Also: Hartzell Engine Tech Alternator, Super Petrel Accident, WV College, VX4 eVTOL Mishap
For more than twenty-years, crowds have thrilled to Thunder Over Michigan, a gala event counted among the U.S.’s premier air-shows. Regrettably, the event’s 25th anniversary was marred by the loss of a Soviet-Era MiG-23 (NATO designation Flogger). The Sunday mishap saw the MiG-23’s two occupants eject from the aircraft as it traversed the airspace over Ypsilanti, Michigan’s Willow Run Airport (YIP). This week, the United States Coast Guard and Navy rescued four divers—Ben Wiggins, 64; Luke Lodge, 26; Daniel Williams, 46; and Evan Williams, 16 who had gone missing some forty-nautical-miles southeast of North C
… Nor a Borrower Be
On 14 August 2023, Wheels Up, the New York City-based provider of on-demand aircraft services, reported additional losses, declining revenues, and dwindling cash reserves. The disclosure occasioned renewed whisperings of bankruptcy’s imminence and the dissolution of the world’s third-largest private aviation concern. The morning of 15 August brought an announcement of a wholly-different tenor from Delta Air Lines, which set forth its intention to lead a major investment initiative by which Wheels Up, of which Delta presently holds a significant stake, may yet manage a worryingly-overdue course-correction.
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Fly-in Not to be Confused with Recent American Shindig
Canadian fly-in AeroVenture (Aer-O-Venture, mind you) has set a date, taking place in Casey’s CSQ4 aerodrome near Lake Wet, Canada from September 1-4, 2023. The fly-in will bring all kinds of Canadian aircraft together to celebrate the “spellbinding world of aviation” with other enthusiasts from across the country. Last year, Camp de Base Casey, a former Cold War installation abandoned by time, saw the first AeroVenture to impressive turnout. In 2022 the location saw “241 aircraft, 28 seaplanes, 22 helicopters, 260 RVs, and 92 camping planes”, accompanied by 2600 visitors in all.
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Initial Reports Only Partially Accurate
On 13 August 2023, a MiG-23 went down while taking part in the Thunder Over Michigan air-show. The accident aircraft, a MiG-23UB built in 1981 and imported from the Czech Republic, had been largely restored by, belonged to, and was flown by Dan “Files” Filer, a U.S. Navy combat veteran who flew A-6 Intruders in the Gulf War. Following the mishap, Michigan’s Wayne County Airport Authority set forth: “While it did not appear they [the Mig-23’s occupants] sustained any significant injuries, first-responders transported the pair to a nearby hospital as a precaution.” The Airport Authority’s statement proved inaccurate, however. Filer and his backseater, after being fishe
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Helo Manufacturer Searching for Engineers, Managers, Mechanics
Enstrom Helicopter Corporation is bouncing back under the “passionate ownership” (their words, not ours) of Chuck Surack and now looking for an infusion of fresh talent as it makes the most of its upswing. The firm has continued plugging away on “exciting new rotorcraft models and features” as it addresses an “unprecedented level of product demand” from the helicopter market. Under Surack’s leadership, the company has more than 125 employees, but is ripe for expansion. Right now, Enstrom particularly wants “ skilled engineers, managers, mechanics, and more.”
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New Gadgets, Old Dominion
Founded in 1958, the Mitre Corporation (stylized MITRE) is an American non-profit organization managing federally-funded research and development centers (FFRDC) supporting various U.S. government agencies in the aviation, defense, healthcare, homeland security, and cybersecurity sectors. On 15 August 2023, MITRE announced the opening of a new, Orange, Virginia test-range dedicated to the development, testing, and evaluation of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), commercial robotics, autonomous systems, and drone and counter-drone systems.
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