Deep Water Renders Salvage Uncertain

In an ill-advised move likely to move the Eastern and Western worlds nearer open conflict, Russia is hastening to secure the wreckage of a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone gone down in the Black Sea after a 14 March collision with a Russian Su-27 fighter jet. Notwithstanding Moscow’s denial of responsibility for the incident, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, on Wednesday, 15 March, asserted before a Russian state television audience that Kremlin authorities were endeavoring to retrieve the drone’s wreckage.

St. Augustine Communities Get Boost to Flight Operations for Rescue, Survey Capability

Bell Textron inked a purchase agreement for one Bell 407GXi aircraft to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) of St. Augustine, Florida. The aircraft will join the office's Aviation Operations Unit and undertake missions throughout the local area and its surrounding counties, including a number of smaller communities including Ponte Vedra, Hastings, Switzerland, Crescent Beach, Tocoi, Bakersville, Picolatta, Orangedale, Fruit Cove, Summer Haven and Vilano Beach.

In Consideration of Skyleader, a Moniker Well-Earned: One of the 1000+ SportPlane Profiles Destined For The Next SportPlane Resource Guide

Skyleader (formerly Jihlavan) has evolved from a designer of simple light and ultralight aircraft such as the Z90 and TP41 to a veritable bastion of sophisticated modern aircraft such as the Skyleader 600—a sleek and lovely machine eminently and equally conducive to recreational flying and pilot training.

Hail to the Chief

Australian Graeme K. Windsor has been named the new President/CEO of the International Skydiving Museum & Board of Trustees. Mr. Windsor succeeds James F. “Curt” Curtis, III, who was elected to the position in 2014. Since his first jump over Papua New Guinea in October 1968, Mr. Windsor has devoted his life to skydiving. He has won numerous Australian National Championships medals in such disciplines as style, accuracy, para-ski, and formation skydiving and competed extensively in FAI World Championships, winning the 1982 Team Accuracy bronze medal in Luzenec, Czechoslovakia.

Historic Aircraft Acquired by Noted YouTuber James Webb

The King is dead; he has been since 1977. Elvis Presley’s 1962 Lockheed JetStar, however, lives on—as it were—and may soon be repurposed after a fashion likely to please neither Elvis fans nor adherents of aviation history.

Association Accepting Reservations for Fall Summit

The National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) is planning a roster of educational presentations at Lakeland, Florida’s Sun ‘N Fun Aerospace Expo—the Sunshine State’s largest convention which, in 2023, spans 28 March through 02 April.

Dauntless Air Caps Exercise with 99.3% Fleet Availability for Wildfire Season

Aerial firefighting company Dauntless Air announced their readiness for the 2023 wildfire season following a successful excercize for the whole team, from ground staff to pilots. Dauntless now sports a fleet of 17 Fire Bosses, double the number of its operational assets 5 years prior. Recently, the company tested out 9 of their water-scooping aircraft at the company's 2-week annual training, allowing company personnel to practice a high-tempo, fleetwide, integrated operation.

Also: 2023 Sun ‘N Fun Pilot Guidance, Pilatus Update, Illegal Tech Sale, Navy Drops Males From Super Bowl

Diamond Aircraft and Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) expressing the two entities’ intention to jointly explore and develop means by which flight-training may be undertaken more sustainably. Among the most emotional and poignant traditions of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) annual AirVenture fly-in will again be observed in 2023. One-hundred Vietnam War veterans will be honored on 28 July with a Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight by which they will be transported from Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s

New Saudi Air-Carrier to Launch in Style

Boeing and Riyadh Air announced on 14 March 2023 that the new Saudi Arabian carrier—in pursuit of its aspiration to grow Saudi Arabia’s air transport network—has chosen Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner as the basis of its wide-body fleet. The proven, long-range aircraft will facilitate the nascent air-carrier’s global launch and support its goal of operating one of the airline industry’s most efficient and sustainable fleets. Owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and based in the Saudi capital city from which it takes its name, Riyadh Air has committed to purchasing 39 787-9 jets while retaining options for an additional 33 specimens of the fuel-efficient model.

The Wreckage Debris Field Extended About 0.9 Miles Southwest Of The Main Wreckage

On February 24, 2023, at 2114 Pacific standard time, a Pilatus PC-12/45, N273SM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Stagecoach, Nevada. The pilot, and four passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 air ambulance flight.The flight, operated by Guardian Flight LLC, doing business as Care Flight, departed Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), Reno, Nevada, to transport a patient to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah.

Also: Freezing SkyGuardian, Vertiia Test Flight, USCG Balloon Search, USAF Task Force 99

Nampa, Idaho’s Spirit of Flight Foundation museum announced that a rare WWII era Culver target drone has been donated to the museum’s collection. Spirit of Flight Foundation president Gordon Page stated: “We have had a Culver PQ-14 Target Drone on our wish list for years, but there aren’t many left of the over three-thousand built.” Australian developer Kite Magnetics announced the completion of their 120-kilowatt electric propulsion unit (EPU), a small, self-contained alternative to traditional light sport engines. Their model sports a well-

Also: 2023 Sun ‘N Fun Pilot Guidance, Pilatus Update, Illegal Tech Sale, Navy Drops Males From Super Bowl

Diamond Aircraft and Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) expressing the two entities’ intention to jointly explore and develop means by which flight-training may be undertaken more sustainably. Among the most emotional and poignant traditions of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) annual AirVenture fly-in will again be observed in 2023. One-hundred Vietnam War veterans will be honored on 28 July with a Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight by which they will be transported from Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s

Aero Linx: Airborne Ministries Airborne Ministries helps in worldwide Christian evangelism by training and equipping nationals and missionaries with a compact, self-contained video projection system to enhance and enable their outreach efforts using the Jesus video and other Christian media tools. They also take short-term evangelistic trips to expose American Christians to another culture, acquaint them with the effectiveness of aviation evangelism using the Jesus video, and to minister the life changing Gospel message.

Notice To Air Missions (NOTAM) A notice containing information (not known sufficiently in advance to publicize by other means) concerning the establishment, condition, or change in any component (facility, service, or procedure of, or hazard in the National Airspace System) the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations.

"This is a very significant piece of history as it was the only jet Elvis bought with his father. Elvis always wished to support his father's entrepreneurial endeavors, especially after losing his mother so early. Elvis loved and respected his father very much and this jet is a piece of him and his father's heart." Source: From a letter written by Priscilla Presley, that accompanied Elvis Presley’s 1962 Lockheed JetStar, after its recent sale.