"We Came All This Way To Explore The Moon, And The Most Important Thing Is That We Discovered The Earth...” 

An astronaut who was part of what was then mankind's greatest adventure... the first flight to orbit the moon and  return back, has died in an accident while flying a T-34. Bill Anders, who also is credited with the famous Earthrise photo of the Earth coming up over the moon (taken aboard Apollo 8), was said to be the only occupant of the aircraft. Anders was 90 years old and his death was confirmed by his son, Greg. 

Flight 4 Ended With Starship Igniting Its Three Center Raptor Engines And Executing The First Flip Maneuver

While a few of the aerospace-impaired morons from the Associated Press ran a headline emphasizing that Starship 4 didn't blow up, the non-ignorant members of the space community are celebrating a very positrive and highly successful test flight. Starship’s fourth flight test launched with ambitious goals, attempting to go farther than any previous test before and begin demonstrating capabilities central to return and reuse of Starship and Super Heavy. The payload for this test was the data and Spacex is pleased to note that Starship delivered.

The Piper M700 FURY Was Certified In March of 2024 

Piper has received Flight into Known Icing (FIKI) certification from the FAA for its M700 FURY. “The M700 FURY—boasting a max cruise speed of 301 KTAS and a max range of 1,852 nm—includes some of the most advanced safety features in the industry,” stated John Calcagno, President & CEO of Piper Aircraft. “The certification of FIKI is a crucial part of the overall value proposition of the M700 FURY, as well as a key safety feature for the operator.”

Themes Will Double Down on Training Instructors, Mentorship, and Wellbeing

The National Association of Flight Instructors has opened up its annual networking and training event, the NAFI Summit, running from October 15 to 17 later this year. The Summit revolves around "Excellence in Flight Instruction", acting as their mission statement and motto in one. NAFI doesn't like the way flight instruction has become a stopover job on the way to bigger aircraft and better paying employers. That is an unbecoming attitude to have for such a fundamental building block of aviation. As such they strive to instill a more professional, serious approach to flight instructing as a career, providing members with the kinds of tools they need to succeed.

With Certification In-Hand, the Story Continues

Archer has been given some very good news as of late, now having been granted their operator certificate from the FAA. Even better for them, they've been given the Part 135 cert too, empowering their plans for air taxi operations in the future once the Midnight aircraft is ready to go. Once in full swing, Archer will offer short-hop rides aboard their 4-passenger eVTOL aircraft. Much like the advent of ridesharing apps, the industry could represent a tidal shift in the way everyday folk get around. But, like any air taxi company, Archer has to ensure they fill all the forms and tick off all the boxes before they start booking tickets.

Also: NATA CEO In Legal Dilemma, WestJet Encore Settle, Drone Bill H.R. 8416, USN Jet Trainer 

GAMA released their 1Q/24 GA Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report -- with mostly mixed news. The results for the first three months of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023, show deliveries were flat for piston airplanes and piston helicopters, decreased for turboprops and turbine helicopters, and increased for business jets. Total aircraft billings were up 3.2% at $4.7 billion. 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

Also: Midnight eVTOL Certification, Falcon 9 Record, Pro Line Fusion, Europa Clipper

The warbird community celebrated Mark Novak, Chief Pilot of their B-29 'Doc', and his accomplishment of racking up 500 hours in the vintage bomber. On top of that, Novak built up more than 300 hours of time flying the other B-29 'Fifi', making him the modern era's most experienced B-29 pilot. The Airspace Center for Excellence has been given the blessing to begin operating Lakeland Linder International Airport's first concessions store, riding on the tail of new commercial service by Avelo Airlines. Evidently, there weren't too many bidders for the opportunity, with most

Tossable Recon Drone Finds Quick Footing Abroad

AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc has announced a pretty big order for 20 brand-new eBee VISION full-stack systems to a distributor in the United Arab Emirates, all in all worth about $2 million. The deal will include the whole kit and caboodle for operating the eBee, granting the distributor control systems, batteries, backpacks, storage systems, and a small supply of common wear parts for continued manufacturer support. The deal puts a point on their eBee VISION's capability for serious surveillance operations, being a relatively cost-effective, high-endurance fixed-wing drone platform.

Vision Was Obscured Due To The Sun Glaring Off A Nearby Pond

Analysis: The pilot was on final approach to a private grass airstrip. He stated that his vision was obscured due to the sun glaring off a nearby pond. The airplane drifted left of the intended touchdown point and struck a small tree. The pilot was unable to see the tree in time to avoid the collision. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

From 2019 (YouTube Version): An Historic Aircraft Solving Modern Challenges

Sitting in the Warbirds area at AirVenture 2019 was a pair of Soviet-era MI-2 helicopters which are being used as testbeds for a lot of new technology at the University of Iowa. The aircraft is used to test cutting-edge avionics, enhanced vision systems, and other innovations. It is designed to allow instrumentation to be changed quickly, letting researchers make adjustments to their experiments and more quickly bring their ideas to fruition. How did that come to happen, and why the MI-2? That's an interesting story that Tom "Mach" Schnell, the o

Aero Linx: The Arizona Pilot’s Association (APA) 

The Arizona Pilot’s Association (APA) was organized in 1978 to give Arizona’s general aviation community a voice in aviation matters. Our mission remains much the same today as we continue to promote general aviation through advocacy at various levels of state and federal government, as well as through partnering with other aviation organizations in advocating our common interests: promoting aviation safety, pilot education, and public understanding of general aviation; preserving, maintaining, and even re-opening Arizona’s backcountry and recreational airstrips; broadcasting Arizona aviation news;

VFR Terminal Area Charts (1:250,000) Depict Class B airspace which provides for the control or segregation of all the aircraft within Class B airspace. The chart depicts topographic information and aeronautical information which includes visual and radio aids to navigation, airports, controlled airspace, restricted areas, obstructions, and related data.

"We Came All This Way To Explore The Moon, And The Most Important Thing Is That We Discovered The Earth...”  Source: A wonderful reflection on one of mankind's greatest photographs, the 'Earthrise' picture taken by the late Major General Bill Anders, as he circled the Moon aboard Apollo 8.