Also: FAA Management Advisory Council, Maverick Flying Car, SWA 737 MAX, Monarch Airlines, Osprey, Zetta Jet, T-45C

SpaceX is planning to attempt to recover an upper stage in a launch attempt late in 2018, according to company president Gwynne shotwell. Shotwell said that, initially, the company would try to bring the second stage in for a soft landing in the ocean before attempting to land on its recovery barge.

If they can make the second stage reusable, Shotwell said that the company can reduce the cost of launching payloads into orbit by an additional 30 percent. The first launch of a World View Enterprises stratospheric balloon from Spaceport Tucson took place last weekend, marking the beginning of operations from the facility. The launchpad is adjacent to the balloon company's manufacturing operation. "This milestone launch signals the operational opening of the global hub for commerce and science in the stratosphere," said World View founder and CEO Jane Poynter. A messy situation continues to be more convoluted by the day... Santa Monica is considering using a process called hydro-seeding to grow grass where 1,500 feet of runway is slated to be removed. Installing the grass overruns at each end of the runway where the concrete will be removed would add $3.44 million to the project, bringing the cost to some $7 million. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!

Airborne 10.04.17 is chock full of info in this Daily News Episode, Wednesday, October 4th, 2017... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Hosts Brianne Cross, Christopher Odom, and Laura Hutson, and is supported by ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell, Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, and Aero-Journalist Tom Patton, this episode covers:

• SpaceX Plans Upper Stage Recovery Attempt Next Year 
• World View Conducts First Balloon Launch From Tuscon Spaceport 
• Santa Monica Consideres Grass Overrun Areas After Runway Shortening 
• Secretary Elaine Chao Names Newest FAA Management Advisory Council Members
• Classic Aero-TV: Maverick Flying Car - The Ultimate 'What-Is-It?'
• Southwest Airlines Begins Boeing 737 MAX 8 Service
• Administrators Appointed To Monarch Airlines And Monarch Travel Group 
• Osprey Makes 'Hard Landing' In Syria
• Zetta Jet Receives Court Approval for Appointment Of Chapter 11 Trustee
• T-45C Goshawk Down In Tennessee 

Get Comprehensive, Real-Time, 24/7 coverage of the latest aviation and aerospace stories anytime, at aero-news.net. And be sure to join us again tomorrow, LIVE from Oshkosh 2017, for the next edition of "Airborne Unlimited" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, tomorrow!

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