Agriculture Association Takes Little Whirlybirds Seriously

The National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) Board of Directors held a vote to bolster their activities in the uncrewed sphere, coming away in favor of creating an Uncrewed Aerial Application System (UAAS) Committee. The Committee will advise the Association on uncrewed aircraft systems issues, development, and regulation, as well as give them a useful way to weigh in on the topic in the public eye. The Committee will "ensure the low-altitude airspace is safe for crewed and uncrewed aircraft as the number of UAS in low-altitude airspace grows", while becoming the local expert on all things uncrewed within the NAAA.

Improvements Stack as Brand Readies for Mass Production

Samson Sky updated followers on its flying car progress, describing some of the travails of the wind tunnel as they get closer to production. Recent tweaks have largely revolved around realistic production alterations designed to bring the Switchblade to a more achievable production rate, with little nips and tucks to the design and materials involved. That final inch is always a rewarding one, since those finishing touches can go on to be darn near set in stone once the production line spins up to full output. In the update, Samson Sky Captain Sam Bousfield reported that their 3d-printed prototyping worked out perfectly.

MH-60 Rescue Took Place off Samana Cay, Bahamas

Coast Guard aircrews located and rescued two missing boaters off the coast of Samana Cay, Bahamas, Monday, after their vessel became disabled. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force notified the Coast Guard, Sunday, that two men were reported overdue and were last seen departing Samana Cay, May 15, in an 18-foot recreational vessel.  Aircrews aboard an HC-144 Ocean Sentry plane from Coast Guard Air Station Miami and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter forward-deployed from Air Station Clearwater to Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos were launched to assist.

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Blue Origin's seventh passenger flight ended with a smidgeon of drama when one of its 3 parachutes failed to fully deploy, forcing it to rely on its remaining 2 units. That's not the worst system failure in the world, since the triple-chute system sports redundancy as a baseline, but it's always a little discomfiting to rely on a backup whenever parachutes are involved. Women in Aviation International (WAI) members and friends will honor the valiant service of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) by visiting their graves and leaving an appropriate decoration in the form of flowers or other remembrances. Textron has been granted certification of a new interior conversion for SkyCouriers, allowing operators to carry 9 pax and a load of cargo at the same time. Cessna is hoping that their new high-wing twin turboprop will find some stable footing

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The court has approved Van's Aircraft's bankruptcy reorganization plans, settling a stressful period for the company with some pretty optimistic news. Van's Aircraft filed its Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization back in March, setting up their ideal path to recovery amidst some very expensive challenges. One of the remaining icons of the World War II fighter pilot community has gone west... Bud Anderson, at the age of 102. Brig. Gen. Bud Anderson shot down 16 German planes over Europe in World War II and became America's last living triple ace, passing away Friday at home in Auburn, Calif. Women pilots from across the United States and around the world will take off Tuesday, June 18, from Southern Illinois Airport in Carbondale, Illinois, for a 2,610-statute mile competition across 11 states that ends Friday, June 21, at N

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General Atomics' run at developing the Liberty Lifter ground effect aircraft has been put to rest, with their competitor, Aurora Flight Sciences, retaining theirs for the time being. The Liberty Lifter is one funky duck, as far as prospective military projects go. Looking forward to a contentious Pacific theater, DoD planners see a dire need for seaborne transport, beyond the old school's island-hopping and airstrip-chopping. Hybrid eVTOL manufacturer, or better said, developer, showed off its latest flight test using a smaller scaled version of its high-wing Cavorite X5. The short tethered test flight shows the Cavorite take off from a standstill, lifting off and testing its behavior as it gently moves through a handful of power settings and control checks. The Eurodrone program has successfully performed a Preliminary Design Review (PDR). With Airbus Defence an

Deal Expands Fleet With New Helos for Variety of Missions

Airbus Helicopters managed to grab itself a pretty big order for a change, inking a deal with LCI and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited (SMFL) for 21 of its latest generation helicopters. It's good news for the brand, since the rotary wing industry often survives on much smaller orders, but this time around they even got the better of the firm:option breakdown. Of the 21 aircraft 'ordered', 14 are firm, with 7 options should Sumitomo decide to exercise them later on. The purchase includes a mix of options, with a pair of Airbus' light twin H145, a medium twin H160, and their oddly named 'super medium' H175.

Another Episode of Movin' Metal Gives the Point to Airbus

Saudia Group signed off on an order for 93 A321neo planes and a dozen A320neo aircraft. Saudia will put them into business with their low-cost carrier flyadeal (all lower case, gotta give the marketers their due) as they get their legs under them. Saudia remains the flag carrier for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, allowing flyadeal to go out and compete with the rest of the smaller guys running narrowbody aircraft. All in all, Saudia Group has 144 aircraft on order throughout the A320neo family.

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The Popular Rotorcraft Association is reaching out for help in rebuilding their private runway in Mentone, IN -- the home of the PRA, itself. "We are reaching out to you today on behalf of the Popular Rotorcraft Association because we need your help. We are dangerously close to losing a critical resource that if lost, will have a negative and lasting effect on the gyro community..." An interesting surprise occurred this week as Wag-Aero customers logged on to their site in order to order a few things...no Wag-Aero. Instead, the site was redirected to Aircraft Spruce, which has apparently bought out the once popular Wag-Aero operations shortly after the same operation divested itself of its interest in Leading Edge Air Foils. The Young Eagles Program has been one of the Experimental Aviation Association's best tools in their repertoire when it comes to fostering a contin

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Two aircraft performing at the Fort Lauderdale Air Show clipped wings during a routine last Sunday, spooking onlookers. The aircraft were performing as a part of the Polaris Ghost Squadron, a team of urban-camo milsurplus jets hailing from across Eastern Europe. The Polaris Ghost Squadron features an eye-catching MiG-29, a trio of Alpha Jets, and a quartet of Albatros L39s. The US Air Force won't be bringing back a damaged B-2A Spirit bomber, further whittling away at the irreplaceable fleet of strategic aircraft. The plane in question was contrasted against one that had a minor crash in 2010. That aircraft was shipped back to Northrop Grumman for repair. The latest incident won't see the same amount of TLC, however, as a recent Force Structure Report showed that the B-2 fleet would head into 2025 one plane short. Sierra Space's Dream Chaser has been put through the wringer a