Also: Nat'l Championship Air Race, Bill Moyes Goes West, Wright B Flyer, World Canopy Piloting Champ
Timber Tiger’s Speedster has flown and is producing solid data necessary to get the bird into production later this year. Wing root fairings are due for some modification to allow for better airflow but other than that, the rest of the airplane seems to be acquitting itself well. Timber Tiger Aircraft will shortly begin the manufacturing phase of its Speedster. Following in the footsteps of previous Timber Tiger designs, the aircraft blends classic style with modern engineering. EAA reports that for the FAA’s Fiscal Year which ended September 30, 2024, preliminary accident totals in the Experimental category were belo
Trying To Prevent Coastal Commission From Reducing Flights
Elon Musk followed through on his threat and sued the California Coastal Commission after it rejected a proposal that would have increased the number of Falcon 9 launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The increase in launches are intended to deploy more Starlink satellites for public internet service as well as Starshield satellites for the U.S. national security internet system. In August a bipartisan group of members of Congress sent a letter to the Commission in support of the proposal.
Commercial ‘Space Balloon’ Completed Uncrewed Test in September
Space Perspective has announced that billionaire Richard Branson will co-pilot the first crewed flight test of its commercial ‘space balloon’ as early as next year. The vessel completed its initial uncrewed test in September.
Legal Opinion Faced Severe Headwinds From Industry
On October 15 the FAA placed on hold its legal interpretation that had upended decades of well-established policy and reversed recognized legal precedent to require certificated individuals to be physically present while supervising other personnel.
Boeing’s union has proposed a new contract offer to its 33,000 striking machinists. It would provide a 35% wage increase over four years and boost Boeing’s 401(k) contribution. The proposal will need to be endorsed by a majority of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) before it becomes active and workers return to their roles. The vote will be held on October 23.
SpaceX Crew Dragon To Be Used for Crew-10 and Crew-11
NASA recently published a statement finalizing its decision to boot Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft from upcoming ISS missions. The agency will be using the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule as a replacement while the Starliner remains under evaluation.
Presented Just Three Weeks After its “Best and Final” Offer
Three weeks ago, Textron Aviation presented its “best and final” offer to its striking machinists and was rejected. Now, the manufacturer has returned to the table with a better and final-er contract proposal which is on the cusp of ratification. The previous deal included a 26% general wage increase over four years. The previous deal included a 26% general wage increase over four years. The union overwhelmingly voted to turn down the offer and began striking on September 23 outside Textron’s plant in Wichita, Kansas. They then forwarded a list of their demands to Textron.
Installations Aimed at Challenger 300/350 and Citation C680A Latitude Aircraft
Duncan Aviation and Gogo Business Aviation are collaborating to complete Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for the installation of Gogo’s Galileo HDX high speed inflight internet on Challenger 300/350 and Cessna Citation C680A Latitude aircraft.
Nearly $10 Million In Cleanup And Repairs Almost Completed
Hurricane Milton inflicted almost $10 million in damages and cleanup costs at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ), but officials said that repairs were being done and that the airport reopened to commercial service on October16.
Pilot Stated That The Engine RPM Went To Zero As Soon As He Rolled Off The Throttle To Start The Autorotation
On October 2, 2024, about 1840, mountain daylight time, a Schweizer 296C helicopter, N656RB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Montrose, Colorado. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that during an autorotation demonstration, the helicopter had a complete loss of engine power.
From 2023 (YouTube Version): The Best Option for Pilots’ Worst Days
Since its 1979 founding, Para-Phernalia, Inc. has designed and manufactured the Softie line of pilot emergency parachutes. The products are renowned among aerobatic, glider, and warbird pilots, formation fliers, and kit-plane builders for their high-quality, comfort, and perennial reliability. Emergency parachutes comprise two primary components: the parachute canopy and the harness and container system. The harness attaches a parachute’s canopy to its wearer. The container system retains the packed parachute canopy. Finally, the parachute harness and co
Aero Linx: The Owls Head Transportation Museum
The Owls Head Transportation Museum is a nonprofit educational organization. Its mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit and operate pre-1940 aircraft, ground vehicles, engines and related technologies significant to the evolution of transportation for the purpose of education.
Approach Light System (ALS)
An airport lighting facility which provides visual guidance to landing aircraft by radiating light beams in a directional pattern by which the pilot aligns the aircraft with the extended centerline of the runway on his/her final approach for landing. Condenser Discharge Sequential Flashing Lights/Sequenced Flashing Lights may be installed in conjunction with the ALS at some airports.
“What we’re incredibly excited about is that this flight not only demonstrated the technology, because it was pretty much picture-perfect, it also demonstrated all the way through the flight from launch, up to space, and back down to splashdown how incredibly gentle it is. That is part of making it accessible.”
Source: Space Perspective co-founder Jane Poynter, commenting as they have announced that billionaire Richard Branson will co-pilot the first crewed flight test of its commercial ‘space balloon’ as early as next year. The vessel completed its initial uncrewed test in September.
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