Also: Boeing Whistleblower, Joby Aviation, Aircraft Parts Bust, AF Crew Trains w USCG
Our Airborne schedule will be interrupted next week as we live-stream AEA2024. AEA Dallas 2024 is coming up soon, running from March 19th to the 22nd -- and the Aero-News network, in over 15 years of expert coverage, will bring you the very best of it LIVE at www.airborne-live.net. ANN LIVE Coverage of the 2024 AEA Convention and Trade Show Starts Tuesday, 03.19, at 0915ET With the New Product Introduction Session! LIVE Interview Segments Start at 1500ET, on Wednesday and 1200ET on Thursday! The initial bolus of investigative material has been published in the ongoing search into the cause of the fatal collision between a P-63 and B-17 at the 2022 W
After Years of Delays, the Lightning Graduates From Low-Rate Initial Production
The F-35 Lightning II, first taking to the skies in 2006, has finally been approved for full, genuine, actual showtime-ready mass production. There are almost a thousand of the fighters out there in the wild already, but they've been built under provisionary Low-Rate Initial Production guidelines, limiting the scope of orders and allowing a little more variation until they could definitively identify the final mark to run with. It's a very delayed milestone, coming more than 20 years after the Joint Strike Fighter program really got to work on designing it, but it's finally come to pass.
Read More
Pilot Stated That He Subsequently Lost Tail Rotor Thrust, And He Then Performed An Autorotation
On February 11, 2024, about 1130 Alaska standard time, a Robinson Helicopter R44 II, N74868, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Glacier View, Alaska. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. According to the pilot, while in cruise flight, with both aft doors removed, about 700 ft above an area of snow-covered glacial terrain, he heard a loud “boom” noise and felt a slight airframe vibration.
Read More