Aero-News Network: The aviation and aerospace world's daily/real-time news and information service

Commercial Aviation Fatalities Fell In 2019

But There Were More Aircraft Involved In Fatal Accidents

Statistics released by the Accident Safety Network indicate that fatalities from commercial aviation accidents fell by more than 50 percent in 2019 compared to 2018, but those accidents involved more airplanes.

Sierra Nevada Corp Targets Dream Chaser Launch In 2021

Would Carry Cargo To The ISS Under NASA Contract

Sierra Nevada Corporation expects to make its first flight with a Dream Chaser space plane to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2021.

Sinclair Community College Developing Aviation Training Center

Partners With PSA Airlines To Recruit And Train Students

Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH is partnering with PSA Airlines to develop an aviation training center at Dayton International Airport (KDAY).

Autel Robotics Introduces 8K Evo II Drone

Calls The Aircraft A 'Mavic Killer'

A new drone from Autel Robotics was introduced at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. The 8K Autel Evo II is billed as a potential "Mavic Killer" by the company.

Hybrid Air Vehicles Reveals Production Airlander 10

Features Lower-Drag Shape, Wider Cabin, Redesigned Landing Gear

The production Airlander 10 has been revealed as Hybrid Air Vehicles approaches the start of production, with negotiations continuing with commercial customers.

Purdue Aviation Program Begins New Year With Flight Simulator Expansion

Adds Boeing 737 NextGen FTD To The Holleman-Niswonger Simulator Center

Purdue Polytechnic Institute continues to expand its pilot training for students with the addition of a new, high-level flight simulator to the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology (SATT).

Flyability Opens Denver, CO Office To Support Growing Demand In The U.S.

City Selected For Centralized Location And Technology-Focused Community

Flyability, Swiss creator of the Elios 2 drone for indoor inspections, has opened its first U.S. office in Denver, CO to continue its rapid expansion into U.S. markets and offer more robust support to customers and partners.

Gone West: Flight Instructor Lee Orr

Had A 50-Year Career Teaching Aviation In Spartanburg, SC

Lee Orr, who with her husband Bill Orr owned Orr Aviation in Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport in South Carolina as well as Shelby Aviation in North Carolina, passed away January 11. She was 87 years old.

Air Ambulance Down Alaska's Unalaska Bay

Crew Of Three Survived The Ditching

An LifeMed medevac King Air went down in the waters of Unalaska Bay last week shortly after takeoff from an airport in the Aleutian Islands. The plane and crew were enroute to Adak near the west end of the Aleutian chain to pick up a patient, but was airborne for only a few moments before going down in the water.

Pilot Lands Cessna 182 On California City Street

Reported An Engine Failure Inbound To Bakersfield Municipal Airport

A pilot landed a Cessna 182 on a city street in Bakersfield, CA last Friday after reporting an engine failure to air traffic control.

California Pilot Convicted Of Lying To The FAA

Falsified Information About A Medical Condition

A California pilot has been found guilty on two counts of making false statements to the FAA, and two counts of falsifying, concealing or covering up material facts, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Closure Of Ottawa, Canana Flight School Leaves Students In Limbo

Ottawa Aviation Services Closed Abruptly In Mid-December

After losing its accreditation as a private career academy on December 12, Transport Canada on December 17 cancelled the school's certificate to train pilots and aircraft maintainers, saying the school did "not meeting the requirement of appointing key senior safety personnel to their organizations.”

Airborne 01.17.20: A/C Registration Warning, iFly GPS Update, Boeing's Net Loss

Also: NBAA Updates Jet Resource, New Virgin Galactic COO, Heathrow Anti-Drone System, Gogo And Hispasat Deal

EAA is warning the aviation community to regard any solicitation they may receive regarding aircraft registration renewal, especially those that call for using a search engine to find the registration site, with a healthy dose of suspicion. EAA has become aware of several businesses — with names, web URLs, and logos that may appear reminiscent of a government agency — that notify aircraft owners of impending registration expiration (mined from publicly available registration inf

Airborne-Unmanned 01.14.20: 1st US EHang Flt, $6M For Kratos, Unlawful Drone Ops

Also: Karma Firmware Update, Swift Tactical Systems, Drone-Based Home Security, Drone Swarms (Again)

EHang conducted its first-ever US trial flight of its two-seater passenger-grade AAV, the EHang 216 on Jan 7, as part of the North Carolina Transportation Summit hosted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) on January 8 and 9. This represents the first time that the EHang 216 has received flight approval from the FAA. While this was a non-passenger flight, EHang is working with the FAA to secure approval for a passenger trial flight of the EHang 216 in the near future. Kratos Defense

DeFazio, Larson React To 737 MAX Certification Process Report

Say The FAA Needs To Reform The Way It Certifies Aircraft

The Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) have each released statements regarding a newly-released report on the certification process for the Boeing 737 MAX.

NASA, SpaceX Complete Final Major Flight Test Of Crew Spacecraft

Final Major Flight Test Of The Spacecraft Before It Begins Carrying Astronauts To ISS

NASA and SpaceX completed a launch escape demonstration of the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket Sunday. This was the final major flight test of the spacecraft before it begins carrying astronauts to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

GAO: FAA Could Better Leverage Drone Test Site Program

Recommends That The FAA Develop A Data Analysis Plan For Test Site Data, Share More Information

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review FAA’s management of the test sites. The report generated by the review examines, among other things: (1) the research conducted at FAA’s designated UAS test sites, and (2) how FAA is leveraging and sharing information from the test site program to advance integration. GAO reviewed relevant statutes and regulations, reports, and FAA guidance; analyzed test sites’ efforts, including flight test data submitted to FAA from 2015 through 2018; and interviewed FAA officials, test site representatives from all 7 test sites, and 18 test site users, selected to include a range of perspectives.

NTSB Releases Preliminary Report From Hawaii Tour Helo Accident

Seven People Fatally Injured In The Accident

The NTSB has released its preliminary report from an accident which occurred December 26, 2019, about 1657 Hawaii standard time, involving an Airbus AS350 B2 helicopter. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire when it collided with terrain about 24 miles northwest of Lihue, Hawaii. The commercial pilot and six passengers were fatally injured.

EAA: Proposed Remote ID Rule Contains Concerning Requirements

Says Rule Could Have A 'Severe Detrimental Impact' On Traditional Model Aviation

EAA is very concerned that the FAA’s proposed rule on Remote Identification (RID) of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) could have a severe detrimental impact on traditional model aviation, and is preparing a full package of comments on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).

Aircraft Compatibility Testing Begins Aboard USS Gerald R. Ford

E-2D Is The First Aircraft To Land On Board

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) departed its homeport of Norfolk, Jan. 16 to begin Aircraft Compatibility Testing (ACT) off the East Coast as the first aircraft, an E-2D landed, on board.

FAA Issues Emergency AD For Some GE Turbofan Engines

Covers GE90-110B1 And GE90-115B Engines With Certain Serial Numbers

The FAA has issued an emergency AD for General Electric Company (GE) Model GE90-110B1 and GE90-115B model turbofan engines with certain engine serial numbers.

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (01.21.20)

"I want to be very clear: 346 people died because the system failed. Despite the wishes of industry, it would be the height of irresponsibility to leave the ODA system as is and just hope for the best the next time." Source: House Transportation Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR), on the release of a report on the certification process for the Boeing 737 MAX.