DeBons Served As USNTPS’ Executive Officer For The Last 18 Months

Cmdr. Jeremy “Silas” DeBons took command of United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) from Lt. Col. Rory “Pikey” Feely during an airborne change of command ceremony at Pax River, July 15. Col. Richard E. Marigliano, Commodore of Naval Test Wing Atlantic, presided over the ceremony. “USNTPS is the foundation of all we do in flight test and Lt. Col. Feely passionately led this organization who champions the school at every turn,” said Marigliano. “Cmdr. DeBons is ready to take the reins and will continue to train the students at USNTPS to be ready for the toughest of challenges.”

PilotVision Interfaces Wirelessly With Adventure Pilot's iFly GPS Electronic Flight Bag

Adventure Pilot is partnering with SA Photonics for demonstrations of its next-generation PilotVision display at next week's AirVenture festivities. This system is reportedly a high resolution, wide field of view, daylight readable color head mounted display that attaches to aviation headgear providing pilots with incredible situational awareness. The PilotVision system interfaces wirelessly with the Adventure Pilot iFly GPS electronic flight bag, providing a heads-up display (HUD) that contains information on altitude, attitude, speed, terrain, traffic, airspaces and many other pieces of flight data in a head’s up, eyes out, manner.

FAA Wants To Increase Oversight of Texas and New Mexico Operations

On the eve of the first manned flight of Blue Origin, the FAA has announced that they have opened a safety field office in Houston to increase its oversight of commercial space operations in Texas and New Mexico. This, despite criticism in particular, from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk over the agency's conduct to this point. From this location, FAA inspectors will be able to more effectively and efficiently monitor the ongoing testing programs and commercial space tourism operations of SpaceX and Blue Origin in Texas and Virgin Galactic in New Mexico, along with others in the region.

Turbulence Has Caused More Than A Third Of Recent Air Carrier Accidents

The National Transportation Safety Board announced its intent to hold a virtual public board meeting Aug. 10, to consider ways to reduce turbulence-related injuries in air carrier operations conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121. In recent years turbulence caused more than a third of air carrier accidents. The board will consider a safety research report that details methods to reduce the likelihood of turbulence encounters and identifies best practices and countermeasures to avoid turbulence-related injuries. During the meeting the NTSB’s four board members will vote on investigators' findings and recommendations as well as any changes to the dra

Commonality of H-1 Platforms Benefits Restart of the UH-1Y Helicopter Production Line

Bell has restarted UH-1Y Venom helicopter production for the first international operator. Crestview Aerospace has completed manufacturing the first of eight cabins at the Crestview Florida facility. The aircraft will complete final assembly at the Bell Amarillo Assembly Center. The helicopters are part of the 2020 U.S. Department of Defense contract awarded to Bell for the production and delivery of eight UH-1Y and four AH-1Z helicopters for the government of the Czech Republic.

From 2017 (YouTube Version): First Look At The Innovative Airplane At NBAA-BACE

Aero-News readers know that one of the most innovative airplanes under development for the business market is the XTI TriFan 600, which was displayed for the first time at NBAA-BACE this year. The company says the six-seat TriFan 600 will have the speed, range and comfort of a business jet and the ability to take off and land vertically like a helicopter. Using three ducted fans, the aircraft will lift off vertically and its two wing fans rotate forward for a seamless transition to cruise speed, at 400 miles an hour and a range of up to 1,600 miles.

EAA AeroEducate Program Will Be Launched Next Week At Oshkosh

On the eve of the first major EAA event in two years, EAA has announced a partnership with Siemens Digital Industries Software to collaboratively grow youth engagement and education in the aviation industry. Siemens will become the official technology partner of EAA for education in aviation and aerospace. This joint effort of EAA and Siemens strengthens both companies' aviation education programs. EAA AeroEducate brings an interactive, educational, and engaging experience to the youth while inspiring them on aviation.

Also: AEA Avionics Prize, Boeing 2Q/21, Sporty’s Pilot Training Platform, RCAF Foundation

JetPack Aviation has completed flight testing with the first prototype – P1 – of its Speeder jet powered, VTOL mobility platform. Trials concluded successfully in May. Flight testing began in December 2020, with two-axis tethers securing the platform, progressing through a single-axis tether and culminating in the aircraft flying with just a safety tether connection. The program achieved a series of test points aimed at proving the engine gimbal and articulated exhaust nozzle systems, as well as the flight controller. The first production Flight

Controller Queried The Pilot If They Were Going To Fly Down The Valley

On July 3, 2021, about 1838 mountain daylight time, a Beech G36 airplane, N36JJ, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Aspen, Colorado. The two pilots were fatally injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. According to preliminary information, the airplane landed at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) about 1353 to stop for fuel and lunch. The pilots then requested an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan to the Des Moines International Airport (DSM), Des Moines, Iowa. The ground controller issued a clearance that included the LINDZ Nine Departure Procedure, to climb

AD 2021-14-17 Requires Revising The Existing Maintenance Or Inspection Program

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A350-941 and -1041 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective August 23, 2021.

Aero Linx: Air Traffic Control Association Established in Washington, D.C., in 1956 by a group of air traffic controllers, the Air Traffic Control Association has been from the outset dedicated to progress in the science of air traffic control and the preservation of a safe flight environment. It provides a forum in which those concerned can address the myriad issues inherent to the development of viable air traffic control systems and aviation infrastructures, and the ever increasing demands on the global navigable airspace environment. Those in the aviation community -- the providers of air traffic control, system architects, manufacturers, suppliers, system operators and users -- join together in

Radar Required A term displayed on charts and approach plates and included in FDC NOTAMs to alert pilots that segments of either an instrument approach procedure or a route are not navigable because of either the absence or unusability of a NAVAID. The pilot can expect to be provided radar navigational guidance while transiting segments labeled with this term.

“I remember the constant repetition of “travail en equipe” or as we would say in English - teamwork. Flight test is not a one person show, it is a collaborative effort because no one person has the answers, and that is foundational to all that we teach here..." Source: From comments made by Cmdr. Jeremy “Silas” DeBons who took command of United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) from Lt. Col. Rory “Pikey” Feely during an airborne change of command ceremony at Pax River, July 15.