Italians Return to North American Airshow Circuit for First Time in Decades

Italy’s national aerobatic display team, the Frecce Tricolori, announced their 2024 tour schedule, with dates across the United States and Canada. The Frecce Tricolori have been the subject of murmuring around the airshow circuit in recent months, as fans and audiences look forward to the upcoming season. The Italian military okayed the team's travel to North America, and the first round of dates have been published in the wake of the International Council of Air Shows. It will be the team's first visit to North America in over 30 years, making their appearance a novel addition for most young fans.

Awards Recognize Faithful Friends and Hard Workers

The RAF Red Arrows presented a quadruplet of awards for the benefit of UK flying charity Aerobility at the annual Aviators Ball. The squadron leader of the team, Red 1, (or Jon Bond when he's out of the seat) helped to punctuate the importance of those who've helped the charity in its mission to make aviation accessible to all.

Turbine Gyroplane Manufacturer Makes Foothold Abroad

Skyworks Aeronautics found a South African distribution partner with the sale of 15 Hawk 5 gyroplanes to Classique Aviation. Their distribution agreement covers the entire country for Skyworks products, making Classique the only game in town for those interested in the The distribution agreement covers the sales territory of the country of South Africa for Skyworks’ Hawk 5 Gyroplane. The agreement also comes with an LOI order for fifteen Hawk 5 aircraft.

PT6T-6, PT6T-3 Engines Gain New Maintenance Option for Helicopter Operators

A new program for military customers operating Bell 212 and 412 helicopters is on the books courtesy of Pratt & Whitney Canada, offering operators of the PT6T-3 or PT6T-6 Twinpac engines a streamlined way to keep their engines in top condition. The program offers the usual “original equipment manufacturer value and genuine Pratt & Whitney Canada parts and services” - likely at the usual OEM cost. That’s not too big an issue for military customers, however, thanks to their often disconnected relationships to their own accounting department.

Cathay Cargo to Bolster Fleet with 111-Ton Aircraft

Cathay Pacific's Cargo airline will be getting a brand-new Airbus A350F, expecting it to become a "central element in its future fleet" once its development is completed. The gestating A350F is slated to haul payloads up to 111 tonnes up to 4,700 nautical miles, offering "significantly lower cost than any other freighter available today." It will enable Cathay Cargo to serve all heavy markets, even the world's longest freight route between Hong Kong and Anchorage, Alaska.

Also: EAA Grant, Oshkosh Dates, Mini B-29 v Golf cart, Aerolite 120 Bows Out

Here’s a look into the future... Flyer Indústria Aeronáutica's locally assembled RV-10 LSA received approval from Brazil's ANAC, making it the first such multi-passenger SportPlane in the world. The Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil started in on their own MOSAIC-style regs by granting authorization to a 4-place aircraft, with approval to a type of plane pilots around the world have eagerly awaited. Light plane manufacturer Robin Aircraft has been pushed into liquidation by way of French court order after the judges overseeing the f

Border Guard Enjoys 5-Bladed Models Most

Airbus Helicopters and the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service inked a contract for a trio of five-bladed H145 multi-mission helicopters at the 2023 European Rotors trade show, expanding the service's fleet. The add H145s bring the total number of Airbus helicopters in government service to 11 in all, operating in a wide range of SAR, disaster relief, medevac, border patrol, firefighting, organ transport and even deployment of Lithuanian Special Forces.

Klyde Decides It's Time To Exercise A Little SpaceX Enthusiasm

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Another Day, Another Toothless MoU to "Explore" eVTOL Ops in a Less Stringently Regulated Region

Eve Air Mobility joined hands with flynas in an MoU that promises to "explore the future of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft operations in Saudi Arabia". Under the agreement, the partners will "explore the possibility of starting eVTOL operations in Riyadh and Jeddah in 2026", though exactly what that entails was not revealed.

The Airport Manager Reported That It Was Snowing Before And During The Departure

On November 26, 2023, about 1000 eastern standard time, a Socata TBM 700, N850JH was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Ludington, Michigan. The pilot and pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of FederalRegulations Part 91 personal flight. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed before the flight to fly from Mason County Airport (LDM) in Ludington, Michigan, to Tri-State Steuben County Airport (ANQ) in Angola, Indiana. The pilot also obtained an electronic weather briefing on the morning of the accident.

From 2019 (YouTube Version): Sporty’s Is More Than Just a Pilot Shop

Sporty's is well known for their line of products for pilots, having been a part of the aviation landscape for decades. But less-well known is the company's in-airplane flight training, according to Sporty's Academy president and COO Eric Radtke, who spoke recently with Aero-News Editor-in-Chief Jim Campbell. Sporty's says that the Academy is committed to its students success, and is proud of a success rate more than double the national average.

Robinson R44 Downed from Fuel Exhaustion

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released its final report regarding a February 2022 crash involving a Robinson R44 that killed 2. The aircraft was engaged in a most unorthodox mission, being crewed by one pilot with reality TV star Matt Wright hooked into a 100-foot sling line dangling below. Wright, the “Outback Wrangler”, was along for the ride in an effort to gather and collect crocodile eggs, the arrangement being a somewhat standard technique in such circles as “human slinging”.

Aero Linx: The International Association of Missionary Aviation (IAMA) The International Association of Missionary Aviation (IAMA) is comprised of individuals, schools and ministry organizations. We seek to encourage a spirit of collaboration and cooperation between organizations as they serve Christ around the world. Take a moment to visit our pages to learn more about us and about how you can be a part of our organization.

Loran An electronic navigational system by which hyperbolic lines of position are determined by measuring the difference in the time of reception of synchronized pulse signals from two fixed transmitters. Loran A operates in the 1750-1950 kHz frequency band. Loran C and D operate in the 100-110 kHz frequency band. In 2010, the U.S. Coast Guard terminated all U.S. LORAN-C transmissions.

"Our P&WCSMART portfolio was developed to assist customers flying mature engines, in many cases requiring an overhaul. This new P&WCSMART military program for PT6T-3/6 engines on military fleets takes into consideration the mission and environment of military customers by offering overhaul costs that are predictable, allowing our customers to accurately budget for their engine maintenance costs." Source: Irene Makris, vice president of Customer Service at Pratt & Whitney Canada, commenting on a new program for military customers operating Bell 212 and 412 helicopters is on the books courtesy of Pratt & Whitney Canada, offering operators of the PT6T-3 or PT6T-6 Twinpac engines a streamlined way to keep their engine