NASA's Webb Telescope Continues Journey

The new James Webb Space Telescope has made its way successfully into space, beginning its unfolding process while completing the first phase of its flight trajectory. The telescope will build on the successful Hubble Space Telescope's body of work, integrating more sensitive and advanced sensing equipment and cameras on the cutting edge of technology. The Webb represents some of, if not the greatest engineering NASA has ever created, boasting a lightweight but robust, stowable system that fits in the relatively modest nose of its Ariane 5 launch vehicle, about 18 by 56 feet. Once positioned, the sensor array will dwarf Hubble's 7.8-foot mirror, boasting a 21-foot multi-layered array. At full stature, its su

Longer Range, Higher Endurance, Greater Resolution Working Drones On Shelves Soon

Soon to come to North American locales, Autel has announced its EVO Nano and Lite series of drones will be in customer hands in the near future. The premium, workaday UAVs have improved on previous Autel fare where it counts, improving battery life to 40 minutes, while also improving the obstacle avoidance, video resolution, and transmission range to tackle even bigger projects. The first shipment, according to Autel, has made its way into their hands and is undergoing final quality control checks before making its way to distributors. Both the Nano and Lite series offer a base level standard drone as well as a Plus version with added accouterments and more prem

Rescinding the 6% Tax Would Make the State More Attractive To Aviation

Florida's lawmakers have put out two Republican-sponsored bills in the house and senate that would see the state lift its 6% tax on aircraft purchases. The change would hopefully boost interest in the state, as well as bolster the aviation economy of the region. State economists point to estimates from Florida's Revenue Estimating Conference that expect a shortfall of $25.4 million per year, with local governments possibly subjected to nearly $8 million in loss. The bill's sponsor says that is acceptable, however, as Florida is now consistently losing out on business because of the tax, losing more than it brings in. Other states in the union have rescinded their aircraft taxes

Air-Launched Satellite Delivery Set to Send DoD Equipment into LEO

Virgin Orbit, a separate enterprise from the well-known tourism company Virgin Galactic, completed the final dress rehearsal for their 3rd upcoming paid launch. The window should open starting on January 12, 2022, and in modern spacefaring fashion be livestreamed throughout the event. The payload will consist of satellites from the US Department of Defense Space Test Program, Poland's SatRevolution, and Spire Global. The spacecraft are all loaded for bear and ready for placement in the mothership's payload adapter, set for delivery to the Mojave Air and Space Port. 

Aircraft Put Down 10 Miles North of Field Quickly Saved by Good Samaritan

The Florida Keys Marathon Airport saw the rescue of a crashed aircraft as the local Coast Guard Station's 33-foot Special Purpose boat responded to the call. The passengers were found initially by a passing boat, but space was limited and speed lacking for an adequate rescue. The call for assistance had summoned the Guardians, who quickly arrived on scene to transfer them to their roomier craft. The 3 survivors were taken ashore to local emergency services for the treatment of their minor injuries. The semi-submerged Cessna 210 is reportedly salvageable, with a commercial recovery specialist already contracted to recover it.

Airman Design and Prototype Combination USB Charging Port and LED Maplight for only $3,000 Each

The proliferation of electronic flight bags throughout military service has come with not only convenience, but problems, as well. The long voyages for some aircraft in Air Force inventory bring a new set of problems for power-hungry tablets vital to continued navigation, and the 307th Bomb wing has a solution for their vintage B-52s thanks to an Air Force think tank program aimed at rapid prototyping for real-world solutions. Most pilots are familiar with the rapid drain seen on their devices in flight, as their equipment is forced to perform a series of tasks at once. EFBs often operate at maximum screen brightness while they track GPS locat

Makes Last-Minute Money and Adds Aviation Capital Group Support to ESG Fund Initiative

Airbus has capped off 2021 with a signed memorandum of understanding for 20 A220 aircraft, and a firm contract for 40 of their A320neo aircraft. The buyer is a Tokyo Century Corp subsidiary, Aviation Capital Group, a global full-service lessor company. The company now supports the Airbus Environmental, Social, and Governance fund initiative to contribute to sustainable aviation projects. The newest specification of the A220 has impressed the Aviation Capital Group, bringing the latest Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engines, a 50% smaller noise footprint, and an estimated 25% reduction in fuel burn compared to previous generation offerings.

Alex Orozco, Vice President at Nippon Kayaku America, Speaks With ANN At XPONENTIAL 2021 in Atlanta, GA

ParaSafe is an emergency parachute system for drones. Its parent company, Nippon Kayaku, has been building automotive technology with a focus on safety systems, such as car airbags, for the past 29 years. Creating products for unmanned systems seemed like the next step for the company to embrace the future. Nippon Kayaku created ParaSafe with the aim of protecting people. “We are a company that cares, we want to be able to offer high reliability products for society,” Orozco says.

AD 2022-01-05 Prompted By An Additional Report Of Loose Rivet Heads On The Outside Face Of The Tail Boom Corner Support

The FAA is superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2021-24-06, which applied to certain Airbus Helicopters Model EC130T2 helicopters. AD 2021-24-06 required repetitive visual inspections of the rivets on the rear transmission shaft bearing support and of the local structure for cracking and missing, loose, or sheared rivets and accomplishment of applicable corrective actions. This AD retains those requirements and adds repetitive visual inspections of the rivet heads on the left-hand and right-hand sides of the rear transmission shaft bearing support, revises a corrective action, and adds a reporting requirement, as specified in

Aero Linx: The Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA)  The Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. It is the largest, most-representative professional membership organization in the fields of aerospace medicine and human performance. AsMA is a scientific forum providing a setting for many different disciplines to come together and share their expertise for the benefit of all persons involved in air and space travel. The Association has provided its expertise to a multitude of Federal and international agencies on a broad range of issues, including aviation and space medical standards, the aging pilot, and physiol

Procedure Turn The maneuver prescribed when it is necessary to reverse direction to establish an aircraft on the intermediate approach segment or final approach course. The outbound course, direction of turn, distance within which the turn must be completed, and minimum altitude are specified in the procedure. However, unless otherwise restricted, the point at which the turn may be commenced and the type and rate of turn are left to the discretion of the pilot.

“The amount of jobs that we would be getting from it, the amount of crew members and housing and the trickle down effect, in my opinion would far outweigh any general revenue that may be lost by the sales of these aircraft.” Source: The House bill sponsor, Toby Overdorf, commenting on why Florida's lawmakers have put out two Republican-sponsored bills in the house and senate that would see the state lift its 6% tax on aircraft purchases. The change would hopefully boost interest in the state, as well as bolster the aviation economy of the region.