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March 21, 2017

Airborne-Unmanned 03.21.17: Heron 1 FOC, Canadian UAVs BVLOS, Quad Inspects C17

Also: Terra Drone, senseFly partners with MicaSense, Quadcopter Topology Optimization

The Heron 1 UAV has attained Full Operational Capability (FOC), allowing two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) squadrons to operate, maintain, and deploy the UAV. The UAV will be operated by a team that is compiled of UAV Pilots, Air Imagery Intelligence Experts and Air Force Engineers. The Heron 1 UAV, which Singapore received in 2012, will provide Singapore’s Armed Forces with stronger situational awareness and enhanced mission effectiveness on the battlefield. The UAV is capable of performing a plethora o

Also: VIP TFR Relief, Aero-Calendar, ACC CoC, C17 Drone Inspection, Flamingo Air, TSA Shame, NBAA Scholarships

One of the most persistent, if not outright obnoxious, anti-airport NIMBY fights just won’t go away... even after numerous legal defeats and many thousands of dollars of losses. Members of the group Citizens for Quiet Skies in Boulder County, CO are not giving up in their quest to force Mile-Hi Skydiving to stop flying near their homes. In 2015, a Boulder District Court Judge denied every claim brought in a lawsuit by the group, which contends that Mile-Hi Skydiving owner Frank Casares is

Also: Terra Drone, senseFly partners with MicaSense, Quadcopter Topology Optimization

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Airborne 03.21.17: Longmont NIMBYs, Lost Orbiter, Airline Transparency

Also: VIP TFR Relief, Aero-Calendar, ACC CoC, C17 Drone Inspection, Flamingo Air, TSA Shame, NBAA Scholarships

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FAA Has No Rules For Data Collected By Drones

Aircraft Can Photograph People, License Plates Of Cars, Gather Other Information

The director of the FAA's Office of Unmanned Aircraft systems says that the agency has not set forth any rules for companies that collect data, either purposely or incidentally, using drones.

Third Aircraft Joins The Flight Test Fleet, Fully Assembly Line Flow Commences

The third aircraft in the Cessna Citation Longitude flight test program recently completed its first flight. Test pilots Corey Eckhart and UJ Pesonen, along with flight test engineer Mike Bradfield, successfully tested various systems throughout the one-hour and 40-minute flight. The aircraft will be used in the program for avionics and systems development, as well as collecting flight simulator data.

NATA Files Amicus Brief With Supreme Court In Support Of Bombardier

Asks For Review Of IRS Decision To Impose Excise Taxes On Flexjet

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) filed a Friend of the Court brief in support of member company Bombardiers’ request the U.S. Supreme Court review a Fifth Circuit ruling upholding an IRS decision to apply federal transportation excise taxes to the management fees of its then fractional operation subsidiary, Flexjet.

Will Be Interred In Private Ceremony In Carbondale, IL

The remains of one of the volunteer "Flying Tigers" who helped defend Burma and China from the Japanese early in WWII have been identified and returned to his home state of Illinois for burial.

Airlines Adding 110,000 More Seats Per Day To Accommodate Rise In Demand

Setting a new record-high for spring travel, Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, expects 145 million passengers – nearly 2.4 million per day – to fly globally on U.S. airlines between March 1 and April 30, an increase of 4 percent over last spring’s 140 million passengers. Accordingly, airlines are adding 110,000 seats per day across their networks to accommodate the 89,000 additional daily passengers expected to fly on U.S. carriers during this period.

Offer Being Considered 'Very Seriously' By The Company

Aircraft manufacturer PM&E, Inc. announced Friday that it has been approached and offered 12,000,000 USD for the purchase of Evada Aircraft.

Says Multiple Issues Would Need To Be Resolved, And That Takes Time

The apparent support for privatizing Air Traffic Control in the FY2018 budget released the Trump White House last week has brought strong reaction from both sides of the issue, with airlines generally in favor of the move and GA and business aviation largely opposed.

Company Started With 18 Employees In A Vacant Hangar In Montreal, Canada

Founded on Saint Patrick's Day in 1947, CAE has launched a year of celebrations with its 8,000 employees worldwide to commemorate its 70th anniversary. CAE is today a global training company headquartered in Montreal.

Airbus To Open First Fully Owned Training Facility In Asia

To Prepare Next Generation Of Pilots And Maintenance Engineers

Airbus is setting up a greenfield training facility at Aerocity, New Delhi, to support India’s growing need for Airbus aircraft pilots and maintenance engineers. The ground-breaking for the Airbus India Training Center was performed by P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Hon’ble Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Tom Enders, CEO, Airbus in the presence of Jayant Sinha, Hon’ble Minister of State for Civil Aviation.

Judge Calls Stunt 'Unconscionably Stupid'

In July of 2015, Calgary, Canada business owner Daniel Boria tied 100 industrial-grade helium balloons to a lawn chair and took off over the city in a stunt he said was intended to promote his cleaning business.

Has Undergone Seven Months Of Maintenance And Repair Work

The last airworthy de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen may fly again sometime in April, according to a report from Navy Wings in the U.K., which is restoring the aircraft.

Was The First Official Mission For The Cecil County, MD Sheriff's New Aircraft

Nearly $400,000 in stolen construction equipment was located by the Cecil County, MD Sheriff's Office using one of its two recently-purchased drones, according to the department. .

Of All the Foes GA Has Faced, Will Privatization Be the Worst Yet?

News/Analysis/Commentary by Jim Campbell, ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief As feared, the long-awaited ‘other shoe’ has dropped… and in a way that may determine the ultimate health and well-being of the GA community for the foreseeable future. After much speculation, the President has denoted that he is inexplicably in favor of ATC Privatization…. Despite the damage done by similar programs all around the world and the over-whelming evidence that the result would be a selfish power-grab by the airlines that may come to decimate our ranks – even more so than they are already. There is much that the President claims to stand for

Cuts DOT, Increases Funding For TSA

President Trump has released his fiscal year 2018 budget blueprint to Congress. The plan, named “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again,” requests $16.2 billion for the Department of Transportation’s budget, a 13 percent decrease from the 2017 annualized CR level. It also requests $44.1B for the Department of Homeland Security’s budget, a 7 percent increase from the 2017 annualized CR level.

AMA Drone Report 03.16.17: OK Bill v Drones, Irish FPV, Mandated Geo-Fencing?

Also: AMA Expo East, Red Bull Watching Drones, Overgrown Drone? eHang's 184

OK... it’s time for yet another questionable bit of drone legislation... though this one may take the cake. A bill just sent to the full Oklahoma Senate for consideration would protect property owners from civil liability if they destroy a drone that is over their property without permission. According to the text of Senate Bill 660, "Any person owning or controlling real estate or other premises who voluntarily damages or destroys a drone located on the real estate or premises or within the airspace of the real estate or

System Operational At Five Airports In The New York Metro Area

Data Comm, the NextGen technology that enhances safety and reduces delays by dramatically improving the way air traffic controllers and pilots talk to each other, is up and running at five airports in the New York metropolitan area: JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Teterboro and Westchester.

Fines Are Much Higher Than In The U.S.

The Canadian government had released new regulations for recreational drone operators that carry hefty penalties for violators.

Company Is Building The World’s First State-Of-The-Art High-Volume Satellite Manufacturing Facility

OneWeb Satellites LLC broke ground Friday to mark the beginning of construction on its estimated $85 million high-volume satellite manufacturing factory in Exploration Park, Florida.

Eight Youth Introduced To Aviation On Saturday

On Saturday March 18, 2017 members of the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534 flew 12 Young Eagles in private planes at the Leesburg International Airport at Leesburg, Florida.

Notice Sent To Workers Warning Of Staff Reductions

Boeing has sent a 60 day notice to workers at its Washington State factories that "involuntary layoffs" have been scheduled for May.

Yuneec USA Confirms Staff Reductions

Reports Are As Many As 70 Percent Of American Division May Lose Their Jobs

An undisclosed number of employees of Yuneec USA will be losing their jobs, the company confirmed on Friday.

Also: Gone West: Bill Brennand, Airport Theft, Night Carrier, Heli Museum, Seat Belts, China Drones, Canadian Launch Site

President Trump's proposed budget has, regretfully, come down on the side of a privatized air traffic control system... and stirred up a HUGE hornet’s nest among the aviation community who have opposed this concept for decades. The budget "Initiates a multi-year reauthorization proposal to shift the air traffic control function of the Federal Aviation Administration to an independent, non-governmental organization, making the system more efficient and innovative while maintaini

“Data Comm is helping to keep flights departing on time throughout the New York area. This significantly improves flight operations throughout the nation’s airspace, since one-third of all flights in this country each day fly to, from or through New York airspace.” Source: FAA Deputy Assistant Administrator for NextGen Pamela Whitley.

An authorization by air traffic control for the purpose of preventing collision between known aircraft, for an aircraft to proceed under specified traffic conditions within controlled airspace. The pilot-in-command of an aircraft may not deviate from the provisions of a visual flight rules (VFR) or instrument flight rules (IFR) air traffic clearance except in an emergency or unless an amended clearance has been obtained.

FAA Performance Based Flight Systems Branch

Performance Based Navigation (PBN) is comprised of Area Navigation (RNAV) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and describes an aircraft's capability to navigate using performance standards.