Oshkosh Popularity Pushed Backlog Beyond 2022

Coming hot on the heels of a successful AirVenture showing, Bearhawk Aircraft has announced increased production at its factory to meet increasing demands for their Bearhawk quick-build kits. The company has expanded their offerings in recent years, to plan and kit-form for 5 models in all. The original Bob Barrows designed Bearhawk 4-Place, the 2-seater Patrol, and their newest addition, the Model 5. Introduced in 2020, the Model 5’s 6-person seating and 300+ horsepower engine selections made it an attention-grabber at AirVenture.

Also: Flight Safety Foundation, Laser Strike On USCG Aircrew, Airport Infrastructure, Gogo AVANCE Upgrade

Gulfstream has taken the wraps off two all-new aircraft -- the Gulfstream G800, the longest-range aircraft in Gulfstream history, and the Gulfstream G400, an airplane they call the first new entrant to the large-cabin class in more than a decade. The G800 offers customers the longest range in the Gulfstream fleet with its 8,000-nautical-mile range at Mach 0.85 and 7,000-nm range at Mach 0.90. The G800 is powered by Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines and features the Gulfstream-designed wing and winglet introduced on the Gulfstream G700. William Shatner,

Fun for All at this Fall Florida Festival

The date is set for the 2nd annual ACE’s Sun n’ Fun Holiday Fly-In Festival and Car Show, at their Florida Expo Campus. Taking place on December 3rd and 4th, the expo is a fine excuse to head down and enjoy the temperate Florida autumn. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit scholarship programs and education at the Aerospace Center for Excellence. Any Sun n’ Fun event will sport some of the best aeronautical displays around, and the Holiday Festival is no exception.

Goal Is To Try To Maintain A 400 Knot Cruise And Ceiling Up To 41,000 Feet

Stratos Aircraft presents its newest debut, a single engine VLJ, the Stratos 716X. The experimental version will use the proven Pratt & Whitney JTE-5 with an eye towards flight testing for certification under part 23 in 2026 with delivery of aircraft in 2028. Fred Hadlich, Program Director, goes over a bit of what makes it so special. Geared for the owner/operator, the 716X is competitive with popular turboprops like the TBM or Epic 1000, even smaller bizjets like the Citation Mustang. The certified version should entice a section of the market less int

Group Essay Cites “Growing Unease” During Launches

A group of self-described former and current employees of Blue Origin released an essay citing issues they claim endanger the future of commercial spaceflight through a toxic corporate culture and safety-ambivalent leadership. In a release penned by Alexandra Abrams, Former Head of Blue Origin Employee Communications, and 20 others who have worked at the company, the group makes a series of claims they believe merit outside attention for the good of the industry. Ranging from a sexist, toxic culture dominated by white males; overworked and underfunded teams, and a focus on meeting timetables in the civilian space race over adequate safety precautions.

Widebody Twin War on the Horizon? 

Sources close to the usual buyers have spun rumors of Boeing’s upcoming release of an all-freight variant of the twin-engine 777X. Faced with flagging sales and deferred orders for passenger liners, whispers of Boeing’s courtship of large freight operators seems probable. So far, Singapore Airlines, FedEx, Deutsche Lufthansa, as well as their DHL unit have likely been offered the product, which could be announced at next month’s Dubai Airshow. Airbus has approved production for an A350 Freighter to be built by 2025, beating its Boeing equivalent to market by two years before the 777X freighter would be available. 

Expanding Portfolio Into Aerial Mobility, Rocketry 

Honda Motor Company recently released its ambitious "2030 Vision", an series of changes and projects geared towards future-proofing the company by integrating its wide range of expertise in combustion, electrics, aeronautics, and robotics into a series of products suited for a rapidly changing economy. Central to their new "mobility ecosystem" will be a hybrid gas turbine and electrically powered vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, currently dubbed the Honda eVTOL. Designed for local, city transportation, features a simple, robust structure, decentralized propulsive system, and relatively quiet arrangement of small diameter rotors. Honda notes their break from the competition in rely

Guard Air Station Kodiak Recovered 3 After Brief Search

A Coast Guard aircrew rescued stranded teens when their family reported them missing following a hunting trip. The teenagers, ages 13-16 were overdue to return when the Coast Guard received a request from Alaska State Troopers for assistance in the search. The missing teens had reportedly departed the day before aboard an 18-foot flat bottom vessel for a day trip when they did not return the night of October 4 as planned. One of the teens had used their cell phone at 1700 hrs the day of the trip, but not other indications could be found. The Coast Guard Jayhawk Helicopter was en route to the approximate search area, when an Alaska State pilot already searching on site found the teens and thei

Also: Warbirds Educational Program, KLM Flight Academy, Collegiate Connect Day, Skywest Partners with Skyborne

A bipartisan amendment, introduced by Representative Sam Graves (R-MO) and Representative Kai Kahele (D-HI), that would reverse the FAA’s recent policy on flight training has been accepted into the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The amendment, which encompasses the Certainty for General Aviation Pilots Act of 2021, would negate the FAA’s recent policy that requires virtually all training in experimental, limited, and primary categories to be conducted under a letter of deviation authority (LODA) or

Airplane Collided With A Fence And A Ditch Before Coming To A Stop

On August 30, 2021, about 0819 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N864ZLM, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at Grant-Valkaria, Florida. The private pilot and a pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the preflight, departure, and climb phases of flight were normal and uneventful. She leveled off at 7,500 feet and began to lean the mixture. While leaning, the engine rpm dropped below 1,000. She responded by increasing the mixture to full rich and applying full throttle; however, the engine did not respond.

Aero Linx: The Parachute Industry Association As evidenced by what we have accomplished over the last four decades, the Parachute Industry Association is committed to advancing the growth, development, training and safety of parachuting. At the foundation of our industry is a close-knit community of civilian and military skydivers worldwide … which is why at PIA we have always done this important work in tandem with – rather than on behalf of – our members.

Tetrahedron A device normally located on uncontrolled airports and used as a landing direction indicator. The small end of a tetrahedron points in the direction of landing. At controlled airports, the tetrahedron, if installed, should be disregarded because tower instructions supersede the indicator.