Malfunctioning Systems Need Some Investigation Before the Return Trip

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams managed to hitch a ride aboard the Boeing Starship on June 5th, arriving at the International Space Station after some stressful equipment oddities, leaks, and failures - but they're on track to come home on June 26th. Originally, the launch was intended to be a week-long live-fire test of the much-maligned and finicky Starliner, with all involved crossing their fingers that the flight would go off without a hitch and return back to Earth a proven launch apparatus. Instead, the outbound leg saw Starliner exhibit at least 4 helium leaks, and the failure of about a fifth of its maneuvering thrusters. 

New Releases, Presentations Give Simmers Something to Savor Over the Summer

The Flight Simulation Association will be putting on its FlightSimExpo 2024 in Las Vegas from June 21st to the 23rd, giving those in the hobby a chance to see the best and brightest from across the sim industry. This year more than 15 developer updates and new product reveals will be live streamed from the Expo, broadcast from 1300 hrs Pacific on Friday June 21. The real banner content may be the twin presentations from the Microsoft Flight Simulator team, which will be available online in the same format, and in-person on Saturday and Sunday. Those will be the only ones guaranteed to be streamed to the public, though, since the rest of the 'Brasilia Room seminars' will be

Gillis Was An Established Adventurer Who Took Up Aviation And Earned Her ATP Just A Few Weeks Ago

It has been a tragic week for aviation... especially in terms of a number of twin-engine aircraft involved in recent accidents. Now, we must regretfully report that 34-year-old Pilot/Photographer/Poet/Adventurer Natalie Gillis lost her life in a Canadian-registered Piper PA-31 Navajo C, C-GKSI. Gillis was a truly lovely lady and an established adventurer/human being who took up aviation and earned her ATP just a few weeks ago.

Summer Travel Season May Get Spicy Up North

Once in a while it's fun to look north and ogle what's going on in the Canadian airline world, after a few years of successful negotiations stateside. Air Canada pilots apparently have pretty similar elements to American operators, having to file a notice of dispute and request for conciliation assistance from the Canadian Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The pilots have been going through discussions with their employer since June 2023, to little in the way of results. Now, the Minister of Labour will have 15 days to appoint an officer, who will aim to find an agreement with both parties within 60 days.

Modifications Extend Griffon Fleet Lifetime to 2039

Bell Textron Canada Ltd. announced that the first flight of one of the newly modernized CH-146 MK II Griffon helicopters was successful. The modernization was carried out under the Griffon Limited Life Extension project which awarded the In-Service Support contract to Bell to perform the mods that will help sustain the Griffon fleet through 2039. The modifications will be made to the aircraft’s engines, sensor and avionics systems, and cockpit displays. Pending military approval, the first deliveries to the Canadian government of the upgraded helicopters is expected to occur in 2026.

Donating Private Jets for Seriously Ill Children to Travel for Life-Saving Care

AeroAngel is a national aviation charity that provides free flights on private jets for children to obtain life-saving medical care at distant locations. It is an organization providing dedicated flights to Children’s Hospitals for seriously ill children who cannot fly safely on a commercial airline flight or drive, but do not require an air ambulance. All flights are conducted on business jets flown by volunteer professional pilots and crew, and there is no cost to the family. AeroAngel is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that depends on donations for its internal operations and funding flights. 97% of all donations received go directly to the

All Things Electric and VTOL on Deck for Weekend Symposium

The Vertical Flight Society is on track for the biggest electric aircraft development conference yet, with more than 40 speakers set to present at the 18th Annual Electric Aircraft Symposium (EAS). It will once again be held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with support for remote attendance for those who can't make the trip. The Symposium will hold a dozen panel discussions over the weekend, covering a range of topics including international developments, flight training, regional air mobility, test technology, eVTOL development, personal/private AAM aircraft, propulsion in all its forms, vertiports, and airport infrastructure. 

Klyde... Florida Is Ready To Welcome SpaceX With Open Arms -- Right?

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Backup Radio Option Offers Lightweight Signal Improvement at Little Extra Cost

A nifty little device has been added to the catalog of ICARUS Instruments, allowing an aircraft's VHF comm antenna to be patched into a handheld VFR radio in flight. The EXTenna Switch is a small device that "greatly extends the range and readability of a battery powered handheld radio compared to the normal “rubber ducky” antenna that has very limited range when used inside an aircraft cockpit", all while negating the need for a dedicated backup antenna.

Also: USN Jet Returns, MD530F Special Missions, PAL Aerospace, FedEx Picket

Students of Atlantis Aviation Flight school are apparently either out the total sum of their prepaid flight training, or waiting on probate to get on with their careers, after the owners of the school died in an aircraft accident last March. Several students caught the attention of local news, sharing their plight with reporters in the hopes of continuing on with their training. Atlantis Aviation is, or was, a flight school offering students the usual zero-to-hero flight training experience in addition to the standard Part 61 experience. Nolinor Aviation has acquired a second Ces

Also: USN Jet Returns, MD530F Special Missions, PAL Aerospace, FedEx Picket

Students of Atlantis Aviation Flight school are apparently either out the total sum of their prepaid flight training, or waiting on probate to get on with their careers, after the owners of the school died in an aircraft accident last March. Several students caught the attention of local news, sharing their plight with reporters in the hopes of continuing on with their training. Atlantis Aviation is, or was, a flight school offering students the usual zero-to-hero flight training experience in addition to the standard Part 61 experience. Nolinor Aviation has acquired a sec

Also: Flt Students Abandoned, SERIOUS Balloon Action, CubCrafters Midwest, NYC Heliport Saved

Suk Min Choi, known to his million-plus YouTube subscribers as Alex Choi, has been arrested and faces federal charges for “causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft.” The charges result from Choi’s allegedly being the mastermind behind a scheme to create a video showing a Lamborghini speeding and doing donuts on a dry lake bed as passengers in a low-flying helicopter shoot fireworks aimed at the car. A well-filmed clip began circulating over the weekend, showing a Harbour Air seaplane as it began its takeo

Junkers Aircraft Announced the New Design At SNF 2024

Last year, Junkers Aircraft surprised a whole lot of people with its sleek little riff on a classic interwar sport plane, the A50 Junior. The corrugated tandem-seat aircraft managed to blend the best of both worlds, looking the part of a conventional aircraft without the hassles of keeping a 100-year-old engine running long enough to reach a 100-hour inspection. Purists and fans of the original 1930s Junkers were crestfallen to see the A50’s sleek snub nose, given the original’s brawny, large radial engine.

(Witnessses) Reported That The Airplane Was Flying Close To The North Side Of The Peak And Subsequently Impacted The Ground About 81 Ft Below The Peak

On June 8, 2024, about 0721 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built Rans S12XL Airaile, N518D, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Picacho Peak, Arizona. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to witnesses, the morning of the accident, the pilot departed La Cholla Airpark, Tucson, Arizona, about 0700 and flew northwest about 22 nm to the area of Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona.

Aero Linx: The Air Charter Safety Alliance The group, called the Air Charter Safety Alliance, will raise awareness of illegal charter flights among potential customers, charter brokers, ministries of transport, and national aviation authorities. The coalition is already promoting best practices from the various associations, creating an online platform and has initiated an online educational campaign to make main stakeholders aware of the dangers of illegal charter.

Dead Reckoning Dead reckoning, as applied to flying, is the navigation of an airplane solely by means of computations based on airspeed, course, heading, wind direction, and speed, groundspeed, and elapsed time. 

“We’re getting set to host the biggest FlightSimExpo ever. See you for another unforgettable weekend of product launches, hands-on exhibits, educational seminars, re-connecting with old friends, and making new ones. See you in Las Vegas!” Source: FlightSimExpo event organizer Phil Coyle, discussing how the Flight Simulation Association will be putting on its FlightSimExpo 2024 in Las Vegas from June 21st to the 23rd, giving those in the hobby a chance to see the best and brightest from across the sim industry.