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January 27, 2022

French Tourist Sentenced to 8 Years in Iran For Drone Spying

Duel Iranian/French Citizen Held On Suspicion of Spycraft for Drone Photography

Iran has sentenced a globetrotting tourist to nearly a decade in prison after his arrest along the Iran-Turkmenistan border last May. The sentence given consists of 8 years for spying, and an additional 8 months for the creation of propaganda against the regime, charges which the French Foreign Affairs Office refers to as "groundless". Benjamin Brière, says his lawyer, was not given a fair trial in front of impartial judges, nor was he given information on his charges. His arrest in the Karakum desert occurred near what is described by the Iranian government as a "restricted area", and his possession of photographic equipment and drones was proof positive o

Looks Like A Jet, Flies Like A GA Airplane…

While at Sun ‘n Fun 2016, ANN News Editor, Tom Patton, saw a light-airplane that looked like a stylized F-15. The airplane is called the PJ-II “Dreamer”. To get the details, Tom talked with Len Bechtold, who designed the engine for the aircraft, as well as the technical director of design, Ben Kolotilin. The Design of this fascinating airplane originated in Russia and has now been brought to the United States with the hopes of placing it into production. Kolotilin explains that the intent was to produce a stylized fighter-like airplane with flying characteristics that any general avia

AD 2022-03-07 Requires Establishing A Life Limit Of 5 Years For Certain Propeller Gearbox Tooth Belts

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Stemme AG TSA-M Model S6 and S6-RT gliders. This AD was prompted by mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as a new version of the propeller gearbox tooth belt with a reduced life limit. This AD requires establishing a life limit of 5 years for certain propeller gearbox tooth belts. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective March 2, 2022.