SULE Aircraft Hits Milestone With 24-Hour Flight

Swift Engineering announced that its Swift Ultra Long Endurance (SULE) aircraft reached an altitude of 55,904 feet MSL, more than doubling its previous altitude, in a flight that lasted more than 24 hours. The aircraft took off from and landed at Spaceport America (9NM9), in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The endurance of the flight opens up new possibilities for scientific research, environmental monitoring, and aerospace and defense applications with SULE deployed as a High-Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) aircraft.

Validating Design And Performance For Comfort And Reliability

Gulfstream Aerospace announced the first flight of its G800 outfitted with an interior to validate the cabin design and performance of the aircraft with a focus on the total passenger experience. The flight lasted an hour and 41 minutes and reached an altitude of 46,000 feet (14,021 meters) with a top speed of Mach 0.91. This is the third aircraft in the certification program and will do extensive and repetitive testing of all systems during all phases of flight. 

Cessna 207 Went Down On Shore Of Iliamna Lake

Guardsmen of the 211th Rescue Squadron, Alaska Air National Guard, assisted the U.S. Coast Guard in the rescue of a pilot of a Cessna 207 that went down on the northwest shore of Iliamna Lake on November 21, 2024. The Coast Guard dispatched an HH-60 Jayhawk from Air Station Kodiak, and the 176th Operations Group search and rescue duty officer dispatched the HC-130J Combat King of the 211th from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson after the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center was notified of the crash.

Joint Venture Company To Offer Air Taxi Flights In Japan

Soracle, a joint venture of Japan Airlines and global trading company Sumitomo, has signed a purchase agreement with Archer Aviation to purchase up to100 of Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft in a deal worth about $500 million. The purchase order comes three months after Soracle and Archer announced a pre-purchase agreement. Soracle plans to offer electric air taxi flights in Japanese cities with congested traffic or geographical barriers. Possible locations include Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hokkaido, Setouchi, and Okinawa.

Denton Program Delivered Aid Payload Donated By U.S. NGOs

Members of four nonprofit non-governmental organizations (NGOs) came to Soto Cano Air Base in Comayagua, Honduras, in mid-November to retrieve about 90 tons of relief aid of food and medical supplies delivered through the Denton Program.

Proposal Would Improve Infrastructure, Draw Key Airlines to Smaller Fields

Virginia legislators are set to review a proposal that would assist in the development and growth of its regional airports. The bill would redirect funds to constructing new infrastructure at smaller fields, drawing in major players in air transportation. Though these revenues aren’t considerable by any means, they could greatly assist in funding new aviation-related projects.

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The BushCat was manufactured in South Africa by SkyReach beginning in 2014, selling its first unit to a customer at EAA Oshkosh. It sold nearly 200 kits until April 2024 when it suspended operations. However, SkyReach just announced that the LSA is coming back into production under new branding as “Buchcat Aircraft Australia” with a new management team at the helm. The FAA has published its final rule on a number of regulations covering a smorgasbord of topics in general aviation that Congress mandated in its FAA Reauthorization Acts of 2018 and 2024 as well as the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. The Drone Racing League (DRL) is the premier professional drone racing circuit and it’s coming to Miami, Florida, with the DRL U.S. Air Force Miami Invitational on Saturday February 1, 2025, at l

Cuyahoga County Squadron Takes Top Honors And $5,000 Prize

For their experiment investigating the use of Faraday fabric to protect electronics from solar flares in the stratosphere and beyond, the cadets of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Ohio Wing’s Cuyahoga County Squadron took first place in the CAP’s Fourth High-Altitude Balloon Challenge. The squadron also won a $5,000 prize for their efforts.

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Elektra Solar recently put the first aircraft from its Elektra Trainer Fixed-Gear (FG) family into service. The electric aircraft will be used to train students at the Lorenzen Flight School in Landshut, Germany. The Elektra Trainer has been flying since 2011 and is a member of the German ultralight class. It is a modified version of the company’s Elektra One, given a longer fuselage and reinforced wings. The aircraft has an impressive 25:1 glide ratio, 1969 fpm climb rate, and 75 mph cruise speed. A V-22 Osprey, part of the Marine Corps HMX-1 presidential helicopter fleet, was grounded in the middle of a ferry flight transporting White House officials. A witness reported seeing flames under the aircraft’s right engine. SpaceX is aiming to increase its number of allowed launches from 5 to 25 next year. SpaceX’s launch license, set in 2022, currently p

Three-Year Competition Offers $2 Million in Prizes for Flyer Development

GoAero has opened team signups for its three-year competition aimed at developing new emergency response aircraft. The program, sponsored by a multitude of big aerospace names, offers a total of $2 million in rewards. Existing emergency flyers provide much-needed relief to responders, but lack several crucial factors. Helicopters are costly to purchase and operate, especially when trying to find a pilot. Drones are accessible and practical for search missions, but are unable to complete air rescues like traditional aircraft. That’s where GoAero comes in. The competition was created to develop the ‘world’s first’ compact, autonomy-based aircraft that is safe to fly, simple to operate, and effective for emergency rescue.