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September 09, 2022

Airborne 09.09.22: Lightspeed Delta Zulu, KingAir Theft, ArkanSTOL!

Also: Axiom Space, Teledyne FLIR’s SIRAS, Whirly-Girls Scholarships, Spirit Contract

Lightspeed has introduced the new Delta Zulu headset. The headset’s sleek lines and two-tone ear-cups connote a sense of style. The Delta Zulu’s braided connecting cord implies appreciation for durability and practicality. What cannot be seen, however, are the state-of-the-art Active Noise Reduction (ANR), audio-augmentation, Bluetooth, digital recording, and carbon-monoxide-monitoring/warning technologies. The late-summer appeal of turboprops to distressed, 29-year-old, non-pilot, airport employees is vexing. On 10 August 2018, Richard Russell—a 29-year-old, Horizon Airlines ground service agent whose pilot experience comprised solely of flight-s

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Anticipation Building for ArkanSTOL Ozark Backwoods Challenge

STOL in the Fall

2022’s ArkanSTOL Ozark Backwoods Challenge will see pilots gather at Byrd’s Adventure Center in Northwest Arkansas to get about some of the most incredible backcountry flying to be seen anywhere in the world. From 28 September through 02 October, along the banks of the beautiful Mulberry River, aviators and aircraft from around the wide world will ply their respective expertise and engineering to the aeronautical equivalent of rodeo.

The Road Behind: The Road Ahead

MD Helicopters has emerged from bankruptcy, its assets acquired by a new entity dubbed MD Helicopters LLC. The new company's board will be chaired by Ed Dolanski, former president of Boeing Global Service’s government services business. Brad Pedersen, formerly of Breeze-Eastern, Airborne Systems Group, Sikorsky, and Boeing will serve as MD Helicopters LLC's CEO. The next two-to-five years will see the company and its 250 employees remain in Mesa, Arizona.

G700 Test Flight Program Proceeding Apace

Gulfstream Aerospace, the General Dynamics subsidiary and maker of airplanes after which the world’s foremost nations, companies, and people achingly pine, has announced the successful first-flight of the second, fully-outfitted, production-test specimen of its new Gulfstream G700 large-cabin business jet. The aircraft joins the first outfitted G700, which in addition to being awarded the prestigious 2022 International Yacht and Aviation Award in the Private Jet Design category, has set no fewer than eight international city-pair speed records.

The Importance of Beijing Earnest

The Pentagon has suspended F-35 deliveries after discovering that an alloy integral to magnets in the jet’s turbomachine pumps was produced in China. The use of subject alloy may constitute a violation of the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS)—a set of restrictions intended to protect the US defense industry from vulnerabilities inherent over-reliance on foreign sources of supply.

Applicants Encouraged to Vie for $110,000 of Helicopter Training Before Oct 6 Deadline

Female aviators looking to break into the rotary wing industry may be in luck, as the Whirly-Girls Scholarship Fund has announced that it's open season on their roster of scholastic assistance. Scholarships valued at more than $110,000 are up for grabs, available for both longtime, experienced pilots and wet-behind-the-ears newbies alike. This year, a series of sponsors are offering a range of assistance to prospective students, from initial or add-on helicopter ratings, trips to Heli-Expo, specialized mountain flight training, Airbus Inadvertent IMC training, Hughes MD500 flight training, Robinson safety courses and more.

Axiom Space to Provide Artemis III Lunar Excursion Spacesuits

Collins Aerospace Down, but Not Out

NASA has selected Axiom Space—the Houston-based, privately-funded space infrastructure concern—to design, develop, qualify, certify, and produce a moonwalking system (read spacesuit) for the planned Artemis III mission. The road to NASA’s selection of Axiom Space was long, and saw the scrapy Texas company beat out tech powerhouse Collins Aerospace for the lucrative $228.5-million contract.

FAA Funded Research to Conclude in 2023

The FAA's ASSURE program has provided additional funding to the University of North Dakota’s John D. Odergard School of Aerospace Sciences (UND). The monies will facilitate the institution's ongoing research into UAV right-of-way rules using technologies associated with autonomous flight.

From 2014 (YouTube Version): Possibly THE Ultimate All-American Airshow Performer!

Aero-News Special Correspondent, Michael Maya Charles, got one of the plum assignments when he interviewed airshow performer, Julie Clark, at EAA AirVenture 2014. Charles started the interview by pointing out that Clark has been in the airshow business for 35 years, and then quickly covered his gaffe. You’ll have to watch the video to see just how smooth this guy is. Clark is best known for her aerobatic performances in her polished Beechcra

Dassault Owners Gain Access to Universal Avionics InSight Glass Panel Upgrade

Dassault Aviation has obtained an STC for the Universal Avionics InSight Flight Deck upgrade on their Falcon 900B, opening the way for owners to make the jump to a modern avionics layout while retaining the OEM-supported FMS. The Falcon 900B has already attained a near-classic status in the bizjet world, released in 1991, but operators today tend to find the downright vintage avionics layout somewhat limiting compared to similar aircraft.

Engine Shook Violently, And Stopped Producing Power

On August 20, 2022, about 1800 mountain daylight time, a Beech F33A, N4133S was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wilder, Idaho. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot and a mechanic had been performing maintenance, attempting to resolve a problem where the engine would intermittently shudder during flight.

Aero Linx: American College of Emergency Physicians, Air Medical Transport Section Air Medical Transport Section: This section provides information on how to set-up an observation unit and even provides protocols for you to use. Joining this section will provide you with a great opportunity to network with nationally known leaders in this area. This section provides information on how to set-up an observation unit and even provides protocols for you to use. Joining this section will provide you with a great opportunity to network with nationally known leaders in this area.

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (09.09.22): Flameout Pattern

Flameout Pattern An approach normally conducted by a single-engine military aircraft experiencing loss or anticipating loss of engine power or control. The standard overhead approach starts at a relatively high altitude over a runway (“high key”) followed by a continuous 180 degree turn to a high, wide position (“low key”) followed by a continuous 180 degree turn final. The standard straight-in pattern starts at a point that results in a straight-in approach with a high rate of descent to the runway. Flameout approaches terminate in the type approach requested by the pilot (normally fullstop).

“Many off-airport landings around trees and hills require a steep approach, so we’ve included a judged landing distance over inflatable pylons to the mix. Pilots will be competing against themselves as much as the other competitors at ArkanSTOL ’22.” Source: ArkanSTOL Co-Founder, Rusty Coonfield, expalining some of the additiona and changes for this year's ArkanSTOL competition.