Lack of Long-Term Confidence Harms Industry, Says Stakeholder

A handful of GA advocacy groups have taken issue with the "continued short-term extensions of authorization for the FAA", telling Congress that they could "challenge the certainty that industry and the FAA depend on to enable long-term planning and investment in many critical areas required to ensure the safety of the NAS and America's global leadership in aviation." The FAA is only authorized through December 31st of this year, despite months of negotiations. Last July, the House passed bipartisan reauthorization legislation that would see the FAA set through 2028, but the Senate has yet to act on the bill. Patience, it seems, is wearing thin in the industry.

Aerojet Rocketdyne Continues Work on Rocket for Lunar Return

NASA finished the 3rd of a series of 12 ground tests of the SLS rocket that will one day power Artemis program missions to the moon - and beyond. As installed, 4 engines will generate a combined 1.6 million pounds of thrust at launch, and 2 million during ascent. Artemis missions I through IV will use "modified holdover space shuttle main engines", scavenged by NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne in a feat of thriftiness.

ForeFlight Runway Analysis Comes to Hondajet

Honda's work with ForeFlight has borne fruit for the clientele of both brands, with HondaJet operators now able to integrate accurate "Runway Analysis" into their everyday flights. The tool "transforms the tedious task of calculating takeoff and landing performance into an integral and effortless part of any jet pilot’s preflight workflow", saving pilots some trouble in their flight planning. Of course, nothing comes free with ForeFlight - the addition must be purchased as an add-on to an existing ForeFlight subscription.

Wittman Regional Remains Home for AirVenture for Years to Come

The Experimental Aviation Association has confirmed dates for their yearly AirVenture fly-in all the way through 2027, confirming each week to take place at Wittmann Regional Airport in late July. The change is great news for those who like to plan a long way into the future, with each convention held in the region since 1970. The EAA knows that it's just about the biggest thing in sport aviation throughout the Western Hemisphere (and even beyond), so it's something of a courtesy to provide a heads-up to the rest of the industry.

Despite the Continental Offerings Abroad, BAA Still Buys American

International flight enterprise BAA training inked a deal for 48 C-172s, expanding their educational Cessna fleet around the world. BAA Training is a full-spectrum GA provider with facilities in Spain, Lithuania, France and Vietnam. Additionally, pilot training services are provided through a consultancy office in India and a sales representative office in the UAE. Their sprawling flight training kingdom means they need plenty of trusty trainer planes, and they're willing to pony up for the blue chip of the GA world in the C-172 Skyhawk. They went all-in on a purchase for 48 spiffy new Cessnas, taking a bit of an unusual tack in a region where Diamond's little DA-20 Katana or do-all DA-40

Breadth of 500, 550, 560 Series Covered with Backup EFIS

Blackhawk Aerospace Technologies has obtained the STC for the retrofitment of the GI-275 Electronic Standby Instrument System for Cessna Citation aircraft. The models included in the STC vary, including all serial number aircraft for 500,501,550,S550,560,560XL series Citations. As usual, the GI-275 is a fave for those running older, less reliable systems - a well-placed unit can be a very affordable way to have faithful standby instruments that operators can go the distance with minimal fuss. A Blackhawk Aerospace PMA kit rounds out the ease of installation.

From 2023 (YouTube Version): Germany’s Best by Way of Florida

Established in 1980 by German aerobatic pilot Walter Extra as a means by which to design and develop his own airplanes, EXTRA Aircraft—EXTRA Flugzeugbau in its founder’s native tongue—has evolved into one of the world’s premier makers of aerobatic aircraft. EXTRA’s aircraft line-up comprises the EXTRA 330 SC, a single seat, low-wing, aerobatic monoplane possessed of the sort of aerobatic performance that won world championships in 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022; the EXTRA 330 LX, a two-seat, tandem arrangement, low-w

Prototype UAV Expected to Fly in 2025

Airbus finalized a deal with the Spanish Ministry of Defence for the development and acquisition of SIRTAP, a "High Performance Tactical UAS that will reinforce the tactical capabilities of the Spanish Army and the Air and Space Force." The contract will include 9 total systems, each including a suite of 3 uncrewed aircraft and one control station. To help provide cost-effective training, a pair of simulators will be included too. SIRTAP sports a payload of 330 lbs and a range of 1,200 sm. Its 20-hour endurance provides a flexible, stationable, responsive day/night operator even in controlled airspace. All of that remains somewhat theoretical at the moment, with the first prototype flight expected to take plac

Finished with Testing and Evaluation, the 6th Aircraft Delivery Heralds Start of Mass Production

Boeing has begun its move towards low rate initial production for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter after tending the 6th and final test aircraft to the USAF in October, ending its Research, Development, Test & Evaluation phase. LRIP will begin assembling 13 new aircraft as contracted, with up to 80 more on order should they be chosen. The first of the new batch has already headed into final assembly, and Boeing believes they can have the first completed unit of the batch in customer hands in 2024.

Conducting A Low Pass Over An Off-Airport Landing Strip At An Altitude Of 100 Ft Above The Ground

Analysis: The pilot reported that, while conducting a low pass over an off-airport landing strip at an altitude of 100 ft above the ground, the airplane encountered a downdraft. The pilot felt the airplane was unable to climb out of the valley without stalling, so he maintained airspeed, but the airplane descended and impacted the ground. The airplane subsequently rebounded and came to a rest in an upright position, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operatio

Aero Linx: Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST)  CAST’s initial goal was to reduce the commercial aviation fatality risk in the United States by 80 percent from 1998 to 2008. By 2008, CAST was able to report that by implementing the most promising safety enhancements, the fatality risk of commercial air travel in the United States was reduced by 83 percent. CAST’s goal over the next decade is to transition to prognostic safety analysis. CAST aims to reduce the remaining U.S. commercial fatality risk by 50 percent from 2010 to 2025 and continue to work with our international partners to reduce fatality risk in worldwide commercial aviation.

Lost Communications Loss of the ability to communicate by radio. Aircraft are sometimes referred to as NORDO (No Radio). Standard pilot procedures are specified in 14 CFR Part 91. Radar controllers issue procedures for pilots to follow in the event of lost communications during a radar approach when weather reports indicate that an aircraft will likely encounter IFR weather conditions during the approach. 

It's A Collaboration, And We Want To Hear From YOUR Organization

It is no longer enough, in our view, to build a successful business... but to build a successful structure by which this business (and our valued partners) can collectively have a positive impact on the industry that wasn’t possible, individually.

"This bipartisan legislation reauthorizes the FAA’s aviation safety and infrastructure programs for five years and provides the multi-year structure, resources, and direction the FAA needs. Additionally, H.R. 3935 recognizes the vital national role of our industry by including the first-ever general aviation title, which makes critical reforms to FAA services of specific interest to our industry segment. This bill enables the FAA to move forward on areas of significant importance to general aviation including workforce development, regulatory process improvement, airspace modernization, and the development and enabling of new technologies."   Source: From an address by the NBAA concerning after the House passed bip

76-Year-Old Veteran of NASA Science Mission Directorate Memorialized

Mary Cleave, a 2-flight veteran of the shuttered shuttle program, passed away at 76. "I’m sad we’ve lost trail blazer Dr. Mary Cleave, shuttle astronaut, veteran of two spaceflights, and first woman to lead the Science Mission Directorate as associate administrator,” said NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. “Mary was a force of nature with a passion for science, exploration, and caring for our home planet. She will be missed.”

Visitors to WWI Exhibit Can Fly the Legendary Dogfighter

The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington recently obtained a pair of Sopwith Camel flight simulators, allowing attendees to experience the closest thing to the original today. The sims were designed and built by local company one-G Simulation in collaboration with Cignatec, an education tech company. These simulators will be one of the jewels of the Museum's WWI exhibit, offering visitors an immersive flying experience in the iconic aircraft. Rather than push newbies through the usual flight training curriculum of a flight sim, the Sopwith Camels will give operators a range of scenarios to play with, reinforcing repeat attendance and fresh experiences.

eSTOL Expected to Be a Solid Performer in Bristow Service

Electra.aero, Inc.’s eSTOL demonstrator aircraft has struck a deal to provide the Bristow Group for 5 early delivery positions for the upcoming production aircraft. The agreement was firmed up by the payment of a deposit agreement, riding on a 2021 memorandum of understanding. That MoU saw Bristow gain pole position as the principal launch customer for the Electra eSTOL, with a big pre-order for up to 50 aircraft. These first 5 could be just the tip of that iceberg, should Bristow decide to exercise its options later on.

Quick Reaction Force Gains Chinook Support for 6th Year Running

Coulson Aviation will station 3 of its Boeing CH-47 Chinook Very Large Helitankers, a Sikorsky S-76 recon helo, and full staff with Southern California Edison in support of their Quick Reaction Force. Since their first year contracting, the firm has flown over 700 hours, with 60% of that time logged at night under NVGs. Throughout the missions, they've dropped more than 4.5 million gallons of water on nearly 200 wildfires. The company proudly notes that "every fire Coulson fought with the QRF was successfully extinguished in its initial burn - none have expanded into large campaign fires."

JB Investments Adds 3 More Aircraft in Aircraft Offerings

Bell Textron signed a pair of purchase agreements for 2 Bell 407GXis and a Bell 505 to JB Investments of Poland. The aircraft will be put to use as private travel runabouts, added to the distributor's GA and helicopter offerings in the Polish market. The purchase of all 3 aircraft was celebrated with a signing ceremony at the Bell booth during the recent European Rotors 2023 expo in Madrid, Spain.

KC-46A Sees Lot 10 Contract

Boeing will build 15 more KC-46A Pegasus tankers under a Lot 10 contract awarded by the USAF to the tune of $2.3 billion. Those new aircraft will join the USAF fleet of 76 of the type already delivered. At the moment, the fleet boasts 153 of the refuelers on contract around the world to various clients, and the more hours they rack up, the more trustworthy they appear to would-be customers. Earlier this year the USAF awarded a Block 1 upgrade contract to the firm, looking to add "more advanced communications capabilities to enhance the aircraft's data connectivity and situational awareness."

From 2023 (YouTube Version): Barking up the Right Tree

Australian-born, the Aeropup is a remarkably robust, fully-customizable, go-anywhere, two-seat, STOL/LSA aircraft. The machine’s rugged, CNC-precision-manufactured chromium-alloy tubular-steel frame surrounds the occupant compartment, protecting those within after the fashion of a high-performance road-vehicle’s roll-cage. The Aeropup’s rugged airframe may be paired with either a conventional (tailwheel) or tricycle (nosewheel) undercarriage, and is borne aloft by an innovative and efficient wing comprising three spars—the principal of which featur

Good Old Skyhawk Never Goes Out of Style

Liberty University signed on to purchase 16 more Cessna Skyhawks for delivery through 2026, adding to their fleet of 24 of the type. "We are proud to support Liberty University's aviation program and equip students with access to the industry-leading Cessna Skyhawk," said Chris Crow, vice president, Piston Sales. "Liberty University's commitment to excellence in aviation education aligns with Textron Aviation's vision of inspiring the journey of flight, and we are confident that these aircraft will enhance the training experience for their students."

T-6 Trainers Run on StandardAero Overhauls, with more than 500 Happy Engines

StandardAero just capped off 10 full years of support for the military's favorite advanced trainer aircraft, the T-6 Texan II. Since obtaining the contract to provide engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, the firm has worked on more than 500 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop engines. The full spectrum of T-6s can be daunting for some, given its -A, -B, -C, and -D models, not to mention foreign iterations like their sister ship the Canadian Harvard.

Flight Instructor Took The Controls From The Student And At That Time Realized The Flaps Were Still At 30°

Analysis: The flight instructor and student departed on an instructional flight and flew to a nearby grass airstrip for pattern work. Although the flight instructor had flown into the airstrip before, he did not check the runway length before the flight departed and thought it was longer than the actual published 2,400-ft length. After arriving at the destination airstrip the, student entered left downwind for runway 13, resulting in a right quartering tailwind of about 5 knots. The flight instructor told the student to perform a short field landing...

Aero Linx: Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association (LPBA) LPBA is an international non-profit bar association that promotes aviation law through its quarterly journal and semiannual CLE meetings at resort locations. There are membership categories for lawyer-pilots, pilots, lawyers, law students, and all those interested in aviation, aviation safety, and the law. Our membership includes approximately 600 attorneys and aviation enthusiasts. 

Light Gun A handheld directional light signaling device which emits a brilliant narrow beam of white, green, or red light as selected by the tower controller. The color and type of light transmitted can be used to approve or disapprove anticipated pilot actions where radio communication is not available. The light gun is used for controlling traffic operating in the vicinity of the airport and on the airport movement area. 

How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming

How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbell via the link below. Please include the following information when submitting a story idea or lead: who the intended subject is, a general story outline of said subject, important dates or deadlines for the story lead, and any appropriate contact information for both yourself and related subjects.

“I’m sad we’ve lost trail blazer Dr. Mary Cleave, shuttle astronaut, veteran of two spaceflights, and first woman to lead the Science Mission Directorate as associate administrator. Mary was a force of nature with a passion for science, exploration, and caring for our home planet. She will be missed.” Source: NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, with an excellent remembrance of an exceptional aerospace pioneer.  

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

Aero Linx: International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA) IFATCA is the global voice of Air Traffic Controllers. It furthers air traffic safety, influences the sustainable evolution of aviation, and embraces all members of its community. The apolitical federation provides guidance, representation, training, and other services to advance the status and professionalism of air traffic control. It collaborates with other international organizations to achieve mutual goals.

Landing Area Any locality either on land, water, or structures, including airports/heliports and intermediate landing fields, which is used, or intended to be used, for the landing and takeoff of aircraft whether or not facilities are provided for the shelter, servicing, or for receiving or discharging passengers or cargo. 

“This successful demonstration of a fully autonomous flight from takeoff to landing is a great step towards the reduced pilot workload and simplified HMI that the Airbus Urban Air Mobility team intends to implement on CityAirbus NextGen. It could also have immediate applications for helicopters in low-level flights close to obstacles thanks to the information provided by the lidars on board." Source: Michael Augello, CEO of Airbus UpNext, chatting about how Airbus has completed a series of hands-off helicopter flights using a "simplified human-machine interface", controlling it entirely via tablet.

Hi Folks... This is a special issue of the Propwash newsletter, dedicated only to its being a personal message from the ANN gang to you. I promise not to do this too often, but hope that I can impose on you for a few minutes in order to seek your continued support. We'd like to make one last pitch for book orders while they might affect the total print order. We have sent this book to the printer and are in pre-press prep right now (proofs expected today)... and the more we can add to the print tally, the more cost-effective our printing prices (per book) become. As you