Collectibles Around, but Not for Long

PlaneTags has finished up a run of plates using some of the castoff skins of the upper wings from the Experimental Aviation Association's B-17 Aluminum Overcast. The skins were taken off in March of 2014, when the aircraft was overhauled and stripped down for a much needed refurb. The EAA has put up 8 different variations, since the removed skins had black, white, and silver sections to choose from. Most of the time, ones with some kind of striation or paint application seem to do better on the secondary market, so the "partial black paint" or riveted pieces will likely prove popular in years to come. Expect to pay about $110 on the lower end for a plainer tag, and about $165 for the more interesting variants.

Stefanik's Work Hides Behind First Responders to Gut the Affordable Drone Market

The Drone industry has raised its hackles regarding the Drones for First Responders Act introduced by Congressional rep Elise Stefanie, describing it as a boon to the EMS/Fire/Police crowd at the expense of the recreational and commercial drone industries. "While on the surface, this bill makes a lot of sense, and I believe the industry is on board with what the Congresswoman is trying to do for First Responders (in addition to farmers and ranchers, as well as those who work with critical infrastructure), that’s where our support ends," said Vic Moss of the Droning Company.

Flight Sim Association Studies the Age-Old Question

The Flight Simulation Association completed a survey of pilots and air traffic controllers across the country, looking to quantify the exact impact of home-based flight simulation on their resulting training. While it's long been said that flight simming is more harm than good, cementing bad habits and inflating egos in a phase that can't handle too much of either. That's been pushed back on in younger generations, however, as flight simulation became more advanced, and physical control setups came down in price. The Association found that for Private Pilot students, those who used the flight sim saved about 5.5 hours of training time - not too shabby when Skyhawk time seems to settle around $150

Nexus Full-Scale Technology Demonstrator Should Fly Next Year

Textron has successfully connected the two halves of the fuselage of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), Nexus, full-scale technology demonstrator. This significant milestone involves joining the central sections of the aircraft that are designed to seat passengers. “Since the formation of Textron eAviation, the team has been focused on vehicle design, performance confirmation and the build of our first full-scale technology demonstrator to test the control and functionality of the aircraft,” said Kriya Shortt, president & CEO, Textron eAviation.

Paint Echoes Original Design of YF-16 in 1974

The U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demonstration Team showed off a brand new paint scheme to celebrate their 50th anniversary, mirroring the design of the original YF-16 prototype from 1974. The pain design took much longer than they'd expect, stretching a 3-week job into 8 weeks after all was said and done. The team worked with the 412th Test Wing to ensure it was done correctly, since their logistics manager Tony Accurso would be directing the Edwards AFB F-16 50th Anniversary celebration. He became their go-to for historical accuracy, ensuring the resulting paint scheme would be a spot-on evocation of the original prototype.

Partnership Brings 4AIR Programs, Software to UASITS Portfolio

UAS International Trip Support has started up a strategic partnership with 'aviation sustainability solution leader', 4AIR to offer the latter's programs to clientele. 4AIR's programs include software covering voluntary sustainability initiatives, regulatory monitoring, compliance , and sustainable aviation fuel inventory management. UAS International Trip Support, despite its name, is a flight support business not so much related to drones and autonomous flight, but focused almost entirely on ensuring easy, friction-free passenger operations around the world. Their footprint already touches on a variety of industry groups and businesses, giving them access to suppliers, fuel producers

Klyde's Not A Fan Of The Buffoons At NPS, Either...

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Also: Samson Sky, CAF Great Plains Wing, New Cert Standards, Flying Start Day

There are, occasionally, blisteringly dunderheaded bits of governmental incompetence to be found with increasing regularity... but the most recent move by the Nat'l Parks Service leaves us shaking our heads and a bit ashamed of Uncle Sam. The leaders of the Arsenal of Democracy consortium had planned to execute a World War II aircraft flyover at Mount Rushmore on Memorial Day to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. It would have been grand... and NOT a sight to miss. Vertical Aviation International is worried that an NYC helicopter port is in danger of permanent cl

Also: Samson Sky, CAF Great Plains Wing, New Cert Standards, Flying Start Day

There are, occasionally, blisteringly dunderheaded bits of governmental incompetence to be found with increasing regularity... but the most recent move by the Nat'l Parks Service leaves us shaking our heads and a bit ashamed of Uncle Sam. The leaders of the Arsenal of Democracy consortium had planned to execute a World War II aircraft flyover at Mount Rushmore on Memorial Day to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. It would have been grand... and NOT a sight to miss. Vertical Aviation International is worried that an NYC helicopter port is in danger of permanent closure c

Also: ALPA Warns, ASA Updates Training Logs, Florida Teen Scholarship, Aviation Meteorology

The EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship program has seen its 500th student pilot graduate helped along the way, marking off a significant milestone for the group's most widely useful scholarship. The Ray Scholarship is funded by the Ray Foundation, but managed by EAA. That allows it to source candidates through its network of EAA chapters. Women in Corporate Aviation has announced the recipients of its Spring Scholarship Program, noting that they've had a record amount of applications in the last year. All in all, WCA saw more than 300 applicants for the scholarsh

Also: ALPA Warns, ASA Updates Training Logs, Florida Teen Scholarship, Aviation Meteorology

The EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship program has seen its 500th student pilot graduate helped along the way, marking off a significant milestone for the group's most widely useful scholarship. The Ray Scholarship is funded by the Ray Foundation, but managed by EAA. That allows it to source candidates through its network of EAA chapters. Women in Corporate Aviation has announced the recipients of its Spring Scholarship Program, noting that they've had a record amount of applications in the last year. All in all, WCA saw more than 300 applicants for the scholarship, mea

Also: VAI v Anti-Heli Actions, Electric Aircraft Symposium, 2024 FAA Drone/AAM Symposium, Gravitymaster

Blue Origin's seventh passenger flight ended with a smidgeon of drama when one of its 3 parachutes failed to fully deploy, forcing it to rely on its remaining 2 units. That's not the worst system failure in the world, since the triple-chute system sports redundancy as a baseline, but it's always a little discomfiting to rely on a backup whenever parachutes are involved. Women in Aviation International (WAI) members and friends will honor the valiant service of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) by visiting their graves and leaving an appro

First Pieces Of Wreckage Recovered At The Beginning Of The Path Consisted Of The Separated Elevator-Rudders 

On May 15, 2024, at 1202 central daylight time, a Beech V35-TC, N47WT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Franklin, Tennessee. The private pilot and the two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot departed from Louisiana Regional Airport (REG), Gonzales, Louisiana on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan about 0850 and was enroute to Bowman Field Airport (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky to pick up an additional passenger before returning to REG. The planned flight was about 550 nautical miles.

From 2020 (YouTube Version): First Flight Conducted In Early 2019

SyberJet Aircraft recently completed the first flight of its SJ30i aircraft featuring SyberVision, an all-new cockpit based around the Honeywell Epic 2.0 avionics suite, new ergonomic enhancements, electronic standby attitude/heading display, and much more. SyberJet conducted the flight out of its Engineering and Product Development Center at the San Antonio International Airport (KSAT) and kicked off an 18-month certification test program which will culminate in an amende

Deal Helps Bolster Development Process on Road to Production for Helix eVTOL

Pivotal signed an 'Other Transaction Authority' contract with the US Air Force and its AFWERX Agility Prime program, providing them with access to testing facilities, segregated airspace, and "expert resources" for a 2-year term. The firm sees the contract as a very solid step in the right direction, where they'll be able to make the best use of government testing facilities and space to keep up developmental pace on their Helix eVTOL. “This OTA (Other Transaction Authority) Contract with the USAF is our first direct-to-government contract and only our second DoD related transaction. We see this as a strong vote of support for the mission potential of Pivotal&r

Aero Linx: Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA) The Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA) is a non-profit association formed in 1961 as Canada's voice for business aviation. Since its inception, CBAA has assumed an increasing role in its advocacy for Canadian business aviation interests. With a membership of approximately 400 companies and organizations, including operators, management companies and suppliers, CBAA represents the entire business aviation community with a unified and collective voice.

Mach Technique [ICAO] Describes a control technique used by air traffic control whereby turbojet aircraft operating successively along suitable routes are cleared to maintain appropriate MACH numbers for a relevant portion of the en route phase of flight. The principal objective is to achieve improved utilization of the airspace and to ensure that separation between successive aircraft does not decrease below the established minima. 

"While on the surface, this bill makes a lot of sense, and I believe the industry is on board with what the Congresswoman is trying to do for First Responders (in addition to farmers and ranchers, as well as those who work with critical infrastructure), that’s where our support ends..."  Source: Vic Moss of the Droning Company, voicing his agreements and disagreements with an effort by Congressperson Elise Stefanik to limit certain drone operations here in the US.