulation - Sky Fantasy Motion Flight Simulator

Adding Motion To Your Home PC Simulator...

Any PC flight simulator program can provide a certain level of aviation fantasy. At the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo 2016 held in Sebring, Florida, ANN news editor, Tom Patton, found a company that has enhanced the simulator fantasy by adding motion. Dan Bowman, the Manager of Multi-Simulations LLC. said their SkyFantasy simulator is designed to run on older operating systems because there are so many flight and simulator programs that continue to run well on other than the latest systems.

Airborne 03.15.16: SpaceX Reuse In 2016?, UK Air Display Safety, New Wright B

Also: Iron Maiden 747, Aero-Calendar, OV-10 Broncos, Italian Eurofighter, NTSB, WASP Tactical Aerostat, WestJet Protecting Pilot?

SpaceX could launch a spacecraft using a previously-flown booster later this year, if all goes according to plan. Speaking in the closing session of the SATELLITE 2016 conference held this week just outside Washington, D.C., SpaceX COO, Gwynne Shotwell, said that the company might launch a recovered rocket first stage sometime this year. The U.K. Air Accident Investigation Branch has published a special report that offers 14 specific recommendations for improv

Aero-News: Quote Of The Day (03.16.16)

"The wide array of industry representatives here today underscores that while we may sometimes have different opinions and ideas, we’re all coming from essentially the same place: We all view safety as our top priority." Source: FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, speaking at South by Southwest in Austin, TX.

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (03.16.16): Radar Required

A term displayed on charts and approach plates and included in FDC NOTAMs to alert pilots that segments of either an instrument approach procedure or a route are not navigable because of either the absence or unusability of a NAVAID.