Solar-Powered Craft Pushing Boundaries Of Long-Duration Flight
Skydweller Aero recently completed a series of uncrewed autonomous test flights, the longest of which lasted 22 ½ hours and demonstrates the feasibility of remaining airborne for extended periods using solar energy and batteries. The Skydweller is based on Solar Impulse, the first solar-powered aircraft to circumnavigate the Earth. Its robust design enables Skydweller to carry payloads of up to 800 pounds. The U.S. military, particularly the Navy, has expressed interest in the potential of Skydweller as a platform for persistent surveillance in a maritime patrol setting.
Coast Guard Helicopter Recovers Survivors Who Abandoned Ship
A U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka recovered all three survivors from the water about 58 miles east of Kayak Island and transported them safely to Yakutat. The sailors were aboard the fishing vessel Tsui in the eastern Gulf of Alaska when they lost power after experiencing an electrical fire. The captain had deployed the vessel’s anchor but continued to drift and was at risk of running aground.
Photographer Backed Into The Turning Propeller And Sustained Fatal Injuries
On October 26, 2024, about 1440 central daylight time, a Cessna 182Q airplane was not damaged when it was involved in an accident near Rose Hill, Kansas. The pilot was not injured, and a passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 skydiving flight. The pilot reported that he had completed 6 skydive flights during the morning of the accident.
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