Also: Airborne-Special Editions Reports On Some Amazing Aspects Coming To SnF23!
Welcome to this special edition of Airborne. As we continue to prepare for the 49th rendition of the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo, now less than a week away, SnF Boss, Gene Conrad has kept the Lakeland staff busy with all manner of new updates and improvements. In this chat, we continue with even more cool stuff... starting out with FIGHTERS! Gene starts out the this chat with some cool news about their F-14 restorations and some even cooler news about the all the fighter action we can expect this year. There will be NO limit to the firepower at SnF23! He also provides some details about their Fly-In Style program and all the benefits to be found form
“While we had anticipated the final National Championship Air Races in Reno would be one of our best, we never imagined it would be so popular that the demand would overload our servers within a half-hour of tickets going on sale!"
On Friday, 17 March 2023, the producers of the latest Mission: Impossible film, titled Dead Reckoning Part Two, relented in their attempts to obtain permits for dozens of helicopter landings on Svalbard. Citing concerns over disturbances to arctic wildlife, Norwegian authorities refused to grant permission for more than forty helicopter landings requested by film production concern PolarX. The decision was predicated primarily upon section 73 of the Svalbard Environment Act, which requires traffic on the archipelago “not to damage or degrade the natural environment … or lead to unnecessary disturbance of people or wildlife.”
Between 2008 and 2023, ten accidents involving aircraft operating under FAR Part 91 and FAR Part 135 occurred during circling maneuvers following both IFR and VFR approaches. Compelled by this disproportionately high incidence of mishaps, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has made public augmented guidance germane to circling maneuvers—which it encourages aviators of all experience levels to review and reflect upon.
On 22 March 2023, the Santa Monica Airport Association, a group dedicated to the airport and its preservation, published a survey in the printed and digital iterations of the Santa Monica Mirror, the city’s weekly, community newspaper. Subject survey posed two simple questions: Should Santa Monica close the Airport? If you think the airport should close, what should the site be converted to? It's time for America's pilots to weigh in, and in so doing, perhaps help save one of the U.S.'s most historic and iconic airports.
SUN ‘n FUN, the Lakeland, Florida non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of aviation education and renowned for the annual week-long fly-in and airshow of the same name, announced on 22 March 2023 that its longstanding partnership with leading aviation job website, JSfirm.com will continue in 2023. The two entities will jointly host the 10th Annual SUN ‘n FUN Career Fair—a networking event featuring a broad cross-section of aerospace employers and savvy showgoers aspiring to become employees thereof.
Also: Air Force One Livery, Task-Based Phase I Guidelines, AirVenture Pattern Changes, Enstrom Rotor Governor
CubCrafters has achieved an unprecedented and, frankly, remarkable feat of aeronautical engineering and airmanship by landing one of its fixed-wing Carbon Cub aircraft on the heliport of the United Arab Emirates’ world-famous Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. The Bull’s Eye landing event was performed with with a specially-modified version of the bestselling CubCrafters’ aircraft on the 78-foot-diameter helipad—which is itself suspended 696-feet above sea-level atop the iconic 56-story hotel. The Association of Professional Warbird
Axiom Space, the Houston-headquartered, American, privately-funded space infrastructure developer, has made public its new space-suit design—a sleek, black, orange, and blue ensemble to be worn, more or less, by NASA astronauts as they explore the Lunar south pole during the space agency’s planned 2025 Artemis III mission.
Also: Air Force One Livery, Task-Based Phase I Guidelines, AirVenture Pattern Changes, Enstrom Rotor Governor
CubCrafters has achieved an unprecedented and, frankly, remarkable feat of aeronautical engineering and airmanship by landing one of its fixed-wing Carbon Cub aircraft on the heliport of the United Arab Emirates’ world-famous Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. The Bull’s Eye landing event was performed with with a specially-modified version of the bestselling CubCrafters’ aircraft on the 78-foot-diameter helipad—which is itself suspended 696-feet above sea-level atop the iconic 56-story hotel. The Association of Professional Warbird
Also: AeroVironment's JUMP 20, Top Aces Buys into EpiSci, Augmented Reality TF-50, All-Electric eDA40
A UK-based medevac company has announced a partnership with PAL-V for the use of their Liberty flying car. The Liberty combines aspects of an aircraft with the terrestrial mobility of a traditional automobile, providing the best of both capabilities with access to speedy, ubiquitous road infrastructure. The PAL-V will see use as a fast response vehicle, with paramedics and doctors able to arrive on scene faster and more efficiently to begin treatment sooner than any other method. General Atomics snagged a new contract with the U.S. Air Force Special Operation
Also: AeroVironment's JUMP 20, Top Aces Buys into EpiSci, Augmented Reality TF-50, All-Electric eDA40
A UK-based medevac company has announced a partnership with PAL-V for the use of their Liberty flying car. The Liberty combines aspects of an aircraft with the terrestrial mobility of a traditional automobile, providing the best of both capabilities with access to speedy, ubiquitous road infrastructure. The PAL-V will see use as a fast response vehicle, with paramedics and doctors able to arrive on scene faster and more efficiently to begin treatment sooner than any other method. General Atomics snagged a new contract with the U.S. Air Force Special Operation
Delta Air Lines announced that it will imminently launch a pilot academy dedicated to training the air-carrier’s next generation of aviators. The Delta Propel Flight Academy, operated through the airline’s Propel Pilot Career Path Program and in partnership with training provider Skyborne Airline Academy, will open its doors to the first class of students in June 2023 and is now accepting applications from interested candidates.
Jetson, the electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) company whose race-car inspired, commercially-available Jetson ONE personal eVTOL has seen consistent and substantial growth in the US market, announced on 20 March 2023 that Stéphan D’haene has been named the company’s new CEO.
From 2012 (YouTube Version): Retired AOPA President Still Understands What An Association Must Do To Serve An Embattled Industry
It's been nearly four years since Phil Boyer stepped down as the president of AOPA at the end of 2008. When Boyer took the controls in 1991 (only the third president in AOPA’s 69-year history), the GA industry was in crisis, beaten down by product liability lawsuits. He helped pass the General Aviation Revitalization Act, which turned
When On A 2-Mile Final Approach To The Runway, The Instructor Issued A “Mayday” Transmission
On March 5, 2023, at 1459 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N8149R, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Lindenhurst, New York. The flight instructor and one passenger were seriously injured, and the second passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to preliminary air traffic control radar flight track and communication data, and statements to law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the “discovery flight” was a gift from one passenger to her mother.
ACLT is a flight’s frozen calculated landing time. An actual time determined at freeze calculated landing time (FCLT) or meter list display interval (MLDI) for the adapted vertex for each arrival aircraft based upon runway configuration, airport acceptance rate, airport arrival delay period, and other metered arrival aircraft. This time is either the vertex time of arrival (VTA) of the aircraft or the tentative calculated landing time (TCLT)/ACLT of the previous aircraft plus the arrival aircraft interval (AAI), whichever is later. This time will not be updated in response to the aircraft’s progress.
“While we had anticipated the final National Championship Air Races in Reno would be one of our best, we never imagined it would be so popular that the demand would overload our servers within a half-hour of tickets going on sale! We are so humbled and appreciative of the enthusiasm from our air race family and are pleased to report that the ticketing came back online within a relatively short time. We will stay on top of the situation and provide further updates as necessary, but we feel the situation is resolved as of now. Given the apparent demand, we highly encourage our fans to stay up-to-date by following us on Facebook, Reno Air Racing Association, monitoring our newsletters and e-blasts, and purchasing tickets early to join us this September.”
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