The other shoe has dropped... Kirk Hawkins, the driving force behind the Icon Aircraft program and a massive litany of mis-steps, is no longer the CEO of the foundering aircraft concern.
Icon is wrapping up the matter with as much positive spin as they can, though the company admits that Hawkins has resigned as CEO, and will reportedly stay on in "an undefined role" while President and COO Thomas Wiener will lead the company in the interim. Hawkins has been leading the company since its inception, and guided it through a series of blunders and broken promises that gave way to several minor and major accidents that tarred the image of an aircraft once touted for its safety features.
The FAA has made a determination that the Hoversurf Hoverbike S3 meets the applicability requirements of § 103.1(a), (c), and (e) -- making the device an ultralight aircraft, flyable by someone who does not hold a pilot certificate. Reps of the company met with the FAA to discuss the vehicle. "Based on the information and specification provided by Hoversurf, the SJC FSDO and AFS-800 have concluded that the Hoversurf Hoverbike S3 meets the applicability of part 103 rules for operation as an ultralight. Hoversurf has renamed the Hoverbike S3 to its new name, Hover One. The FAA has no objections to the name change." Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) Heather Wilson has sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) that is critical of what she says is "wasteful spending in the Department of Defense." The letter responds to Grassley’s request related to the procurement of special coffee mugs that can reheat liquids used aboard refueling tankers in flight. The mugs have
increased in price from $693 each to $1,280. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!
Airborne 11.12.18 is chock full of info in this Daily News Episode, Monday, November 12th 2018... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Hosts Laura Hutson, Brianne Cross, and Christopher Odom, and is supported by ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell, Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, and Aero-Journalist Tom Patton, this episode covers:
- The Other Shoe Finally Drops... Hawkins Out As CEO Of Icon Aircraft
- FAA: Hoversurf Meets Requirements For Part 103 Aircraft
- SECAF: $1,280 Coffee Cups Are 'Simply Irresponsible'
- SimCom Academy Selects Frasca For TBM910 FTD
- JAL Pilot Arrested For Being 10 Times Over Alcohol Limit
- Embraer And American Airlines Sign A New Contract For 15 E175s
- Aero-TV: Meeting Our Standards - The DeltaHawk Diesel Program
Get Comprehensive, Real-Time, 24/7 coverage of the latest aviation and aerospace stories anytime, at aero-news.net. And be sure to join us again for the next edition of "Airborne Unlimited" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, tomorrow!
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NTSB Final Report: Patriot Aircraft LLC CX1900A
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