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May 22, 2020

Airborne 05.22.20: 6-Place Bearhawk!, Virgin Orbit Launch, Cessna SkyCourier

Also: SpaceX Demo-2, Hurricane Hunters, NASA Remembers Annie Glenn, Gulfstream G280 Record

Bearhawk Aircraft has announced the introduction of its largest Bearhawk model to date, the Bearhawk 5. The new aircraft was designed by engineer Bob Barrows and is the first in the lineup of Bearhawk aircraft to use a 300-horsepower engine, seating up to six occupants. The Bearhawk Model 5 made its first flight on May 3rd. The prototype has flown more than five hours in testing and is exhibiting excellent flight characteristics. The Bearhawk Model 5 has been under development for two years. Our friends at Virgin Orbit have released details about Virgin Orbit's first attempt to launch a payload into space from a cradle slung underneath a modified Boeing 747. They seem pretty excited... &qu

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Airborne 05.18.20: Snowbird Tragedy, Drone Idiot, Reserve U-2 Pilot

Also: F-22 Accident, MultiGP's IO2020 Postponed, Women in Aviation Advisory Board, European A/C Have More Time

A Sunday morning accident involving the Canadian Forces famed Snowbirds flight demonstration team has taken the life of one of their team members, and injured the pilot. The accident occurred in the Brocklehurst neighborhood of Kamloops, BC, after rain and low visibility delayed the team’s departure from Okanagan, where they were preparing to launch a planned flyover. The accident occurred shortly after departure. After holding for weather as part of the Operation Inspiration formation fl

Prototype Has Already Flown More Than Five Hours In Testing

Bearhawk Aircraft has announced the introduction of its largest Bearhawk model to date, the Bearhawk 5. The new aircraft was designed by engineer Bob Barrows and is the first in the lineup of Bearhawk aircraft to use a 300-horsepower engine, seating up to six occupants. The Bearhawk Model 5 made its first flight on May 3rd. The prototype has flown more than five hours in testing and is exhibiting excellent flight characteristics, according to test pilot Rollie van Dorn. Further flight testing is expected to confirm the airplane's projected 3,000 lb gross weight. The Bearhawk Model 5 has been under development for two years. Slightly wider and longer than the original 4-Place Bearhawk, the

Launch Imminent: Less Than A Week, Now, to Go! A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard was seen, Thursday May 21st, as it was raised into a vertical position on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Demo-2 mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Also, Thursday, the SpaceX, commercial crew and space station communities held thorough discussions about requirements for NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 flight test, but still have a few topics remaining for discussion during the Flight Readiness Review and will continue those on Friday. Agency and SpaceX managers gathered at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to focus on the readiness of the Crew Dragon and syst

"Your Recent Story Promotes An Unfortunate Caricature Of Business Aviation"

A recent Bloomberg article missed the astounding impact of the Covid-19 crisis on charter operations, and the citizens, companies and communities relying on this American industry, NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen and NATA President and CEO Tim Obitts told the publisher in a letter to the editor. "'...in this Covid-19 moment, companies have widely halted business travel, causing charter flights to fall so dramatically that air-taxi providers have requested aid for the same reason countless other small businesses have taken the same step: to keep employees on the job. It’s too bad those employees — line workers, pilots, maintenance specialists, facility mana

From 2018: PrecisionHawk Releases Pathfinder Report At AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2018

Drone technology company PrecisionHawk has released its final Pathfinder Report, a blueprint for enterprises to conduct Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations. The fieldwork was performed in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and MITRE under the Pathfinder Program. The report outlines a comprehensive safety case and standards to fly drones BVLOS and has yielded critical information to the FAA regarding drone operations. Combining extensive research and rigorous testing, the learnings ha

Klyde Morris (05.22.20)

Klyde Ponders What Life Will Be Like After The A380...

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Two-Part Virtual Event Now Scheduled

The FAA and AUVSI have announced the two-part virtual event for the revised FAA UAS Symposium – Remotely Piloted Edition, Episodes I and II, will take place on July 8 to 9 and August 18 to 19, 2020. Episode I is scheduled for July 8 to 9 with a focus on UAS traffic management (UTM) and international UAS integration. Episode II is planned for August 18 to 19 with a focus on UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP) updates and public safety operations. Each event will feature keynote presentations, expert panels, guided and non-guided networking discussions, one-on-one meetings with experts in the FAA UAS Support Center and How-To Sessions with live Q&A.

Not The Best Time To Be Selling Big BizJets...

By Brian Foley of BRiFO E-I-C Note: Brian Foley, an aviation analyst we've worked with for quite a while, has reported on a recent trend... big bizjet sales are starting to take a dive. Here's his latest report... As the last decade commenced, the world had an insatiable appetite for the biggest of corporate jets. More recently though, that love affair has broken up as many of the previous demand drivers have gone the way of the Harlem Shake and planking.

Electric VTOL Aircraft Startup Archer Plans 150 MPH Four-Seater

eVTOL hopeful, Archer, has announced its official launch. Marc Lore, the CEO of Walmart eCommerce, is the largest investor in the company. Based in Palo Alto, Archer is dedicated to reshaping urban air mobility, focusing on saving time for users in urban areas. Archer is designing a fully electric aircraft that will take off and land vertically, and can carry four passengers for up to 60 miles at speeds of up to 150mph, all using today’s battery technologies. The battery powered aircraft aims to provide a faster, sustainable, and affordable urban transportation option. Archer’s unique design will also offer passengers increased safety while producing minimal noise compared

Ouch... Airplane Entered A Ground Loop

The pilot reported that he had just completed a landing in a tailwheel equipped airplane, and he noticed the wind began to shift. He then elected to conduct another wheel landing. The pilot stated he landed on runway 17, on centerline, and that as he lowered the tail, the airplane experienced a strong pull to the right. He was unable to keep the airplane from departing the runway and as he reduced the throttle, the airplane entered a ground loop. The airplane's right main landing gear collapsed, and the wing and propeller struck the ground.

Aero Linx: National Safe Skies Alliance, Inc. (Safe Skies) National Safe Skies Alliance, Inc. (Safe Skies) is a non-profit organization that works with airports, government, and industry to maintain a safe and effective aviation security system. Since 1997, we have been a trusted resource for decision makers seeking impartial information on airport security technologies and procedures. Funding for our programs is provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.22.20): Ground Clutter

Ground Clutter A pattern produced on the radar scope by ground returns which may degrade other radar returns in the affected area. The effect of ground clutter is minimized by the use of moving target indicator (MTI) circuits in the radar equipment resulting in a radar presentation which displays only targets which are in motion.

"A brief history of how this design came about… a friend of design engineer Bob Barrows requested he create a larger version of the Bearhawk 4-Place as this friend is a big guy. Bob did the drawings for his friend who began construction on it. However, health issues forced him to quit working on the project and it sat for about a year. One day I was talking to Collin Campbell who told me he was getting bored now that his Bearhawk LSA was finished and flying... Truly, there is no one in the world, except Bob himself, more qualified to have built this prototype than Collin." Source: Mark Goldberg, president of Avipro / Bearhawk Aircraft -- who manufactures Quick Build kits of the Bearhawk models. Mark has been eager to