New Second-In-Command to Serve Under… Who?

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) veteran Chris Rocheleau was recently sworn in as the agency’s Deputy Administrator. He will serve as the acting chief while we await the new president’s formal pick. Finding - and keeping - a suitable FAA Administrator has posed a challenge over the last several years.

Demonstrator Aircraft Set to Break the Sound Barrier on January 28

On its journey to restoring supersonic commercial air travel, Boom has confirmed that its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft is ready to break the sound barrier for the first time. The event will be livestreamed on January 28, taking place in the same airspace where Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time almost 80 years ago.

Industry Shows Signs of Another Year in an Extreme Pilot Shortage

As most pilots know by now, the aviation industry has faced a nearly continuous labor shortage ever since the effects of COVID-19 began to wear off. Though at first the issue seemed to straighten out, all signs are now pointing at a serious lack of pilots in coming years.

Flight Training Europe to Acquire 20 New Piper Archer DX

On January 23, Piper Aircraft announced its fleet deal with FTEJerez, or Flight Training Europe, for 20 Archer DX training aircraft. The first half of the lot was delivered last December. The 20-aircraft deal is Piper’s second large Archer DX fleet agreement this month.

Double Power Output, Can Transport 50% More Payload

UK-based Windracers announced the unveiling of the ULTRA MK2, its next-generation autonomous cargo UAV that is designed for middle-mile logistics and compared to its predecessor, has double the power generation and able to carry up to 150 kg in payload while also realizing a significant reduction in fuel costs.

De Havilland Aircraft Will Deliver Three To SkyAlyne For Training

The government of Canada announced that SkyAlyne has been awarded the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The program is designed to deliver training services to the RCAF to maintain a multi-purpose and combat capable air force.

IDIQ Deal To Modernize Imaging Surveillance Systems

Teledyne FLIR Defense announced it has been awarded a five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide updated modern imaging surveillance systems to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).

Enables In-House Maintenance, Inspections, Mods For Rapid Turnarounds

Northern Jet of Grand Rapids, Michigan, announced it has acquired an FAA Part 145 Repair Station certification, allowing it to perform in-house maintenance, repairs, inspections, and modifications of its fleet of twenty aircraft ranging from light to heavy jets. Bringing these services internally will lead to streamlining operations, faster turnaround times and reduces its reliance on third-party providers.

Replacement Selected, Now Funds Need Approval

The City of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, knows its police department is in need of a new helicopter to replace its aging Airbus H120 and in fact, a replacement has already been chosen and city council has been asked to consider a lease-to-own agreement for a new H125.

Also: Daher Delivers 82 in '24, Boeing Deliveries, Missing Pilot Found, New Glenn Orbits

It's been a week of highs and low for the space biz... but none quite as heart-breaking as the loss of the orbital ‘ship’ of Starship 7... just seconds after the equally heart-pounding second catch of the Starship booster some 7 minutes into the mission. It appeared to be a textbook test, at first, but about the time that the ‘ship’ section of the vehicle was due for engine shutdowns and orbital insertion, the vehicle experienced what SpaceX reported as an ‘anomaly’ and all telemetry dropped out. Piper Aircraft announced a fleet de

Airplane’s Nose Gear Settled Back Onto The Runway, It Then Sank Into The Soft Turf, And The Airplane Nosed Over

Analysis: The airplane was departing from a wet, turf runway. The pilot reported that during the departure roll the airplane began to veer to the right and was not travelling fast enough when he attempted to takeoff. The airplane’s nose gear settled back onto the runway, it then sank into the soft turf, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder.

From 2017 (YouTube Edition): Company Will Refurbish An Older Helmet, Offers New Ones As Well…

Not every pilot has a need for a flight helmet, but for those that do, it is definitely a necessary piece of equipment. Recognizing that need, FlightHelmet.com set out to build a line of helmets that meet the needs of today's pilots, and will also refurbish a favorite helmet if you have one you just can't part with. GM Bell, owner of FlightHelmet.com, told ANN news editor Tom Patton that the company's basic helmets can be configured with a variety of electronics to suit the pilot's particular mission.

Aero Linx: E-9A The E-9A is a twin turboprop used as a surveillance platform to ensure the Gulf of Mexico waters are clear of civilian boaters and aircraft during live missile launches and other hazardous military activities. The E-9A provides support for air-to-air weapons system evaluation, development and operational testing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

Class C Generally, that airspace from the surface to 4,000 feet above the airport elevation (charted in MSL) surrounding those airports that have an operational control tower, are serviced by a radar approach control, and that have a certain number of IFR operations or passenger enplane ments. Although the configuration of each Class C area is individually tailored, the airspace usually consists of a surface area with a 5 nautical mile (NM) radius, a circle with a 10NM radius that extends no lower than 1,200 feet up to 4,000 feet above the airport elevation, and an outer area that is not charted. Each person must establish two-way radio commu nications with the ATC facility providing air traffic serv

“Even people who have flown supersonic hundreds of times never stop getting excited about it...” Source: Mike Bannister, former Chief Concorde Pilot for British Airways who flew nearly 7,000 hours at supersonic speeds -- and will be hosting a livestream covering the first supersonic flight of the XB-1.