Says Changes Needed in Managing Aviation Trust Fund

A broad coalition of more than 25 organizations led by Airlines For America (A4A) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), representing almost every segment of the aviation industry sent a letter to Sens. Maria Cantwell and Ted Cruz, Chairwoman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The group started off by commending the administration and congressional authorization and appropriations committees for the ongoing funding of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system. The letter went on to suggest that certain changes to its management of the Airport & Airway Trust Fund (AATF) could give the FAA the ability to m

Requests Public Safety Determination While Investigation Continues

SpaceX submitted a request for a public safety determination to the FAA on July 15. The request is in response to the FAA grounding of Falcon 9 after an anomaly in the second stage of the booster failed to lift its cargo of Starlink satellites to the proper orbital height in the Starlink 9-3 mission on July 11. Following an FAA grounding there are two ways launches can resume: the first is approval of a mishap investigation final report by the launch operator. Such a report would include corrective actions taken and implemented, and all related licensing requirements to be met. Which would likely take months.

NASA Dedicates Name to Women of Apollo

The NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, will honor Dorothy Vaughan and the legendary female human computing section she led, the “women of Apollo,” on the eve of the Apollo 11 moon landing, by renaming a building in their honor with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Following the ceremony the building will be known as the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo” as a tribute to the people who made possible the first human steps on the Moon. The dedication ceremony will be held on Thursday, July 19, the day before the 55th Anniversary of the historic Moon landing. The occasion will begin at 9:00 a.m. when NASA Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche talks about how th

400 kW of Power Is a Notable Improvement in Sustainable Aviation Power

VerdeGo Aero has taken the sheet off its VH-4T turbine hybrid-electric powerplant, offering the industry at large a 400-kilowatt unit aimed at a variety of aircraft applications. VerdeGo cut its teeth on the original 185-kilowatt VH-3 hybrid powerplant, and after 7 years of development and enhancement, the VH-4T is ready to see the light of day. Full-scale testing using one of the engines began in late 2023, with a flightworthy prototype in the works under a US Air Force Small Business Innovation Research Phase II effort for AFWERX. VerdeGo says that it's already begun collaborating with Pratt & Whitney to use their PW206/PW207 engine series in the VH-4T hybrid.

Announces Projects in More Than a Dozen Top U.S. Markets

NetJets announced that it has acquired new or existing facilities in more than a dozen locations nationwide to service its growing customer base. The company controls the largest share of flight volume in the New York area because it is the busiest location for NetJets “owners” (customers). NetJets will collaborate with Signature Aviation on major upgrades to one of its facilities at Teterboro Airport (KTEB) in New Jersey, and rebrand its primary FBO to become accessible only to NetJets Owners. As with other NetJets exclusive-use terminals, the dedicated space at TEB will have features and amenities such as private ramp and hangar space, dedicated parking, a new Owners Loung

SWA Gets in On Sustainable, Short-Range Aircraft

Southwest Airlines has gotten in on the action of eVTOL planning, selecting Archer Aviation for their prospective air taxi network. Under their recently signed Memorandum of Understanding, Southwest will see a regional network of Archer eVTOL operations centered around its California airports. In the state alone, Southwest boasts 14 airports in all, making it a solid base to build from. Given Californian traffic woes, Southwest believes it can offer travelers a 10 to 20-minute replacement for a 90-minute car commute. Southwest's plans include collaborating on partnering with Archer to offer their employees and respective unions to maintain and improve efficient operations, lending their organization

With Sustainable Goals Looming, Hybrid Power Offers Nifty Way Forward

American Airlines signed off on a conditional purchase agreement with ZeroAvia that could provide them with 100 of hydrogen-electric hybrid powerplants. The deal was accompanied with a renewed investment into ZeroAvia by the carrier, as they tossed some money into the company's Series C financing round. This recent deal falls under the original Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two back in 2022. If it goes as planned, ZeroAvia should be able to offer them a sustainable replacement for their jet A-burning turbofan engines on the American Airlines RJ fleet, replacing them with hydrogen burning, battery-powered electric motors that emit nothing but water. That's an att

The Flight Instructor Attempted But Could Not Restart The Engine

Analysis: The flight instructor reported that while conducting a simulated engine failure, the student terminated the maneuver, with the fuel mixture leaned, by advancing the throttle. The engine did not respond with full power, and the flight instructor then “advanced” the mixture. The engine subsequently lost total power. The flight instructor attempted but could not restart the engine. The flight instructor then selected an off-airport landing site, and during the landing roll, the airplane impacted a dirt “berm” which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage.

From 2016 (YouTube Version): The Stemme S12 Powered Glider Offers Cadillac Features and a Glide Ratio of 53 to 1…

While at EAA AirVenture 2016, our ANN news crew visited with the Director of Flight Operations and Maintenance for Stemme USA. Wes Chumley gave us an inside view of their new motorglider, known as the Stemme S12. The aircraft’s appearance at AirVenture is the first time it has been shown in the USA. Motorgliders come in various sizes and shapes, but the Stemme is quite different from most of them. It’s unique in that the engine is mounted in the front of the aircraft and the propeller is retract

Aero Linx: Seaplane Pilots Association

The Seaplane Pilots Association is the only organization in the world solely focused on representing the interests of seaplane pilots, owners and operators. SPA is dedicated to promoting safe seaplane operations, and to protecting the sharing of our nation’s waterways with other user groups.

Parallel ILS Approaches

Approaches to parallel runways by IFR aircraft which, when established inbound toward the airport on the adjacent final approach courses, are radar-separated by at least 2 miles.

“On behalf of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, we are proud to host this historic event as the agency honors the significant contributions women have made to the space industry, particularly trailblazers who persevered against many challenges of their era. As we prepare to return to the Moon for long-term science and exploration, NASA’s Artemis missions will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. It’s a privilege to dedicate Johnson’s Building 12 to the innovative women who laid the foundation to our nation’s space program.” Source: NASA Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche, talkin