Echoes of a Ramp Tantrum

On Monday, 24 October 2023, deputies of the Martin County, Florida Sheriff’s Department arrested student pilot Sumebh Singh, 23, after he allegedly vandalized no fewer than ten airplanes on Stuart, Florida’s Whitham Field (SUA). Subject aircraft belonged to Treasure Coast Flight School, at which Singh reportedly matriculated. Singh acted out after the school’s flight instructors denied him permission to undertake his first solo flight; so stated the Martin County Sheriff’s Department in a Facebook post.

ALIA-250 Demonstrates … Range

An eVTOL aircraft developed by BETA Technologies has completed a non-stop 117-nautical-mile flight from Georgia’s Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) to the Peach State’s Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN) in Macon. The journey, which spanned one-hour, five-minutes, is part of a larger southbound trip the contraption is making to Florida.

Unrest in the Forest, Trouble With the Trees …

The NTSB has released its preliminary report on an 11 October 2023 accident in which a Cirrus SR22, registration N253BC, was substantially damaged after striking trees shortly after departing Martinsville, Virginia’s Blue Ridge Airport (MTV). Neither the pilot of the accident-aircraft nor the three passengers therein sustained injuries resultant of the mishap. The accident-aircraft was operated as a personal flight under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.

Jon Damush Appointed uAvionix CEO

On 24 October 2023, uAvionix announced it had acquired Iris Automation, a Reno, Nevada-based concern specializing in small-form-factor, flexible, and cost-effective end-of-line automation solutions; and a provider of optical Detect And Avoid (DAA) technology. The acquisition occasions a synthesis of uAvionix’s extensive Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) and aviation expertise and Iris’ leadership in computer vision-based systems germane to the safe separation of aircraft. In addition to bolstering uAvionix’s capabilities and broadening the scope of its services, the acquisition marks an important leadership change as former Iris Automation boss Jon Damush is hoisted to t