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August 29, 2019

Airborne 08.28.19: StarHopper Hops!, Starliner Delay, Earnhardt Prelim

Also: FAA Recruiting 737 MAX Pilots, 777X First Flight Delayed, Swedish Air Ambulance PC-24s, New PMA Continental Engine Replacement Parts

Despite a truly last second abort of the final Starhopper test flight on Monday (which turned out to be a minor technical issue that Elon Musk called “...Embarrassing,” the SpaceX Starhopper made its last hop late Tuesday afternoon -- perfectly. The 57 second flight saw a planned maximum altitude of 500 feet, as well as a precision landing near the center of an adjacent landing pad. The Starhopper test was the last flight of this vehicle and was never int

Also: SpaceX Drone Footage, University Agriculture, More Drone Restrictions, AMA Expo 2019

No one is above a little panic... not even the FAA. The Feds are warning the general public that it is illegal to operate a drone with a dangerous weapon attached. Perhaps you’ve seen online photos and videos of drones with attached guns, bombs, fireworks, flamethrowers (though there are legitimate commercial uses for such things...), and other dangerous items. Do not consider attaching any items such as these to a drone because operating a drone with such an item may result in significant harm to a person a

Also: SpaceX Drone Footage, University Agriculture, More Drone Restrictions, AMA Expo 2019

More Videos

NTSB Releases Preliminary Report In Gyrocopter Fatal Accident

Pilot Had Not Intended To Fly The Aircraft, According To Family Members

The NTSB has released a preliminary report from an accident which occurred August 19th in Wisconsin that fatally injured the pilot of a Sport Copter Vortex Gyrocopter.

Launches Fall 2019 Public Safety UAS Research Survey

DroneResponders, the world’s fastest growing non-profit program supporting public safety UAS, has officially surpassed 600 member public safety agencies who are operating drones.

First Prototype Conducting High-Altitude Tests In South America

Earlier this month, the second prototype of the new five-bladed H145 took off for its maiden flight at the Airbus Helicopters site in Donauwörth. The helicopter will be used for additional flight tests to achieve EASA certification of the new five-bladed H145 in early 2020.

TSB Canada Releases Report On 2019 R66 Accident

Finds ELT Was Not Turned On, Delaying Location Of The Wreckage

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report (A19O0026) into the collision with terrain of a Robinson R66 helicopter near Timmins, Ontario, in March 2019.

Will Provide Subject Matter Expertise On Issues Related To Safety And Security

The Regional Airline Association has appointed Nobuyo Reinsch as Vice President of Aviation Safety & Security. She joined RAA’s staff on August 21. Reinsch was most recently Director of Government Affairs-Security for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).

Second Qualification Test For Launch Abort System ACM

NASA, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) and Lockheed Martin recently successfully completed the second qualification test of its Attitude Control Motor (ACM) for NASA’s Orion spacecraft Launch Abort System (LAS). Preliminary results indicate all eight high pressure valves on the motor performed as expected under hot temperature conditions. The qualification test is a critical step toward Artemis 2, the first crewed mission of NASA’s Deep Space Exploration Systems.

Nearly 190,000-Square-Foot Facility A World-Class Workplace And Customer Resource

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced it has officially expanded its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations at Wisconsin's Appleton International Airport with the opening of a newly built aircraft maintenance facility. The facility has been operational since Aug. 10.

Will Manufacture Up To 112 Wing Sets And Spare Kits For The Aircraft

Boeing (NYSE: BA) will continue its legacy of A-10 Thunderbolt II sustainment work under an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract award from the U.S. Air Force (USAF), with a maximum ceiling value of $999 million.

PA-28 Arrow Reportedly Caught Fire In Flight, Went Down In The Swiss Alps

An award-winning British music producer, his musician wife and their baby daughter were all fatally injured Sunday when the Piper PA-28 Arrow they were flying reportedly caught fire in flight and went down in the Swiss Alps.

Drone Causes Concern In California When It Followed Two School Children

Mother Of The Drone Operator Apologizes For The Incident

A drone which followed two boys as they walked home from school Monday in Escalon, CA caused a minor panic in the city, for which the mother of the boy operating the drone has apologized.

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PRODUCT: Certain Learjet, Inc. (Learjet), Model 60 airplanes

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PRODUCT: Certain Airbus SAS Model A300 F4-600R series airplanes.

Also: AIR PIX Selfie Drone, Another NIMBY City, Drone Food Delivery, 'Monumental' Drone LIDAR Map

While the Federal regulatory scene is getting a LOT of attention from AMA theses days, they remind us that they haven’t state and local regulatory issues go ignored. Many of the state legislative sessions have come to an end for the current cycle. This year, we continued to see many UAS-related proposals. However, as legislators begin to have a better understanding about the importance of our long-standing hobby, most of these bills were not overly concerning. Depending on the proposed restrictions or

Changeover Became Effective August 27

The FAA has transitioned to mandatory use of the international flight plan format for all IFR and VFR domestic and international civil flights, effective August 27 at 0500 EST. The change is part of an effort to modernize and streamline flight planning and supports the FAA’s NextGen initiatives.

Will Collaborate On Development Of An Environmental Protection Program On Nation Lands

The Oneida Indian Nation announced today its partnership with Syracuse-based nonprofit NUAIR to further enhance the Nation’s ability to monitor, observe, manage and protect its lands and environmental resources via drone technology.

U.K. Army Couple Embarks On Fundraising Trip In The U.S.

Plan To Fly To Each Of The 48 Contiguous United States In Record Time

Two members of the U.K. Army have embarked on a three-week journey that will take them to all 48 contiguous United States in a Cessna 150 in an attempt to set a world record and raise money for charity.

On Track To Nearly Double From 2018 To 2019

The FAA has seen a surge in Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) requests for Special Government Interest airspace authorizations for law enforcement and public safety activities related to wildfires and hurricanes.

Eleventh Annual Event Planned For First Week In September

The Midwest LSA Expo begins its second decade this September. The free event features many Light Sport Aircraft, including Part 103, STOL (Short Take off and Land) and Gyroplanes on one easily accessible and demo friendly flightline.

GBSAA COA Decreases Cost Of RPA Flight Operations

The FAA has granted a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations by utilizing a Ground-based Sense and Avoid (GBSAA) system. The GBSAA system provides an alternative to using a more costly and operationally restrictive chase aircraft.

Achieved An Altitude Of 500 Feet Before Landing Back At Separate Landing Pad

After a technical glitch scrubbed its launch as the countdown clock ticked down to zero, the SpaceX Starhopper prototype got off the ground Tuesday evening in its final test flight.

“The Oneida Indian Nation is fundamentally committed to environmental protection. Our partnership with NUAIR on this exciting new project will enable the Nation to not only continue but enhance our stewardship of the environment, and to ensure its preservation now and for future generations.” Source: Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter.

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (08.29.19): Drag Curve

The curve created when plotting induced drag and parasite drag.

DIY Drones

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV, colloquially known as a "drone") is basically an aerial robot. As we define it, it is capable of both remotely controlled flight (like a regular RC aircraft) and fully-autonomous flight, controlled by sensors, GPS, and onboard computers performing the functions of an autopilot.