Iconic Grumman Warplanes to Prowl Oshkosh

Four of Grumman’s most iconic WWII fighter aircraft will make a rare—and no-doubt spectacular—appearance at EAA’s AirVenture 2022. The Flight of the Cats will roar across Oshkosh skies as part of the afternoon airshows on 27 and 29 July. Spectators will be treated to the unforgettable sight and awe-inspiring sound of Grumman’s F-4 Wildcat, F-6F Hellcat, F-7F Tigercat, and F-8F Bearcat—all of which were developed within a remarkable, eight-year period between 1937 and 1944.

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Velocity, Inc—the Sebastisn, FL-based manufacturer of agile, high-performance, Long-EZ-inspired kit aircraft—has some big plans in the works. Big, in this instance, pertains to the six-place iteration the company is developing of its popular, four-place, V-Twin aircraft. Stretching a fiberglass / carbon-composite airframe 24-inches longitudinally and four inches both vertically and laterally is an ambitious undertaking, but one well-suited to Velocity’s decades of experience and aeronautical know-how.

Cargo Conversion Offers Green All Around

Embraer has received a firm order from an undisclosed customer for up to ten of its E-Jet, Passenger to Freight (P2F) conversions. The aircraft to be converted will come from the customer’s current E-Jets fleet, with deliveries to commence in 2024. Embraer’s E-Jet family is a series of narrow-body (four-abreast) short-to-medium-range, twin-engine, jet airliners. Introduced at 1999’s Paris Airshow, the family of 66 to 124 passenger aircraft has been a commercial success.

Amendments Sweeten Deal

Spirit Airlines has announced the signing of a second amendment to its previously announced merger agreement with Frontier Group Holdings, Inc., parent company of Frontier Airlines. The deal would see America’s two largest discount carriers come together to create the nation’s fifth-largest airline. Spirit’s Board of Directors, after careful review and consideration, concluded that the merger with Frontier is of greater financial and strategic benefit to Spirit stockholders than a rival offer tendered by Jet Blue Airlines.

Also: ALPA/Delta Letter, Hydrogen-Powered Airship, NJ Airport Improvements, Bahamas Nixes COVID Tests

Inflight testing of a Beechcraft King Air 350 fitted with Tamarack Aerospace Group‘s Performance SMARTWING  has confirmed predicted increases in endurance and payload, high/hot take-off abilities, extended loiter time, and inflight stability. Early comparative analysis of the flight-testing suggests a five-percent improvement in fuel economy during loiter-mission cruise; a ten-percent increase in climb-gradient; and a five-hundred-pound, “High/Hot” weight, altitude, temperature (WAT) improvement that correlates to almost two hour

Goodbye, Warthog. Hello, Falcon.

The 122nd Fighter Wing of Indiana’s Air National Guard is losing its 21, Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. So states a press release from Indiana Congressional Representative Jim Banks. The A-10s will be replaced by General Dynamics F-16 aircraft. “As the only Member of Congress from Indiana on the Armed Services Committee in the House or the Senate, facilitating the transition from A-10s to F-16s at the 122nd Fighter Wing has been one of my top priorities since I first arrived to Capitol Hill,” said Rep. Banks—whose candor and obdurate political tenor have earned him praise and criticism in equal measure.

Also: ALPA/Delta Letter, Hydrogen-Powered Airship, NJ Airport Improvements, Bahamas Nixes COVID Tests

Inflight testing of a Beechcraft King Air 350 fitted with Tamarack Aerospace Group‘s Performance SMARTWING  has confirmed predicted increases in endurance and payload, high/hot take-off abilities, extended loiter time, and inflight stability. Early comparative analysis of the flight-testing suggests a five-percent improvement in fuel economy during loiter-mission cruise; a ten-percent increase in climb-gradient; and a five-hundred-pound, “High/Hot” weight, altitude, temperature (WAT) improvement that correlates to almost two hour

“Right Downwind For 23, I Have No Power.”

On June 07, 2022, about 0930 Pacific daylight time, a Beech 77 Skipper, N18244, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident in Hemet, California. The student pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to the student pilot's flight instructor, the pilot was authorized to depart Redlands Municipal Airport (REI), Redlands, California and fly about 22 NM south to Hemet-Ryan Airport (HMT), Hemet.

AD 2022-13-16 Prompted By The Manufacturer Revising The Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS)...

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. (GEAC) M601D-11 model turboprop engines. This AD was prompted by the manufacturer revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the existing engine maintenance manual (EMM) to include a visual inspection of the centrifugal compressor case for cracks. This AD requires revising the ALS of the existing EMM to incorporate a visual inspection of the centrifugal compressor case. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective August 1, 2022.  

AD 2022-13-19 ... Also Requires Installing An Updated PRIM Software Standard

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2022-11-03, which applied to certain Airbus SAS Model A350-941 and -1041 airplanes. AD 2022-11-03 required revising the existing airplane flight manual (AFM), and revising the operator's existing FAA-approved minimum equipment list (MEL) by incorporating certain master minimum equipment list (MMEL) provisions, to include limitations and procedures to mitigate the risk of elevator failure during flare. Since the FAA issued AD 2022-11-03, an updated software standard for the PRIMary flight control computers (PRIMs) has been developed to address the unsafe condition. This AD continues to require the actions in AD 2022-11-03

Aero Linx: The International Federation of Airworthiness (IFA) IFA uniquely combines together all those with responsibility for policies, principles and practices concerned with the continuing airworthiness of civil transport aircraft throughout the world. The International Federation of Airworthiness (IFA) is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to improving aviation safety by increasing international communication, awareness and cooperation on all airworthiness issues and particularly that of continuing airworthiness.

Outer Fix An adapted fix along the converted route of flight, prior to the meter fix, for which crossing times are calculated and displayed in the metering position list.

Virgin Makes Ready for Fifth Go

Virgin Orbit, one of the companies within Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, is making ready to launch its somewhat prosaically named, LaunchOne Rocket. The mission, which will be the vehicle’s fifth, will carry payloads for the United States Space Force’s STP-S28A undertaking, and the United States Department of Defense’s Space Test Program. Exactly what Space Force and the DOD are up to is anybody’s guess—insomuch as the public receives scant information about classified government orbital payloads.

“As the only Member of Congress from Indiana on the Armed Services Committee in the House or the Senate, facilitating the transition from A-10s to F-16s at the 122nd Fighter Wing has been one of my top priorities since I first arrived to Capitol Hill..." Source: Indiana Congressional Representative Jim Banks, explaining his support of getting F-16s to the 122nd Fighter Wing of Indiana’s Air National Guard.