Also: AEA And Industry Coalition v Ligado, Piaggio Aerospace, Alaskan CG Aircrews Coordinate Medevac, NTSB Asks For Heli Recording

Information is starting to emerge concerning the May 17th accident seriously injured pilot Captain Rich MacDougall and resulted in the death of Captain Jenn Casey, the Snowbird PAO (Public Affairs Officer). The villain in this crash may be none other than a local bird. Examination of the video that was shot as the fated Snowbird flight of two was departing, shows a small object about to get sucked in to the right intake of the affected aircraft -- and a bird is the suspect.

Intriguing Concept Was Once Destined For Market... But Now, Never Mind...

One of the more intriguing flying machines to show up in the last few years is about to be thrown on the trash heap of interesting ideas that never quite made it. The Kitty Hawk Flyer program was shown off some five years ago. It was designed to be a Part 103-legal ultralight aircraft. At 250 pounds empty weight, it fell into a category of aircraft that could be flown by anyone — FAA Part 103, which regulates ultralight flying machines, and permits recreational use of these aircraft even if pilots don’t hold a conventional pilot’s license. Kitty Hawk reports that over the course of this and other development projects, that they built and flew 111 aircraft.

The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association Has A New Boss

Christine Gervais has been appointed COPA's new President and CEO. She brings with her over 20 years of experience in the field of aviation as a commercial pilot, an air traffic controller and, more recently, a manager in airspace and level of service management. Christine holds a current commercial pilot licence which she earned with the Ottawa Flying Club’s Professional Pilot Development Program over 20 years ago. A follow up float endorsement lead to the start of her professional aviation career. She has flown the great de Havilland Beaver in Northern Ontario, a Grand Caravan from Africa to South America (and many more flights and aircraft in between). Following the birth of her so

Now That The Excitement Is Over, It's Time To Roll Up The Shirt Sleeves...

The Expedition 63 crew and its two newest crewmates aboard the International Space Station wrapped up the workweek studying a wide range of space phenomena. Commander Chris Cassidy began Friday setting up optical communications gear aboard the Japanese Kibo laboratory module. The new broadband hardware will demonstrate transmitting large amounts of data back and forth from the station to the ground. Afterward, the NASA astronaut swapped out test samples for an experiment taking place inside the Materials Science Laboratory.

From 2010: Ed McKeown Introduces His Award-Winning Rearwin Restoration

Inspired by the world’s newfound aviation intrigue, Raymond Andrew Rearwin, along with his sons Royce and Ken, started Rearwin Airplanes in 1928. Bursting into the industry scene during the “Golden Age of Aviation,” the company designed and built more than 400 aircraft before closing in 1946. Among the instrument trainers and gliders, Rearwin Airplanes debuted the Rearwin Cloudster in 1939; featuring strut-braced high-wings, the aircraft included an enclosed cabin and fixed, tailskid undercarriage

The New Application Deadline Is June 26, 2020

Students planning careers in aviation or aerospace now are offered an extended opportunity to apply for competitive scholarships offered through the Flight Path Museum at Los Angeles International Airport. The museum board has extended the application deadline to June 26, 2020. Five scholarships totaling more than $15,000 are offered, according to Agnes Huff, PhD, Flight Path Museum president. These include the museum’s Pete Conrad Scholarship and the Anton Acherman, Clay Lacy, Morrey Plotkin and Howard Drollinger scholarships funded by Flight Path benefactors. Qualifications, selection process details and application forms are available on the Scholarships page of the museum website. “Thes

Another Icon A5 Accident -- This One Sinks After Prop Comes Apart

On June 3, 2020, about 1640 central daylight time, an ICON A5 amphibian airplane, N838BA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near the Sky Harbor Airport (DYT), Duluth, Minnesota. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he taxied on the water for takeoff. When facing into the wind, he applied full power and after about 5 seconds heard a huge bang. He shut down the engine, climbed out, looked back, and saw all 3 propeller blades were missing. At this point, the airplane started to sink. He and his passenger donned life jackets and evacuated

State Of North Dakota Made A $28M Investment To Support The Creation Of A Statewide UAS Network

Collins Aerospace, L3Harris Technologies, and Thales USA have all been selected to provide systems engineering and integration services to build, implement, and operate North Dakota’s first-of-its-kind, aviation-grade, statewide network for flying UAS beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). The companies have been contracted to work with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) to enable real-world, scalable, commercial and public BVLOS UAS operations in North Dakota. “With this partnership in place, North Dakota is well-positioned to create and implement what is really the next level in the UAS industry,” says Nicholas Flom, executive

Thirteen Students Awarded A Total Of $50,000 For Academic Pursuits

The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has helped graduating seniors achieve their dreams since 1970, with individual scholarships ranging from $500 to $8,000 each year. This year, $50,000 was awarded to students. Student scholarships are awarded each year thanks to the generous support of AMA members and AMA Foundation donors across the country. AMA has awarded more than $1.1 million in scholarships since founding the scholarship program. Award designations are set by the AMA Scholarship Committee, which is made up of model aviation pilots and enthusiasts. The committee evaluates each application and ranks it based on GPA, community involvement, model flying experience, and model

The First Operational F-35As Arrived At Hill AFB In October 2015

For the third time in approximately 12 months, Airmen from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings at Hill Air Force Base deployed F-35A Lighting IIs into combat. The 421st Fighter Squadron departed Hill AFB recently for Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, to support the United States Air Force Central Command mission in the region. “The 421st Fighter Squadron completed their stand up in December and now they’re our latest squadron heading into the fight,” said Col. Steven Behmer, 388th Fighter Wing commander.

Aero Linx: Farnborough Aerospace Consortium Welcome to FAC - the leading regional aerospace and advanced manufacturing hub covering the South and East of England. It enables its members to become more competitive and increase their market share through facilitating local and international trading, technology transfer and development, sharing of best practice and training plus lobbying at national level on key issues facing the sector.

ATC Security Tracking The continuous tracking of aircraft movement by an ATC facility in support of the DHS, the DOD, or other security elements for national security using radar (i.e., radar tracking) or other means (e.g., manual tracking) without providing basic radar services (including traffic advisories) or other ATC services not defined in this section.

“These annual scholarships have given a valuable boost to the education and careers of numerous students. A previous winner now is a commercial airline pilot and others are well on their way to exciting careers in aviation.” Source: Agnes Huff, PhD, Flight Path Museum president, discussing the five scholarships totaling more than $15,000 are offered by the museum. These include the museum’s Pete Conrad Scholarship and the Anton Acherman, Clay Lacy, Morrey Plotkin and Howard Drollinger scholarships funded by Flight Path benefactors.