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March 03, 2025

Airborne 03.03.25: Risen Chute Save, Catalyst Ready, ATC Hiring Supercharged

Also: 1000th Challenger 3500, Nat'l General Aviation Awards, Fairchild And Travel Air, F-15EX Ejection Seats

The CEO and Chairman of Porto Aviation Group encountered an emergency in his Risen 916iSV ultralight while attempting to set another new speed record. A bird strike may be to blame for the accident. Porto Risen 916iSV registered as I-X068, took off from Alzate Brianza Airport (ILB) at around 0715, while attempting to certify a new top airspeed of 450 km/h (243 kts). General Electric (GE) recently announced that its latest turboprop engine design, the Catalyst, has completed certification testing and received the FAA's nod of approval. The Catalyst is slated to make its operational debut with the new Beechcraft Denali next year

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Museum’s Objective: To Bring Me 262 To AirVenture 2025

Big Goal For Virginia Beach’s Military Aviation Museum

The Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is working on making an “Only at Oshkosh” moment a reality at this year’s EAA AirVenture 2025: an arrival of its reproduction Messerschmitt Me 262 fighter jet into Wittman Regional Airport (OSH) this coming July. If it happens, it would be the first-time appearance for one of the few aircraft types that has not made an appearance at the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.

Alberto Porto Was Attempting a Speed Record in His Risen 916iSV Ultralight

On February 28, the CEO and Chairman of Porto Aviation Group encountered an emergency in his Risen 916iSV ultralight while attempting to set another new speed record. Damage to the aircraft suggests that a bird strike may be to blame for the accident. Flight tracking data shows that the aircraft, a Porto Risen 916iSV registered as I-X068, took off from Alzate Brianza Airport (ILB) at around 7:15 am. It traveled approximately 85 miles northwestbound towards Caiolo, Italy, while attempting to certify a new top airspeed of 450 km/h (243 kts).

Piper, Cirrus, and Textron Back Away From GAMI’s UnleadedAviation Gas

The three kings of general aviation manufacturing recently published statements advising customers that GAMI’s G100UL unleaded avgas is not approved for use in their aircraft. This trails just behind the start of an FAA investigation into claims of aircraft damage from G100UL users.

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy Announces Plan to ‘Supercharge’ ATC Hiring

After years of warnings about staffing shortages in air traffic control, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced a plan to "supercharge" hiring at the FAA Academy. The initiative aims to speed up the hiring process, increase salaries, and attract more applicants.

Captain Fatally Injured, Four Others Injured

The NTSB released its preliminary report on the accident involving a Gates Learjet 35A on February 10, 2025, at Scottsdale Airport (SDL) in Arizona. The aircraft was substantially damaged while the captain was killed in the accident and four others were injured including an occupant of the parked aircraft that was struck by the accident aircraft.

GE’s Catalyst Turboprop Engine Earns FAA Green Light

New Catalyst Expected to Enter Service With the Beechcraft Denali in 2026

General Electric (GE) recently announced that its latest turboprop engine design, the Catalyst, has completed certification testing and received the FAA's nod of approval. The Catalyst is slated to make its operational debut with the new Beechcraft Denali next year. The testing process took much longer than initially planned.

Conflict Of Interest Questions Emerge

The FAA announced it has decided to utilize SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system as part of its upgrade of communications and information technology networks it uses to manage the National Airspace System. Some suggest this raises new conflict of interest concerns for Starlink CEO Elon Musk in his role as an advisor within the Department Government Efficiency or DOGE.

Crew Appears To Continue When Instructed To Hold Short Of Runway

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy stated during a television interview that the crew of a Flexjet aircraft failed to abide by a controller’s instruction to hold short of the runway that a Southwest Airlines flight was about to land on. Fortunately, the Southwest crew was completely alert and immediately executed a go-around seconds before touching down with the Flexjet aircraft in front of it.

Long-Standing Customer Receives Keys In Company Celebration

Bombardier announced the delivery of the 100th of its 1,000th Challenger 3500 super midsize bizjet and celebrated the event in a special ceremony at Bombardier’s Challenger delivery center in Montreal, Canada. The aircraft was purchased by long-standing Bombardier customer JM Family Enterprises.

Both Aimed At Strengthening ATC Workforce, Modernize System

The National Business Aviation Association praised a bipartisan U.S. Senate bill that would increase the number of air traffic controllers and improve aviation safety, introduced by Senators John Hoeven (R-ND), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

Collision With An Obstacle During An Off-Field Landing

Analysis: The glider was launched by aerotow and released about 5 miles from the departure airport. After climbing to about 10,400 ft msl, the pilot flew the glider towards an adjacent peak, however while enroute the glider encountered sink and descended. Rather than fly back towards the sinking air, the pilot began to track towards another peak in anticipation of finding lifting air, in an area where he had been successful in the past. However, the glider continued to descend so he turned back towards the departure airport.

Classic Aero-TV: DeltaHawk Aero Engine Defies Convention

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Deviation from the Historical Mean

Racine, Wisconsin-based DeltaHawk is a privately-held manufacturer of reciprocating engines for aircraft and hybrid power systems. The company and its teams of engineers, designers, manufacturing specialists, flight test, and certification experts has devised a new generation of patented, FAA-certified, jet-fuel-burning, aviation piston engines for a wide variety of general aviation, military, and experimental aircraft and ground-based applications. In May 2023, DeltaHawk’s DHK180 powerplant was granted FAA Type Certification. In July 2023 DeltaHawk’s commen

Aero Linx: Coyote Squadron of the CAF

Honoring generations of heroes through education and living history... Our mission is to preserve the legacy of those individuals who valiantly dedicated their lives, and the aircraft they flew. The Coyote Squadron of Corsicana a unit of the Commemorative Air Force, operates from the N.H. "Tucker" Hardgrave Memorial Hangar at C. David Campbell Field, the Corsicana, Texas, municipal airport.

Directly Behind An aircraft is considered to be operating directly behind when it is following the actual flight path of the lead aircraft over the surface of the earth except when applying wake turbulence separation criteria.