Collegiate Rocket Competition Brings Notice to Spaceport America

Spaceport America and the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA) will be holding another Spaceport America Cup for 2024, providing college engineering students a chance to duke it out in the world of rocketry. The competition is running throughout the week, culminating in a closing ceremony on the 22nd. Spaceport America Cup sports a full schedule of presentations and displays at the Las Cruces Convention Center, with 3 and a half days of rocket launching at the Spaceport America vertical launch area. The Cup is the world's largest intercollegiate rocketry engineering contest (IREC) and has a fresh New Mexico tradition since 2017.

Training Academy Fleet Expands to 15 Aircraft

Austria-based Diamond Aircraft has announced they entered into a letter of intent with airBaltic Training which will acquire five Diamond aircraft: three all-electric eDA40 along with two DA42-VI. The agreement was signed yesterday at the Baltic International Airshow in Liepja, Latvia. The move expands the airBaltic Pilot Academy fleet to a total of 15 aircraft and demonstrates their commitment to sustainable aviation. airBaltic Training is a subsidiary of the Latvian airline airBaltic.

Fleet Gaining Experience After 5+ Years on the Market

Gulfstream was proud to annouunce that its G500 and G600 aircraft have hit the 100,000-hour mark across the global fleet only a few years after introduction. The first G500 made its way to customer hands in the fall of 2018, with the longer G600 seeing delivery in the summer of 2019. Since then, Gulfstream has apparently been speeding through their production, getting as many jets as they can into a very hungry market. By now, the duo have become strong sellers among the company's lineup, offering buyers impressive range, speed, and comforts with all the cachet that comes with the Gulfstream brand.

Added Convenience for Crews Flying Multiple Learjet Models

Butler National Corporation and Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics have received an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for a clock upgraded with USB charging ports that can replace the OEM-installed clock in 24 Learjet models. The CHRONOS digital clock with USB-A and USB-C chargers are a drop-in installation fitting into the same panel location requiring only wiring and circuit breaker changes. The USB charging capability is desirable because it provides added convenience for cockpit crew to replenish portable electronics such as EFBs and phones.

School Expands Portfolio to Cater to Both Sides of the Narrowbody Market

Those in the market for an Airbus A-320 type rating have another option in Florida trainer Gulf Coast Aeronautical Services LLC, now that they've been granted authorization to issue them. The Part 142 Flight Training Center offers attendees a nice little getaway in Freeport, Florida (at least in the more wintry months, unless you like it nice and humid) as you develop the comprehensive skills and knowledge needed to operate the Airbus A-320 safely and efficiently. The school took a moment to brag about their 'get', publishing a short review of their A-320 course.

“Legend” Logged More Than 10,000 Hours During His Career

Lt. Col. Bob Volpe, call sign “Legend,” has retired after training thousands of pilots and amassing more than 10,000 flight hours in his Air Force career. In the tradition of military aviation, rather than choosing one’s own call sign, they are assigned to aviators by their fellow pilots. The reasons for arriving at a particular call sign could be anything that happens during a pilot’s training days, and many or most have a back story that explains it. Such stories usually involve famous or more typically, infamous incidents or exploits by the pilot that were good, bad, funny, embarrassing, or even as simple as a variation of one’s name.

eVTOL Operator Eyes Texas for Future Expansions

Wisk Aero and Houston Airports reinforced their relationship with a memorandum of understanding regarding air taxi ops in the metropolitan region. Wisk's MoU with Houston adds George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), and Ellington Airport (EFD) to their roster of potential vertiport installations. Under the agreement, Houston Airports will "focus on integrating AAM into its long-term plans, championing community engagement, and establishing operational policy, such as infrastructure permitting and noise levels." 

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 takeoff roll

A Four Seat Helicopter Kit With Sikorsky Roots

Brad Clark, President of Vertical Aviation Technologies, took a moment out of his busy schedule at SUN 'n FUN to chat with ANN Editor-in-Chief Jim Campbell about where the firm stands cruising into the summer of 2024. Over the past 37 years, their homebuilt Hummingbird has been a strong seller, with about 370 kits shipped since its inception. It’s no wonder why, since there are so few helicopter kits on the market with seating for 4. The Hummingbird is a rarity in the experimental market as an aircraft that’s downright livable, with enough room for a few passengers or a full car load of gear. As far as

The Flight Crew Described A Feeling That There Was Something Wrong

On May 3, 2024, about 1800 central daylight time (CDT), Delux Public Charter, doing business as JSX flight 284, an Embraer EMB-145LR experienced a left main landing gear (LMLG) collapse during landing at Houston Hobby International Airport (HOU), Houston, Texas. Of the 3 crew and 21 passengers onboard, one crew member sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The flight was a public charter sold by JSX, as the charter operator (subject to provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 380) and operated by Delux Public Charter, LLC as the direct air carrier (operating under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 135) as a nonscheduled passenger fl

Aero Linx: Flying Physicians Association (FPA) FPA members are physician-pilots promoting safety, education and human interest projects relating to medicine and aviation. FPA organizes regional chapter meetings and an annual national meeting offering a unique combination of continuing medical education (CME), presentations by world-class aviation figures, and varied charitable and recreational opportunities.

Chart Supplement U.S. A flight information publication designed for use with appropriate IFR or VFR charts which contains data on all airports, seaplane bases, and heliports open to the public including communications data, navigational facilities, airport diagrams, certain special notices, and non-regulatory procedures. This publication is issued for the conterminous U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands in seven volumes according to geographical area. 

“This achievement is a result of the strong demand and high flight activity we’re seeing from customers around the world. Having exceeded 100,000 flight hours further reiterates the durability and dependability of the G500 and G600.” Source: Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream, commenting on the milestone reached as the G500 and G600 exceeded 100,00 flight hours.