Super Heavy Launch Operations Lining Up to Enhance 

Florida residents will be able to weigh in on the issue of SpaceX Starship launches from Kennedy Space Center Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral before the operations are approved. The FAA is considering up to 44 Starship launches per year in its Florida backyard, and locals will have a chance to weigh in on the proposition. Changes to the operational tempo, reusability of the Super Heavy Booster, and new construction add some variation to previously laid 2019-era plans. As such, the FAA is looking for public input before they go further in the process, making sure they cover all their bases. Public comments will be accepted through June 24th, 2024.

Official Trade-In Program Helps Reuse Serviceable Parts with Manufacturer Expertise

Hartzell has continued to expand its product offerings for current operators, this time announcing a purchasing program for serviceable cores and serialized parts. The program is open to fleet operators, MROs, and aircraft owners themselves. The change is aimed at reducing overhaul lead times, while giving buyers options to acquire parts that hit the sweet spot between usable and affordable. Now, Hartzell will accept a customer propeller for any general aviation make or model, and accordingly reduce the purchase price of a new or used piece.

Continuing the Tradition of Pioneering Women in Aviation

The Air Race Classic will launch from Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) in Carbondale/Murphysboro on Tuesday July 18 and terminate 2,610 statute miles later on Saturday July 21 at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL) in Loveland, Colorado. The annual competition of planning, strategy, skill, and teamwork goes back 95 years to the 1929 Women’s Air Derby when twenty pilots raced from Clover Field in Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland, Ohio, where the National Air Races were held.

Airfield Hit Deep Behind Russian Lines

The Ukraine Defense Intelligence Agency (GUR) announced on Sunday that it had destroyed one of Russia’s most advanced Su-57 fighter jets in a drone attack on the Akhtubinsk airfield about 589 km (365 mi) inside Russia. The agency displayed before and after satellite images of the field that it says show the aircraft damaged after the strike. The popular pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Fighterbomber claimed that shrapnel from a multiple drone strike on Saturday damaged the jet.

Nine Others Also Lost In Military DO 228

Saulos Klaus Chilima, Vice President of Malawi, along with all nine others aboard were killed when the military aircraft transporting them went down in the dense Chikangawa forest in northern Malawi in southeast Africa. Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera made the announcement and said he was “deeply saddened and sorry” when he addressed the Malawian people on Tuesday. The plane disappeared from radar while flying in poor weather on a flight from the capital city of Lilongwe to Mzuzu, 250 miles to the north. Chilima had been scheduled to attend the funeral of former government minister Ralph Kasambara who had died four days earlier.

New Program Offers Education, Networking Benefits

A new partnership will add some extra niceties for those under the National Business Aviation Association's umbrella, providing Clay Lacy Aviation's services under a special pilot program for members. Clay Lacy will create NBAA operating memberships for its managed aircraft clientele, granting access and eligibility to a "variety of key benefits" from both partnered groups. Once in, members can gain entrance to premier events, networking opportunities, professional development programs, webinars, discounts, information resources and volunteer opportunities through the NBAA’s various committees and professional groups.

'SiriusJet' Hopes to Provide Guilt-Free, Fast Personal Travel for 4

Sirius Aviation AG is unveiling their concept for the CEO Jet, a hydrogen-powered luxury business jet at the MOVE Expo in London. The SiriusJet is the "first hydrogen-powered regional VTOL aircraft," according to the manufacturer, with a range of 1,150 miles and 323-mph cruise. The jet was officially displayed for the first time on June 10th on the Expo's main stage, giving Sirius Aviation CEO Alex Popov some time to show it off to those in attendance. Sirius says it tapped BMW Group Designworks while designing the aircraft, "blending state-of-the-art technology with elegant design."

The Rotax Powered Carbon Cub UL Impresses

A Carbon Cub running a Rotax 916 has long been on the short list of "why don't they..." aircraft, and Cubcrafters made good on the concept this year. At Sun 'n Fun 2023, they announced they'd be going full speed at integrating the top-of-the-line turbocharged 160-horsepower engine, and they managed to bring out out a mere year later. It's not quite ready for production yet, though, since the excellent weight savings of the light little Rotax lets them refine and optimize the rest of the plane for maximum performance and payload.

Also: Aerox 'Cylinder Sentinel', Annual TBM Reunion, Hubble Pause, Utah AAM 

A combined Spanish-Portuguese aerobatic demo team suffered a fatality at the Beja AirShow, when one of their aircraft clipped another during a performance. The show was held in the southern region of Portugal, the performing team's own backyard given their base in Ponte de Sor. Apparently, the lost pilot was the only one to die, with the other making a landing without incident. Electra has successfully achieved the first high-performance ultra-short flight operations of its piloted blown-lift hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing(eSTOL) demonstrator aircraft (EL-2 Goldf

Also: Aerox 'Cylinder Sentinel', Annual TBM Reunion, Hubble Pause, Utah AAM 

A combined Spanish-Portuguese aerobatic demo team suffered a fatality at the Beja AirShow, when one of their aircraft clipped another during a performance. The show was held in the southern region of Portugal, the performing team's own backyard given their base in Ponte de Sor. Apparently, the lost pilot was the only one to die, with the other making a landing without incident. Electra has successfully achieved the first high-performance ultra-short flight operations of its piloted blown-lift hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing(eSTOL) demonstrator aircraft (EL-2 Goldf

Pilot’s Failure To Maintain Airplane Control While In The Airport Traffic Pattern

Analysis: The pilot reported that he had returned to the airport for landing after conducting a local personal flight. He was performing a lefthand traffic pattern and was turning from base leg to final approach when the airplane departed controlled flight and impacted a flat dirt field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that he did not remember any of the events after the airplane entered the airport traffic pattern except for radio calls that he made and that the airplane operated normally during the flight.

Aero Linx: Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST) We are a public–private initiative to enhance worldwide flight operations safety in all segments of the vertical flight industry. Team members comprise international regional safety teams; safety authorities, including civil aviation authorities; and other industry stakeholders that work to improve global vertical flight safety.

Dead Reckoning Dead reckoning, as applied to flying, is the navigation of an airplane solely by means of computations based on airspeed, course, heading, wind direction, and speed, groundspeed, and elapsed time. 

We're Everywhere... Thanks To You!

Even with the vast resources and incredibly far-reaching scope of the Aero-News Network, every now and then a story that should be reported on slips through our fingers. There's a lot of news out there, and sometimes we just don't get to all of it. Fortunately for us, we realized early on we couldn't be everywhere at once -- curse the laws of physics! -- so we came up with the idea of News-Spies. Just as the title suggests, a News-Spy is a reader who notices a news item -- be it in the newspaper, on television, or something they came across at their own airport, town hall, at the office water cooler or just by walking down the street -- basically, any item a reader may think is newsworthy, that pertains to the wo

“NBAA has a tremendous responsibility to the business aviation industry, and we are constantly collaborating with them. Our flight departments, professionals and aircraft owners gain from advocacy, professional development and an incredibly robust and authoritative resource hub. In the business of business aviation, NBAA plays a critical role in achieving our goals, and fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.” Source: Joe Barber, Chief Commercial Officer for Clay Lacy Aviation, detailing a new partnership will add some extra niceties for those under the National Business Aviation Association's umbrella, providing Clay Lacy Aviation's services under a special pilot program for members.