Also: CYGNSS Launch, Hoover Sabreliner Roll, Mesa Pilots, Bombardier CS300 TC, JetSuiteX, Mil-UAV Spending, CAP Helps Track Santa

Our first report provides a great way to start the new week because a long-awaited day in the GA community has finally arrived.

The FAA announced late last week that they have issued a final rule that overhauls the airworthiness standards for small general aviation airplanes. FAA’s new FAR Part 23 rule establishes performance-based standards for airplanes that weigh less than 19,000 pounds with 19 or fewer seats. It also promotes the use of industry consensus-based compliance methods for specific designs and technologies; a concept that was first introduced to general aviation through the light sport aircraft regulations. It’s a good thing we could start our report today with good news because back here at ANN HQ, the staff is scratching our collective heads over pictures that were published late Wednesday showing dozens of warehoused Cessna light sport Skycatcher airplanes meeting their demise. In the Story that ANN broke shortly thereafter, there were reportedly between 60 and 70 airframes being stored after Cessna/Textron made the move to withdraw the aircraft from production and sales that were shown being ripped up and crushed, with the appearance that the engines were still attached. After two aborted attempts, NASA and Orbital ATK launched a constellation of eight microsatellites using a Pegasus rocket released from Orbital's Stargazer L-1011 aircraft last week. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!

Airborne 12.19.16 is chock full of info in this Daily News Episode, Monday, December 19th, 2016... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Hosts Brianne Cross and Christopher Odom, and supported by ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell, Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, and Aero-Journalists Tom Patton, and Earl Downs, this episode covers:

• FAA Issues Final Rule On Small Airplane Safety Certification Standards
• Gulfstream G600 Takes Flight Ahead Of Schedule
• Demolition! Why Did Textron Destroy The Remaining Skycatchers? 
• Third Time's A Charm For CYGNSS 
• AVW: Bob Hoover's Final 4-Point Roll in the Sabreliner
• Mesa Pilots Beef Up Labor Dispute War Chest 
• Bombardier CS300 Jetliner Awarded Type Validation By The FAA
• JetSuiteX To Introduce Service For Everyone At Santa Monica Airport 
• Military UAV Spending Over $36.4 Billion Until 2022 
• Civil Air Patrol To Help NORAD Track Santa 

 
Get Comprehensive, Real-Time, 24/7 coverage of the latest aviation and aerospace stories anytime, at aero-news.net. And be sure to join us again next week for the next edition of "Airborne Unlimited" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, tomorrow!
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