Medals for Honor for Honorable Mettle

NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken will be awarded Congressional Space Medals of Honor during an afternoon ceremony on Tuesday, 31 January 2023. Hurley and Behnken will be honored for the bravery they demonstrated during NASA’s May 2020 SpaceX Demonstration Mission-2 (Demo-2) to the International Space Station. The ceremony will air on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app, as well as the agency’s Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channels.

Also: Illinois Ultralight Symposium, CAU/MyGoFlight, APFAS To Picket, AirVenture Performers

Founded as a subsidiary of 2Excel Aviation, the Blades Aerobatic Team, for 17-years, was the only full-time civilian aerobatic team in the UK. The Blades team comprised eight pilots, including five full-time display performers, all of whom formerly served in the British Royal Air Force as members of the storied Red Arrows Aerobatic Team -- but they are shutting it all down. Southwest Airlines continues to live down the consequences of operational shortfalls that egregiously and irreparably disrupted the holiday travel plans of thousands of its passengers. The airline—amidst the fallout of more than 16,000 flights canceled or delayed between 21 December and 31 December 2022—has agreed to provide pilots and other employees additional compensation for the concerted efforts they put forth during the year-end mayhem. he Society of Aviation and Fligh

In Service of Flight Training Organizations

Newly-founded to represent and safeguard the interests of U.S. professional flight training organizations, the Washington D.C.-based National Flight Training Association (NFTA) seeks to provide flight schools and aviation academies a unified voice by which to speak out on aerospace industry matters and legislation pertaining to such. The organization is led by CEO Lee Collins, a former airline pilot and flight training professional.

354th Fighter Wing Replaces 40-Year Old Aircraft with Updated 35-Year Old Aircraft

The 354th Fighter Wing accepted delivery of its first pair of F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Alabama Air National Guard. A trickle of the aircraft will make their way up to Alaska's Eielson AFB throughout the year, replacing fighters assigned to the 18th Aggressor Squadron. While the jets are 'new' to the unit up north, they're still fairly aged when stacked against the roster of 5th generation aircraft they face down as aggressors. Each year, Red Flag and Northern Edge frequently pit the F-16s against F-22s and F-35s, nemeses the older block Falcons can struggle to compete against without sufficient modernization.

Also: Navy T-6 Accident, IL Ultralight Symposium, BizAv Scheduler Certificate, UA Training Center

The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) has entered into a partnership with the Bob Hoover Legacy Foundation and Aero-News. This will bring the wealth of knowledge held by SAFE through cooperation with Aero-News programming. Throughout the series, the career of legendary aviator Bob Hoover will function as a throughline between lessons and topics, touching on aspects of his lengthy career to impart CFI essentials. The First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) flight training program remains open to students following a devastating 2022 fire that destroyed much of the institute’s campus and hangar facilities in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory of Ontario. External support from Canada’s aviation industry was pivotal to the program’s recovery and the rehousing of students displaced by the tragedy. Recent years have seen Canad

Phoenix Engine Development Facility to Ramp Up Testing of Next-Gen Blended Fuels

Honeywell received its first delivery of sustainable aviation fuel at its Phoenix Engines campus. The new fuel will allow Honeywell to kickstart development and production testing of upcoming auxiliary power units and engines at the site, as well as testing out units fresh from the field in their repair and overhaul facility. The SAF delivered was developed by World Energy of California using Honeywell’s UOP "Ecofining" technology.

Certification Workhorse Added to Haas Exhibit as Landmark in Civilian Flight

Avidyne Corporation has been recognized for its work in advancing the state of avionics, with the placement of their Entegra Avionics in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The Entegra was groundbreaking for its use in the SR22, being the "first single-engine piston aircraft certified with an all-glass-panel flight deck". The Thomas W. Haas We All Fly exhibit will sport a 2002 SR22 aircraft among its wares. The aircraft, number N266CD, was the first such glass panel aircraft to be certified by the FAA with a full PFD (Primary Flight Display) / MFD (Multi-Function Display) combination. 

Also: Hydrogen-Electric Engine, H3 Dynamics-Hylium, Hidden Level, Wisk Aero

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded Aurora Flight Sciences a contract to build a full-scale demonstration aircraft under the auspices of the agency’s Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) project. Subject program aims to design, build, and flight-test a novel X-plane that incorporates Active Flow Control (AFC) as a primary design consideration. Vertical Aerospace has inked a deal with Japan's Marubeni Corporation for the reservation of 25 VX4 eVTOL aircraft. The deal saw a pre-delivery payment for the reservation of upcoming delivery slots, making the firm Vertical's first Asian customer to put money down to reserve their spot in line. Marubeni's newly guaranteed slots come out of its earlier order of up to 200 VX4 aircraft, from their deal made with Vertical in 2021. On 20 January 2023, the Vertical Flight Soci

Pilot’s Controlled Flight Into The Ocean At Night

Analysis: While in cruise flight about 1,000 ft on a southbound heading over land in night visual meteorological conditions, the pilot requested flight following services and routing to the north “along the shoreline.” Air traffic control approved the request, issued the altimeter setting, and instructed the pilot to proceed offshore and “follow the shoreline northbound at or below 500 feet.” The pilot acknowledged the instructions and repeated the altimeter setting as the airplane began a descending left turn to the east.

Update: We've Moved!

Aero-News recently relocated its Global Headquarters from one aviation centric location... near Northeast Florida Regional Airport in St. Augustine... to a spot near both Cecil Field and Herlong Airport. So ...for anyone needing to contact ANN via snail mail, here is our updated address: Aero-News Network 1335 Kingsley Ave., #831, Orange Park, FL, 32067. 863-299-8680