Freight Operator Bleeding Pilots As Next Phase in NLRB Begins

Air Transport International pilots have authorized union leaders to call a strike now that the action is legally allowed in the negotiation process. ATI's 540-strong pilot base turned out in droves, with 99.7% voting in favor of a strike authorization according to ALPA. Management has been in the midst of negotiating a new contract for 3.5 years and the talks don't appear to fill the line pilots with much optimism. ALPA said that ATI has bled more than 33% of its pilot body over this year alone, and 25% last year. Aviators have bounced on to greener pastures, which seem to abound for those who sport the necessary command experience to apply elsewhere as a direct-entry captain.

1,000 SHP AGplane Offers Promising View of Future Performance

Wright Electric and Axter Aerospace capped off a successful flight test using their prototype hybrid-electric agricultural aircraft, proving the viability of a 1.2-Megawatt crop duster. The hybrid aircraft tested sports 800 kilowatts of shaft horsepower, or about 1,073 ponies in the old measure. Wright hopes that the aircraft will be a solid proof-of-concept for the brand's electric motor tech. Their Electric Propulsion Unit, or EPU, can be built with outputs up to 2 megawatts, with tested equipment showing 1.2 megawatts peak output with modern production pieces. That EPU has proven to be quite capable in its own right, falling back to 1.1 Mw of continuous output.

ELT 5000 Passes Muster with Boeing

ACR Electronics announced the successful completion of its comprehensive flight testing on 3 separate aircraft types for its cutting-edge ARTEX ELT 5000 Distress Tracking GADSS ELT. The ELT's inclusion of the next-gen Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System allows for much faster emergency geolocation when activated, providing enhanced levels of safety and peace of mind to those in the air and the ones worrying about them back on the ground. The ELT 5000 weighs a scant 5.6 lbs, and operates on the good ol’ 121.5 MHz and 406 MHz frequencies.

Also: AviaSim, Choose Aerospace, Enstrom Helicopter, Fred McCarter Scholarship

EAA notes that applications for 2024 EAA Aviation Scholarships will be accepted from 01 November 2023 through 01 March 2024. Flight training and post-secondary scholarships are available to all persons over the age of 16. Flight training scholarships help cover costs at any U.S. or Canadian flight school that isn’t a university program. The Illinois Ultralight Advisory Council, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics, and the Federal Aviation Administration, Springfield FSDO, are presenting the 42nd Annual IUAC Ultralight/Light S

Also: AviaSim, Choose Aerospace, Enstrom Helicopter, Fred McCarter Scholarship

EAA notes that applications for 2024 EAA Aviation Scholarships will be accepted from 01 November 2023 through 01 March 2024. Flight training and post-secondary scholarships are available to all persons over the age of 16. Flight training scholarships help cover costs at any U.S. or Canadian flight school that isn’t a university program. The Illinois Ultralight Advisory Council, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics, and the Federal Aviation Administration, Springfield FSDO, are presenting the 42nd Annual IUAC Ultralight/Light S

No Boom Operator Needed in A3R MRTT System

Airbus has completed a test campaign assessing its automatic air-to-air refueling (A3R) system using the A330 tanker and a bevy of Singaporean aircraft. The company said the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) proved viable in their testing, which used aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). The A3R system is hoped to see certification in the "first half of 2024" according to the manufacturer. 

Archer TX to Create 2,000 New Pilots Annually

Piper has nailed a large deal with AeroGuard Flight Training for 90 brand-new Archer TX aircraft, an order that will double their fleet to more than 200 of the brand's planes. AeroGuard Flight Training Center boasts 4 campus locations, with 3 in the USA and one Saudi Arabia. Between each campus, AeroGuard trains more than 2,000 students each year, sending them onto airlines around the world. The company's partnerships with a range of international carriers has seen their alumni pass through the flight decks of Cathay Pacific, SkyWest and Korea Aerospace University.

Longtime Airbus Client Emirates Places 100-Aircraft Order with Rival

Gossip from the Airbus camp at this year's Dubai Airshow has been interesting, particularly given the carrier's decision to snag 100 new aircraft. Reportedly, Emirates is "close to purchasing" more of its A350-900 aircraft, with fewer than expected thanks to the lackluster performance of those already in service. The current deal is supposedly on the rocks because their A350-900s have not had the best time in the hot Middle Eastern climate, demanding maintenance above and beyond the routine.

Online Course Helps Drone Ops with Simple Lessons

Tried and true aviation publisher ASA has announced a new online ground school course for use in those seeking a remote pilot certificate. The course is aimed beyond hobbyist, personal operations, providing the knowledge needed to make a living with a remotely piloted aircraft. Those in it for pay need a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small unmanned aircraft systems rating. As always, that demands they pass the required FAA Knowledge Exam (okay, "written" in airfield slang). Once passed, students can sport their newly minted Remote Pilot certificate w with a small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) rating and get to work with all the whiz-bang new commercial products on the small business drone

From 2017 (YouTube Version): Remembrances Of An Israeli Air Force Test Pilot

Early in 2016, ANN contributor Maxine Scheer traveled to Israel, where she had the opportunity to sit down with retired Israeli Air Force Col. Danny Shapira, who served 25 years in the Israeli Air Force. Shapira was among the first pilots for the Israeli Air Force, which was formed shortly after the State of Israel was established in 1948. He and several others, including some Americans and pilots from other countries, went to Czechoslovakia to train in Avia S-199 aircraft, a variant of the Bf 109. The pilots and the aircraft brought back from Czechoslovakia were instrumental in

Airplane Seemed A Little “Lethargic” During The Takeoff Roll

On October 26, 2023, about 1330 Pacific daylight time, an Experimental Amateur-Built Vans RV-12, N28BS, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Novato, California. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, the accident flight was the first flight following completion of a condition inspection, which included rebuilding both carburetors and replacement of cylinder Nos 1 and 3 ignition leads.

Aero Linx: National Agricultural Aviation Association National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) promotes the benefits of aerial application to the public and conducts programs and services to ensure the continued success of the industry.

Takeoff Hold Lights (THL) The THL system is composed of in-pavement lighting in a double, longitudinal row of lights aligned either side of the runway centerline. The lights are focused toward the arrival end of the runway at the “line up and wait” point, and they extend for 1,500 feet in front of the holding aircraft. Illuminated red lights indicate to an aircraft in position for takeoff or rolling that it is unsafe to takeoff because the runway is occupied or about to be occupied by an aircraft or vehicle.

“Now is the time for ATI to deliver a new contract that reflects the value we bring to the airline as highly skilled professionals. Our goal is to reach an agreement, not to strike. The ball is in management’s court, and it’s time for them to get serious at the bargaining table and invest in our pilots.”    Source: ATI's ALPA MEC chair Mike Sterling, commenting as Air Transport International pilots have authorized union leaders to call a strike now that the action is legally allowed in the negotiation process.