The Solar-Powered Helicopter First Became Airborne At 0334 EDT

Monday, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet. The Ingenuity team at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California confirmed the flight succeeded after receiving data from the helicopter via NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover at 0646 EDT. “Ingenuity is the latest in a long and storied tradition of NASA projects achieving a space exploration goal once thought impossible,” said acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk.

Two More Contests Were Just Added

The 2021 aerobatic contest season is coming back in full force! 28 contests has been scheduled and recently two more were added to the contest calendar - Super D Tango and SoCal Surprise bringing the total scheduled contests up to 30. IAC chapter 24 has confirmed the Super D Tango is scheduled to continue with their tradition of a one-day contest in Akroville, Texas on Saturday, July 10th. This is a one-type of airplane, one category contest where no one has any airplane or category advantage over another!

HAI Gives Itself Temporary Name Change To Honor Flight

Helicopter Association Interplanetary (HAI) is thrilled to acknowledge the inaugural flight of the Mars helicopter, marking the first powered, controlled flight of any aircraft on another planet. The tiny rotorcraft, named Ingenuity, made a very brief flight on the red planet, approximately 178 million miles from Earth. In a flight lasting about 30 seconds, the tandem-rotor aircraft lifted to a height of about 10 feet, then turned to take a picture of the Perseverance Rover before settling back onto the Martian soil.  Now that Ingenuity has made a successful flight, this technology demonstrator mission could lead to larger aircraft and more robust missions.

NEAM Is The Largest Aviation Museum In New England

The Board of Directors of the New England Air Museum has announced the selection of Stephanie Abrams, Principal of AbramsMediaWorks, for Executive Director, effective June 1. Abrams will succeed the current Executive Director Debbie Reed, who is retiring after more than 31 years of service. Abrams has served as a key member of various communications teams providing B2B services for Fortune 500 companies. Her work has included extensive assignments with major aerospace companies including Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and Engine Alliance, among others.  In addition, Abrams has broad and deep experience as a writer, director, producer and host of television shows.

There Are Times When Klyde Voices the Obvious Like No Can...

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

From 2015 (YouTube Version): A Watch Company Dedicated To The 'Women In Aviation' Community

Somehow ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell, doesn’t strike you as a “high fashion” kind of guy, but he stepped forward at Sun ‘n Fun 2015 to check the fashion news at the Abingdon Watch Company display. He met up with Abingdon Watch Company Crew Member and Chief, Abingdon Welch. Welch showed Jim their newest women’s aviation watch, named Katherine. It’s available in 8 different colors and features unique aviation-related functions that have not been seen before in any watch designed for aviation use. In

Virtual Format Can Expand To 170 Participants

Applications are open for this year’s Air Force Youth Programs’ Virtual Teen Aviation Camp. Applications are due no later than April 14. The virtual camp, held in partnership with Air Force Aero Clubs, is June 14-25 and offers an introduction to the field of aviation and opportunities for careers and leadership roles within the Air Force and Space Force.

One Engine Or Both Engines Were Making “Continuous Sputtering/Backfiring” Sounds

On April 5, 2021, about 0950 central daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, N5018Y, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Springfield, Tennessee. The flight instructor and the commercial-rated student pilot were seriously injured. The instructional flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight was operated by Highland Rim Aviation, LLC, and the purpose of the flight was to conduct multi-engine training in the twin-engine airplane. The local visual flight rules instructional flight departed from Springfield-Robertson County Airport (M91), Springfield, Tennessee about 0947. According to witn

AD 2021-08-01 Prompted By Maintenance That Resulted In Damage To Certain LPC Blades

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) RB211 Trent 768-60, RB211 Trent 772-60, and RB211 Trent 772B-60 model turbofan engines. This AD was prompted by maintenance that resulted in damage to certain low-pressure compressor (LPC) blades, resulting in increased susceptibility to cracking in the LPC blade root. This AD requires initial and repetitive inspections of the blade root of certain LPC blades and re-lubrication of the LPC blades and LPC disk. Depending on the results of the inspections, this AD requires replacement of the LPC blades. As a terminating action to the inspection and re-lubri

AD 2021-09-03 Requires Repetitive Replacements Of The ELT Antenna

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Canada Limited Partnership Model BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of the failure of emergency locator transmitter (ELT) antennas. This AD requires repetitive replacements of the ELT antenna and repetitive inspections for damage of the exterior fuselage skin around the ELT antenna attachment area, as specified in a Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD becomes effective May 4, 2021.

Aero Linx: The Center for Wildlife and Aviation The Center for Wildlife and Aviation engages the resources of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott with other institutions including the Federal Aviation Administration, United States Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services, Department of Defense-Air Force and Navy, Bird Strike International committee, and other concerned entities.

Procedure Turn Inbound That point of a procedure turn maneuver where course reversal has been completed and an aircraft is established  inbound on the intermediate approach segment or final approach course. A report of “procedure turn inbound” is normally used by ATC as a position report for separation purposes.

“Now, 117 years after the Wright brothers succeeded in making the first flight on our planet, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has succeeded in performing this amazing feat on another world. While these two iconic moments in aviation history may be separated by time and 173 million miles of space, they now will forever be linked. As an homage to the two innovative bicycle makers from Dayton, this first of many airfields on other worlds will now be known as Wright Brothers Field, in recognition of the ingenuity and innovation that continue to propel exploration.” Source: NASA Associate Administrator for Science Thomas Zurbuchen, as part of his announcement of a name for the Martian airfield over which the flight of Ingenui