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January 29, 2021

NEW! Airborne-Special Edition 01.29.21: 'Lites' Leenhouts Talks Sun n Fun 2021!

Also: SnF Safety Issues, COVID Cautions, Great Expectations And Some Surprises

With so many aero-events being delayed, Heli-Expo cancelled and Aero- Friedrichshafen delayed to the week before Oshkosh, people are wondering when can the aviation world return to normal and when can Fly-Ins happen again. In just a couple of months...will Sun ‘n Fun be the Aero-Ice breaker? Can they pull off the first major aviation event barely a year after the start of the Pandemic and keep it safe? And finally Will people come to Lakeland after all? To get answers ANN Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell interviewed none other than Sun ‘n Fun Boss, John ‘Lites’ he talks about the extensive efforts underway right now to get Sun ‘n Fun ready to we

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Update: Friday (Will Not) Be THE Day For SpaceX Starship SN9

SN8 Came SO Close To Mission Completion... Can SN9 Pull This Off?

ANN RealTime Update, 01.29.21, 1126ET: A bit of a mess-up between the FAA and SpaceX appears to be in the works and the earliest the SN9 launch could occur now appears to be Monday. SpaceX's Elon Musk has tweeted some criticism of the FAA in the last 24 hours, but rumors suggest that they will still reach agreement shortly. More info to follow. Original Report: As early as Friday, January 29, the SpaceX team will attempt a high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 9 (SN9) – the second high-altitude suborbital flight test of a Starship prototype from our site in Cameron County, Texas. <

Doc Is One Of Only Two B-29 Superfortresses Still Flying

The B-29 Doc tour planning team has announced the addition of the Arkansas Air & Military Museum at Drake Field in Fayetteville to the historic warbird’s 2021 tour schedule. Doc, one of only two B-29 Superfortresses still flying, will arrive at the Arkansas Air & Military Museum Thursday, April 15, and will be on static display Friday, April 16, through Sunday, April 18. B-29 Doc Flight Experience rides will be available Saturday and Sunday, April 17 and 18. “We are thrilled to welcome B-29 Doc back to northwest Arkansas for a second time,” said Laci Shuffield, Arkansas Air & Military Museum executive director.

More Performers To Be Added In Coming Weeks To Initial All-Star Roster

Man... we need to get our buns to Oshkosh... and some of the world's best airshow performers seem intent on making it worth our while. EAA tells us that some of the world's best airshow peeps have made commitments to fly at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 as part of the afternoon and night air show lineups. Those performers include aerobatic champions and longtime Oshkosh favorites for the 68th Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention, scheduled for July 26-August 1 at Wittman Regional Airport. The event features nine air shows over seven days, including night airshows on July 28 and 31.

Canada's Controllers Warn Transport Committee Of Safety Risks

The Canadian Air Traffic Control Association (CATCA), the union representing all air traffic controllers in the country, are raising serious public safety concerns at the House of Commons Transport Committee about anticipated air traffic control tower closures and service reductions as a result of an ongoing NAV Canada review. "We understand that NAV Canada has seen a significant decline in revenue due to the pandemic and it needs to find efficiencies, but we can't allow public safety to be compromised," said CATCA President and CEO Doug Best.

Search After Mayday Call From C-170 Has Failed To Turn Up Plane Or Pilot

We usually love featuring search and rescue stories from our friends at the Coast Guard... but this is not one of those stories. The U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies suspended search efforts late Wednesday for a missing pilot in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The man took off mid-day Tuesday in his Cessna 170A from Ketchikan, Alaska, with the intended destination of Port Angeles. "Suspending search efforts is always an extremely tough decision," said Capt. Nathan Coulter, Chief of Search and Rescue for the U.S. Coast Guard's 13th District.

FAA Presents 'Super Bowl LV Safety Plan'

FAA Planning For Hundreds Of Additional Take-Offs And Landings

The FAA is working with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the aviation community, and the National Football League to ensure safe, secure and efficient operations before, during and after Super Bowl LV. The Super Bowl will be held Feb. 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The agency is planning for hundreds of additional take-offs and landings and aircraft parked at Tampa Bay airports during Super Bowl week. Special procedures, including Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) and a No Drone Zone will limit flights around Raymond James Stadium before, during and after the game.

This Means Sun n Fun Will Debut The New Blue Angels Super Hornets

I have little doubt that many ANN readers and viewers are as sick of airshow cancellations stories as we are... but this one strikes close to home--literally. Just up the road from ANN HQ is Jacksonville NAS... home to an amazing airshow... which won't happen this year. After careful consideration, Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS JAX) leadership has notified the local community that it has decided to cancel the 2021 NAS JAX Air Show, April 10-11. 'Department of Defense Health Protection Conditions, as well as guidelines imposed by the Centers for Disease Control, and local civilian authorities, currently prevent execution of the air show.'

From 2017: Canadian Pilots Open Up To Aero-News At AirVenture…

Canada has had a privatized Air Traffic Control System for some time. With the debate raging over privatization in the U.S., Aero-News stringer Maxine Scheer caught up with some Canadian GA pilots at AirVenture to ask them what it was like to fly under such a system. EAA Canadian Council member, Ian Brown, told Scheer that they don't notice that it is a privatized system at all. "We get a bill once a year, and my bill for my RV is $68 per year for all Air Traffic Control services," Brown said.

Each Red Flag Exercise Is Unique...

Southern Nevada residents may notice an increase in military aircraft activity through Feb. 12 as Nellis Air Force Base begins exercise Red Flag 21-1, one of the U.S. Air Force’s largest combat training exercises. The 57th Wing’s 414th Combat Training Squadron conducts Red Flag exercises to provide aircrews the experience of multiple, intensive air combat sorties in the safety of a training environment. Each Red Flag exercise is unique and Red Flag 21-1 is no different.

Also: GA UK Restrictions, Educational UAS Protections, Duncan Aviation Interns, CAE USAF KC-135 Training

The flight school business is one of the few that seems both intent and surprisingly successful surviving even during a pandemic. As such, the community is readying a critically important get-together to takes notes and learn from each other as well as a great line-up of speakers and instructors in just a few more weeks. Flight school operators, chief flight instructors, and persons considering opening a flight school should take special note of the upcoming International Flight School Operators Conf

Shortly After Departure, The Pilot Reported That He Had A Loss Of Power On Both Engines

On January 10, 2021, about 1302 eastern standard time, a Cessna 412B, N421DP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Old Bethpage, New York. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to an inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot took off on runway 32 from Republic Airport (FRG), Farmingdale, New York about 1254 on a local flight. Shortly after departure, the pilot reported that he had a loss of power on both engines and was returning to FRG to land on runway 14.

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (01.29.21)

"We understand that NAV Canada has seen a significant decline in revenue due to the pandemic and it needs to find efficiencies, but we can't allow public safety to be compromised. Air traffic control is known to be one of the most demanding and high-stress professions going. NAV Canada's cuts will only mount added pressure on the essential workers who keep our skies safe." Source: CATCA President and CEO Doug Best, commenting on the increasing issues and failings inherent with Canada's privatized ATC system.