“We’re Using A Different Process For Identifying And Confirming Future Air Show Dates..." 

About a month from now, on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, The International Council of AirShows (ICAS) will announce the confirmed dates for not less than 261 air shows in 2024 and 2025. “This will be a breakthrough year for ICAS and our convention delegates as it relates to the air show schedule announcements,” says Karen Connors, ICAS Director of Membership Services. “We’re using a different process for identifying and confirming future air show dates and ICAS Convention delegates will benefit from those improvements beginning at 10:00 a.m. PST on Tuesday, December 5, immediately following our general sess

Warbird Institution Enters the Jet Age

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) has added a Temco TT-1 Pinto, registration N4486L, to its world-leading collection of historic military aircraft. Unique within the CAF’s fleet, the TT-1 is the only jet-powered, post-World-War-II-era machine amongst the organization’s famed collection of reciprocating-engined warbirds. The acquisition of the TT-1 Pinto instantiates the CAF’s commitment to preserving aviation history and ensuring future generations of Americans come to know and appreciate the aircraft by which their freedoms have been so long and well protected and preserved.

Two-Minutes to Midnight

Painted in broad strokes, Archer’s Midnight is a single-pilot, five-passenger eVTOL aircraft evolved from an antecedent Archer design known as Maker, from which Midnight inherited a flight-architecture comprising 12 electric-motor/rotor assemblies: six five-blade tilt-rotors for forward and vertical flight, and six two-blade fixed-rotors for vertical flight exclusively. The entirety of the aforementioned motor/rotor assemblies are affixed by pylons to a single, high-wing of relatively high aspect ratio. The six tilt-rotor assemblies are positioned forward of said wing, while the six fixed-rotor a

Letting Lusaka …

Enstrom, the U.S. helicopter manufacturer based on Michigan’s Menominee–Marinette Twin County Airport (MNM), hosted aircraft mechanics hailing from the south-central African nation of Zambia during a week-long training event germane to the maintenance and repair of the company’s popular helicopters. The Zambian military recently purchased a number of Enstrom 480B turbine helicopters, deliveries of which are imminent. Subject aircraft will be used primarily to support pilot training operations; so state Zambian officials.

JHF Facility to Replace Extant Sorocaba (SOD) MRO

Dassault Aviation will open a new company owned service center at Sao Paulo’s recently opened Catarina International Executive Airport. The center will replace Dassault’s current facility at Sorocaba. Set to open in early 2024, the Catarina facility will offer nearly forty-thousand-square-feet of floor and office space and accommodate up to five Falcon aircraft at a time. It will be large enough for the new ultra-long range Falcon 10X, currently in development.

At the Nexus of Art and Aerospace Engineering

Fort Pierce, Florida-based LuxAero Designs, is launching its online website and showroom in advance of a planned, 14 November 2023 grand opening event. The company specializes in designing and crafting custom furnishings made from reclaimed and repurposed aircraft parts. LuxAero Designs sources materials from private aircraft sellers, auctions, and bone-yards. Stein and his team of craftsmen transform the parts into functional and stylish articles of furniture such as tables, chairs, lamps, shelves, and clocks.

Also: Dream Chaser Test, B-21 Taxi Testing, SpaceX Launch Sked, TX Drone Law 

Citizens of Lockeford, California and College Station, Texas are bracing for the rolling out of Prime  Air—Amazon’s much-anticipated drone delivery service—which the online giant debuted in the two towns. Amazon Pharmacy is a service by which College Station residents can have prescription medications delivered by drone. Intuitive Machines has announced jointly with SpaceX that liftoff of the IM-1 lunar mission is targeted for a multi-day launch window opening 12 January 2024. The Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission will be the company&rsq

Also: SpaceX Launch Frenzy, Suit Dismissed Against Archer, NATA Defends Pt 135, Dream Chaser Test

Van’s Aircraft is facing serious cash-flow issues resultant of a confluence of unfavorable events and circumstances... Van’s will take some time, spanning 27 October through mid-November 2023, to evaluate means by which to most comprehensively and efficiently satisfy builder concerns regarding laser-cut parts. Also, the company will review the costs of its parts and kits. During the aforementioned period, shipments of Van’s parts will be delayed, kit orders will not be processed, and refunds will not be issued. The Rotor X si

Full Circle, Via 80 Years and a World War

In mid-October 2023, Grace (Janota) Brown—a woman whose work during the Second World War earned her the distinction of being known thereafter as one of the Rosie the Riveters so utterly indispensable to the Allied war effort—visited the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center (NAEC) for purpose of being interviewed by a Dallas news outlet. During the war, Brown worked as a machinist in a Fort Worth, Texas plant operated by the Consolidated Aircraft factory. Her efforts contributed to the completion and fielding of the storied marque’s legendary B-24 Liberator heavy bomber—of which an astonishing total of 18,188 specimens were built between 1940 and 1945.

Also: Dream Chaser Test, B-21 Taxi Testing, SpaceX Launch Sked, TX Drone Law 

Citizens of Lockeford, California and College Station, Texas are bracing for the rolling out of Prime  Air—Amazon’s much-anticipated drone delivery service—which the online giant debuted in the two towns. Amazon Pharmacy is a service by which College Station residents can have prescription medications delivered by drone. Intuitive Machines has announced jointly with SpaceX that liftoff of the IM-1 lunar mission is targeted for a multi-day launch window opening 12 January 2024. The Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission will be the company&rsq

Also: SpaceX Launch Frenzy, Suit Dismissed Against Archer, NATA Defends Pt 135, Dream Chaser Test

Van’s Aircraft is facing serious cash-flow issues resultant of a confluence of unfavorable events and circumstances... Van’s will take some time, spanning 27 October through mid-November 2023, to evaluate means by which to most comprehensively and efficiently satisfy builder concerns regarding laser-cut parts. Also, the company will review the costs of its parts and kits. During the aforementioned period, shipments of Van’s parts will be delayed, kit orders will not be processed, and refunds will not be issued. The Rotor X si

Infrastructure Industries Rejoice

Skydio, the San Mateo, California-based manufacturer of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), has entered into a collaboration with Trimble, Inc., the Westminster, Colorado-based software, hardware, and services technology concern, by which the two companies seek to create an integrated workflow of accurate data capture, data visualization, and data analytics addressing the surveying, mapping, and inspection needs of critical infrastructure industries. Currently in its developmental stage, the collaboration will afford customers access to centimeter-level accuracy in survey and mapping projects through precise data capture, visualization, and analytics facilitated by Skydio’s autonomous drones integrated with Trimb

Airplane Entered A Climbing Right Bank Turn, Collided With A Power Transmission Wire, And Descended Into Tree

On October 24, 2023, about 0915 central daylight time, a Air Tractor AT-502B airplane, N5180W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Vidalia, Louisiana. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight. According to information collected by the Concordia County Sheriff’s Office, eyewitnesses observed the airplane apply seed to a nearby field and then flew to the east. The airplane entered a climbing right bank turn, collided with a power transmission wire, and descended into trees.

Aero Linx: International Airline Medical Association The International Airline Medical Association (formerly known as the Airline Medical Directors Association AMDA) provides a forum for any individual who has an interest in Aviation Medicine as it affects International and Domestic Airlines. It was founded in 1935. Its main aim is to improve the practice and standards of aviation and industrial medicine particularly in relation to domestic and international airline operations and to encourage research and the study of medical problems in these fields.

Decision Altitude (DA) A specified altitude (mean sea level (MSL)) on an instrument approach procedure (ILS, GLS, vertically guided RNAV) at which the pilot must decide whether to continue the approach or initiate an immediate missed approach if the pilot does not see the required visual references. 

“This will be a breakthrough year for ICAS and our convention delegates as it relates to the air show schedule announcements. We’re using a different process for identifying and confirming future air show dates and ICAS Convention delegates will benefit from those improvements beginning at 10:00 a.m. PST on Tuesday, December 5, immediately following our general session presentation.” Source: Karen Connors, ICAS Director of Membership Services, discussing new protocols for the upcoming convention.