Advisory Circular Aims to Reduce the Amount of Paperwork Needed for eVTOL Certification

The FAA is looking for public commentary on a draft Advisory Circular regarding the type, production, and airworthiness certification of powered-lift. The FAA says recent applications for the type certification of powered-lift have proposed passenger seating configurations of six or fewer, weighing 12,500 pounds or less, and utilizing battery-powered electric propulsion. For such projects, the FAA published the proposed airworthiness criteria for public consideration and comment, and has drawn on that body of work to draft an advisory circular called “Type Certification—Powered-lift.”

Highlighting Progress in Sustainable Fuels

Explorer, environmentalist, and veteran circumnavigator, Bertrand Piccard, announced that he is set to pilot the liquid hydrogen-powered aircraft Climate Impulse on a non-stop globe-circling flight in 2028. The flight will track along the equator and take about nine days to complete. Along the way, Piccard will speak with the public, schools, and governments while seeking to inspire and educate audiences about using the earth’s resources as efficiently and sustainably as possible.

Scary... Audio Inadvertently Routed to NASA Livestream

Wednesday, at approximately 5:28 CDT, audio was heard on the NASA livestream feed from an internal ground-based simulation channel that a  crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS) was enduring symptoms of decompression sickness (DCS). The audio was misrouted to the NASA channel instead of its likely intended audience in the ground control center. On X (formerly Twitter) the ISS feed posted at 6:05 pm CDT that there was in fact no actual emergency happening on the station. Nonetheless, with millions of people following the channel probably at all times of the day and night this caused an immediate and immense outpouring of questions, anxiety, and concern that a re

Enables Faster Response Time, Enhances Situational Awareness and Safety

uAvionix, based in Bigfork, Montana, announced that the FAA has approved the Oswego City Police Department’s Drone as First Responder (DFR) program for operations Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) without Visual Observers (VOs). The uAvionix Casia G ground-based Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) system was instrumental in gaining the approval. Casia G is an advanced ground-based DAA surveillance system that provides crucial airspace awareness to enhance situational awareness for drones operating beyond line of sight with no visual observers as well as any piloted aircraft within proximity of the drones.

Middle East and South Africa VFR Charts Added to A La Carte Offerings

ForeFlight announced a modest update to their flagship EFB product, with ForeFlight 16.5 adding one moderately useful feature and a pair of pretty niche ones. Top of mind for the update is an alert for wake turbulence events, a slick little system that draws data from FLARM and ADS-B systems to calculate the prospective wake turbulence caused by traffic ahead of the user. When flying at or above 500 feet AGL, ForeFlight continuously calculates wake effects from nearby aircraft using their position, altitude, speed, weight category, and winds aloft information, then compares these with its current flight path. If the course is set to intersect with the expected pocket of turbulen

Archer Continues March Toward Commercialization

Archer Aviation’s second full-scale eVTOL aircraft Midnight successfully completed its transition flight on June 8. In the eVTOL industry, transition flight is a well-known benchmark that is difficult to achieve. It occurs when the aircraft takes off vertically like a helicopter (hover), transitions into wing-borne forward flight as the engines tilt forward and flies like an airplane. As it approaches its destination it decelerates, the engines tilt upward and the craft lands like a helicopter. The process is similar to that seen with the US military’s tiltrotor V-22 Osprey operation.

Revised Runway Revitalizes Airport with Smooth Pavement, Extra Capacity

Renovations to Pueblo Memorial Airport’s (KPUB) runway 8R/26L have been completed after a closure of 21 days, granting locals and transients 10,500 feet of runway. The local Pueblo, Colorado FBO, Freeman Jet Center, is happy to announce that things are up and running there, with amenities sufficient to accommodate aircraft up to a C5 in size. To celebrate the change and entice visitors to try out the new tarmac, Freeman Jet Center is giving double AVTRIP Points through the end of July, which. The renovation project, which began earlier this year and closed the runway for 21 days, includes 10,500 square feet of brand-new runway surface, ready to accommodate aircraft up to

A Fun LSA That Doubles As a Crop Duster?

The DragonFly was one of the most intriguing little planes on the line at this year's Sun 'n Fun 2024, so Jim Campbell of ANN made sure to stop by and check it out. Randy Dorsey of Pitman Air took a moment to talk it up and go over the funky little bird. Ever seen a light sport pull double duty as a crop duster? That's the DragonFly's claim to fame, part of its Australian DNA. The DragonFly is meant to be affordable, compact, and fun, but still able to pull its weight around the farm for those who want more than just a "sunny day convertible" of a plane. Dorsey thinks the DragonFly brand is just getting started, since it

Also: uAvionix AV-Link, Does Simming Make Better Pilots?, World Games, AMA National Fun Fly

Czech sportplane manufacturer Direct Fly has finished delivering its 200th ALTO NG, the latest iteration of their 600-kg sportplane. The Alto was previously offered as the Alto 912 TG model, sporting some light tweaks and changes for improved stiffness and durability. The Rotax folks have published a Service Bulletin after issues were noted that may affect all R915i and R916i series engines. Rotax operators have reported occasional, isolated, cases a momentary slipping of the overload clutch -- which may lead to a slight exceedance of the maximum rpm limit, follow

Also: uAvionix AV-Link, Does Simming Make Better Pilots?, World Games, AMA National Fun Fly

Czech sportplane manufacturer Direct Fly has finished delivering its 200th ALTO NG, the latest iteration of their 600-kg sportplane. The Alto was previously offered as the Alto 912 TG model, sporting some light tweaks and changes for improved stiffness and durability. The Rotax folks have published a Service Bulletin after issues were noted that may affect all R915i and R916i series engines. Rotax operators have reported occasional, isolated, cases a momentary slipping of the overload clutch -- which may lead to a slight exceedance of the maximum rpm limit,

Wreckage... Was Spread Over A Distance Of 0.8 Miles... Consistent With An In-Flight Break-Up

Analysis: The non-instrument-rated pilot was in cruise flight when he advised the air traffic controller that he was looking at his cockpit weather radar display and requested a deviation between what he described as a gap between radar echoes. The airplane subsequently transitioned through echoes consistent with areas of light, moderate, heavy, and then extreme precipitation before track data depicted a steep, descending right turn that continued until contact with the airplane was lost in the vicinity of the accident site.

Aero Linx: Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association At CHAA our mission is to Acquire, Preserve, Restore, Maintain, Display and Demonstrate the Harvard and other training aircraft associated with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) A facility established to provide air traffic control service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within controlled airspace and principally during the en route phase of flight. When equipment capabilities and controller workload permit, certain advisory/assistance services may be provided to VFR aircraft.

“We are excited to unveil our improved runway and once again welcome guests to KPUB with smooth access and first-class amenities, demonstrating our continuous dedication to safety, service and customer satisfaction. Our team looks forward to greeting an influx in traffic with the top-notch aviation services our customers have come to expect at Freeman Jet Center, all at competitive rates.” Source: Todd Engel, general manager of Freeman Jet Center, commenting as renovations to Pueblo Memorial Airport’s (KPUB) runway 8R/26L have been completed after a closure of 21 days, granting locals and transients 10,500 feet of runway.