Think ‘Holding Out’ is Bad? Try Doing it Without a Pilot Certificate

A pilot involved in a 2021 helicopter crash has been sentenced for flying without a license, pleading guilty to unrelated cases that occurred years prior. Matthew Jones was charged with wire fraud and flying sans airman certificate, and accepted a plea deal for one year of incarceration and 36 months of supervised release. Jones had texted false information to victims he found online, presenting himself as a qualified, licensed, airman and flight instructor.

Canadian-Built Robotic Arm Aids Assessment

The Soyuz MS-22 capsule possibly damaged by a micrometeorite was inspected by crewmembers aboard the International Space Station on Sunday, 18 December 2022. Roscosmos, Russia’s space corporation and arbiter of all Russian Federation extraterrestrial activities, reported a Canadian-built robotic arm had been used to photograph the Soyuz capsule, which had previously been determined to be afflicted with a coolant leak. The images captured by dint of the robotic arm were transmitted to Earth, where engineers are currently about the business of analyzing them in conjunction with additional data for purpose of determining how best to deal with the logistical problems occasioned by the Soyuz capsule&rsqu

Loop and Chute

On 15 December 2022, shortly before 10:15 CST, an F-35B pending delivery to the U.S. Marine Corps was damaged in a vertical landing mishap at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB) Fort Worth—a U.S. Navy base approximately five-nautical-miles west of Fort Worth, Texas. The pilot of the downed F-35B, following a precautionary overnight stay, was released from a Texas hospital. The event, which adheres to an emerging pattern of F-35 mishaps, remains under investigation.

Also: 1st of 20 PC-12 NGXs, IMU #1,000,000, Revised 2023 NDAA, Mars Helicopter Update

On 16 August 1960, 32-year-old USAF Pilot,Captain Joe Kittinger, kitted out in a pressure-suit and a specially constructed and rigged parachute—boarded a gondola tethered to a helium balloon, ascended to 102,800-feet above the New Mexico desert—and jumped. During the ensuing four-minute 36-second free-fall, Kittinger’s body accelerated to 614-miles-per-hour. At 14,000 feet, Captain Kittinger deployed his 28-foot main parachute and—in addition to setting records for the highest parachute jump and longest free-fall the world had yet seen—pr

Also: 1st of 20 PC-12 NGXs, IMU #1,000,000, Revised 2023 NDAA, Mars Helicopter Update

On 16 August 1960, 32-year-old USAF Pilot,Captain Joe Kittinger, kitted out in a pressure-suit and a specially constructed and rigged parachute—boarded a gondola tethered to a helium balloon, ascended to 102,800-feet above the New Mexico desert—and jumped. During the ensuing four-minute 36-second free-fall, Kittinger’s body accelerated to 614-miles-per-hour. At 14,000 feet, Captain Kittinger deployed his 28-foot main parachute and—in addition to setting records for the highest parachute jump and longest free-fall the world had yet seen—pr

Also: Volato HondaJet Order, F-16 Goof, Modifying Global 6000s, Savback Helicopters

ura Aero has obtained the approval of the French Gliding Federation for their purchase of an electric INTEGRAL. The Federation will use their new aircraft as a glider tow for a local club. The electric operation will help to minimize sound pollution, carbon emissions. While such reductions are dandy, the most important aspect to young students and cash-strapped gliding enthusiasts is the cost of electric operation over avgas-powered tow planes. On 02 December 2022, the United States Air Force rolled out its new, long-range, intercontinental, stealth, strategic bomber du

Purchase Chinese Fighters in Doubt After Budget Publication

China’s hopes for a multi-role fighter deal may have fallen through, after Argentine President Alberto Fernandez announced his $664 million defense budget. The JF-17 fighter was thought to be one of the front runners for the country’s upcoming fighter purchase, which would allow China to establish a foothold for its aerospace export products in South America for the first time.

Unfavorable Winds Aloft Delay Virginia is for Launch-Lovers Mission

The inaugural U.S. launch of Rocket Lab's Electron Rocket was to have been made on 18 December 2022 from the company's Launch Complex 2 at Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS). Regrettably, unfavorable winds aloft precluded safe spaceflight operations within the 18:00 to 20:00 EST launch-window. A subsequent liftoff will likely be attempted during the next launch-window, which opens 19 December at 18:00 EST.

New, Sustainable UAV on the Way Down Under

Australian UAV manufacturer Carbonix has joined hands with H3 Dynamics to develop a domestic, hydrogen-electric hybrid VTOL UAV. The new aircraft will be a first for the Australian continent, likely utilizing H3's recent developments in the field of hydrogen-electric propulsion systems. Recent developments saw the company's 'nacelle' technology be refined into a compact, high-output addition to any fixed-wing UAV, which will allow Carbonix UAVs to extend their range and performance manifold over an equivalent battery-powered aircraft.

From 2013 (YouTube Version): One Of The Most Popular SportPlanes Gets A Safety Enhancement

In the world of sport aviation, you can never get enough of a good thing... especially when that good thing is a safety enhancement for one of the most popular SportPlanes in recent memory. Whole-airframe emergency recovery systems for Vans RV-7 and RV-9 are now available from BRS Aerospace. The "bag deployed" system meets the ASTM Standard F 2316-12 for recovery parachutes.

Municipality Stretches its Might Over Township Airspace

A town in Ohio jailed a commercial pilot recently, following up on a Springfield Township arrest warrant for a 2019 overflight of a YSU home football game. Christopher Wilkinson was booked into the local Mahoning County Jail on charges of "inducing panic and disorderly conduct" incurred when he flew a Cessna near the press box and Stambaugh stadium lights in full view of the audience. His ultimate stay in jail was likely worsened by his failure to appear in court for a trial on his charges last November.

Airbus Avionics "Executive Expert" Serge Germanetti Chosen for Top Award

The Vertical Flight Society has announced Airbus’s Serge Germanetti as the next recipient of the 2023 Alexander A. Nikolsky Honorary Lectureship. The Lectureship is awarded to “an individual who has a highly distinguished career in vertical flight aircraft research and development and is skilled at communicating technical knowledge and experience", a fine fit for the specialist.

Witnesses Reported That They Observed The Airplane Break-Up Inflight

On November 18, 2022, at 1019 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 208B EX Caravan, N2069B, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Snohomish, Washington. All four occupants were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 test flight. The operator, Raisbeck Engineering, holds the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for an aerodynamic drag reduction system (DRS) on the Cessna 208B. The accident flight was part of the testing for Raisbeck to expand the applicability of that DRS to the Cessna 208B EX model.

Aero Linx: International Ryan Club

International Ryan Club: The International Ryan Club is a community dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of pre-WWII Ryan aircraft. Help us keep the Ryan flyin! Members enjoy access to a network of Ryan enthusiasts, technical resources, vintage publications and the ability to post questions, events, news, photos, and classified ads to community forums.

Pilot’s Discretion

When used in conjunction with altitude assignments, means that ATC has offered the pilot the option of starting climb or descent whenever he/she wishes and conducting the climb or descent at any rate he/she wishes. He/she may temporarily level off at any intermediate altitude. However, once he/she has vacated an altitude, he/she may not return to that altitude.

“When we [first responders] arrived, we were pleased that we didn’t see a big plume of smoke, nothing like that, so we felt like, ‘OK, thoughts and prayers with the pilot, maybe they’re going to be fine.’” Source: White Settlement, Texas, police chief Chris Cook comments about arriving on the scene of an F-35B mishap.