Also: Bad Travel Behavior, Dickson Updates Commercial Balloon, ALPA Casts Doubt, Gulfstream G700 On SAF

Good news for Beechcraft Bonanza owners comes just in time, as the Model 36 series autopilot has been approved. Previously paused deliveries of Dynon Certified SkyView HDX displays can now resume immediately, equipped with the newest v16.0 software and most up-to-date hardware. The autopilot is certified for all model 36, A36, and B36 Bonanzas, or available as an option for its SkyView HDX avionics system. The system features a 3-axis autopilot system, yaw damping, and approach coupling with compatible third party IFR avionics. The Aeronautical Repai

Also: Planes Grounded from Pilot Shortage, ICAS 2021, Last of the A380s, Patty Wagstaff

A Cirrus SR22 is reported to have gone down in Knoxville, TN, with two on board. One person was identified by his company, as Charlie Schneider, CEO of MyGoFlight. The accident took place in the morning, about 0920 local time, December 16th near the McGhee Tyson Airport. The MyGoFlight Facebook page has reported that, "Charlie was traveling for business on a single-engine craft, Cirrus SR22. At this time, the cause of the accident is unknown. Charlie died this morning at UT Medical Center in Nashville, TN. During this time of loss, the family is asking for privacy.

Diamond Celebrates Special Mission Twin Fleet

Diamond Aircraft has delivered the 10th of it’s DA62 Multi Purpose Platform (MPP), their high-performance sensor-laden workhorse for commercial surveillance, search and rescue, aerial patrol, force protection, disaster management, systems calibration, and other professional missions. As delivered, the newest addition is configured as a maritime patrol aircraft, equipped with radar, AIS receiver, marine band radio, SIGINT, and Beyond Line of Sight datalink equipment. The installation of the maritime-specific radar pod required custom design and development, which was scratch built and perfectly tailored to the specific aerodynamic and technical needs of the DA62.

A Busy Year Saw a Mars Rover Landing, Martian Helicopter Flights, Moon Mission Preparation

NASA called the last year its "busiest year of development yet in low-earth orbit", capping off 2021 with a review of its accomplishments. The year fared better than expected following a flat 2020, seeing groundbreaking history made on mars, a rash of commercial space development in low-Earth orbit, and some minor progress on a return to the moon. The James Webb Space telescope launched on December 25 from its point in French Guyana following the finishing touches on its systems, providing a far greater image resolution and sensitivity over the legendary Hubble telescope. The launch is the last of the year, being sent aboard the Ariane 5 rocke

Makes Headway on Long-Range Backup Data Feed for Public Safety Drones

uAvionix has finished the first phase of development on their new SkyLink Control & Non-Payload Communications for drone operation on safety-critical, Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions. The completion flights were done at a range up to 25 miles at the Northern Plains UAS Test site in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The command & control systems will utilize C-band comms in a departure from the majority of commercial unmanned systems, utilizing ISM or 4G networks when needed to address a lost C2 link. The BVLOS waivers granted by the FCC are the first step towards robust, capable public safety drones, allowing long-range control with multiple fail safe modes th

Yes... We Will Be On A Holiday Schedule For The Rest Of Week

As the Aero-News staff observes the worldwide holiday of Christmas this weekend, we wanted to let our readers know that ANN will still be on the job, reporting breaking news in the aviation and aerospace fields as it happens -- in Real Time -- just like always. Aero-News will be publishing at a slightly reduced level on December 23rd, 24th and 25th, as our staffers spend some time with their families... some of whom may not recognize them away from their computers. Basically, we're going to treat the four-day weekend as just that: a four-day weekend, meaning you'll still be able to find several new stories each day on our website.

Klyde Is Finding A lIttle More Christmas Spirit Than He Expected

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Receives FAA Safety Research Grant To Design Testing Procedures for Certification

The Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has added some more prestige to the institution as a hub of aviation safety research with an FAA grant to study elements of the eVTOL revolution to come. The study is funded by $625,000 to "enhance the safety of a new class of electric propulsion-powered aircraft." The research will aim to establish safe guidelines and pathways to certification, as well as the ways that their drivetrains differ from traditional aircraft. It is easy to take the wide knowledge base of stock, fuel based aircraft for granted - they are well understood in their failure modes, needs, and issues even in eme

$493M To Modernize Electronic Warfare Systems in 5th Generation Fighter

The most modern, cutting-edge fighter in the NATO fleet is set to receive a boost to its future warfighting capabilities as BAE systems received a nearly $500 million contract to revamp, upgrade, and "modernize" the electronic warfare (EW) system for the F-35 Lightning II. The changes are necessary, according to the tender, to allow the fighter to "quickly detect and address evolving electromagnetic threats in contested battlespaces." The change is a testament to the fast-paced evolution of aeronautical warfare, the fighter achieving operational status less than a decade ago. The deal will see BAE Systems deliver enhanced core hardware for the current EW mission system, the AN

Space Tourism Team Created to Pave Way for Passenger Carriage

Airship research and development outfit UAV Corporation opened a new space-focused division in preparation for low-Earth orbit tourism. With the kernel of a team to spearhead development, the first order of business is to begin design of the pressurized, vital tourist cabin. Once the project is underway, they will be followed by propulsion experts and ground support for launch/recovery for the large "space airship." UAV will likely follow in the same vein as similar tourist companies Battelle and Space Perspectives, lofting passengers to high altitude in calm, slowly ascending airship tethered cabins.

Michael Tomazin Gives An Overview Of The Aircraft

ANN and Michael Tomazin, the North American Distributor for Skyleader Aircraft reflect on the days past at Oshkosh. “We’ve had an outstanding turnout, a lot of excitement around our new 600 model, and we’ve just really been pleased with all the folks that have come by and all the new leads. We have got a lot of the demo rides to give after the show so we are looking forward to that, and showing customers the product that we offer,” Tomazin says. The Skyleader 600 is an all metal two-seat, low wing constructed aircraft with a trapezoidal wing. The aircraft ha

About 4 Miles From The Runway, The Engine “Sputtered A Couple Of Times And Quit Completely."

On November 15, 2021, about 0745 central standard time, a Beech A36TC airplane, N1805D, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Rockport, Texas. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that before departure, the airplane contained 70 total gallons of fuel: 20 gallons in each wing tip tank, and 15 gallons in each main tank, and the cross-country flight was estimated to be 45 minutes to Aransas County Airport (RKP), Rockport, Texas. Shortly after departure, the pilot switched the fuel selector from a main tank to the

AD 2021-24-20 Prompted By Reports Of Slat Transmission Jams Caused By Frozen Slat Geared Rotary Actuators

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus SAS Model A350-941 and -1041 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of slat transmission jams caused by frozen slat geared rotary actuators (SGRAs) at slat 5 track 12. This AD requires repetitive water drainage and plug cleaning of the left- and right-hand SGRAs having a certain part number installed on slat 5 track 12 with certain functional item numbers, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective January 27, 2022

Aero Linx: International Space Station National Laboratory We manage the International Space Station National Laboratory as a public service in order to benefit the U.S. taxpayer and to foster a scalable and sustainable low Earth orbit economy. We leverage our core competencies, facilitate public-private partnerships, and utilize the platform capabilities and unique operating environment of the space station. We create demand, incubate in-space business ventures, provide access for and awareness of fundamental science and technological innovation, and promote science literacy of the future workforce.

Waypoint A predetermined geographical position used for route/instrument approach definition, progress reports, published VFR routes, visual reporting points or points for transitioning and/or circumnavigating controlled and/or special use airspace, that is defined relative to a VORTAC station or in terms of latitude/longitude coordinates.

“At the Eagle Flight Research Center, we are well suited to create theoretical models but also to build experimental hardware to validate those models..." Source: Doctor Kyle Collins, commenting as the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has added some more prestige to the institution as a hub of aviation safety research with an FAA grant to study elements of the eVTOL revolution to come. The study is funded by $625,000 to "enhance the safety of a new class of electric propulsion-powered aircraft."