Unmanned Systems and Robotics Conference is Moving to Dallas

As restrictions on travel and meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic are anticipated to remain in place during the summer, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is confirming the postponement of AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2020 to Oct. 5 to 8, and moving the trade show to Dallas. AUVSI based its decision to reschedule XPONENTIAL 2020 to the fall on concerns for the health and safety of the attendees of the trade show, which is a key event that showcases the advancement of businesses and technologies in the unmanned systems industry.

Also: TSA Reaches Out to CFIs, NIFA 2020 Cancelled, Flight School CEO Bad Behavior, A-FT Schedule

Got a great note from our friends at Pipistrel... they're offering you something pretty exciting to occupy your time while you're sheltering in place. Anybody, whether student pilot, pilot, flight instructor or aviation enthusiast, flying clubs, flight schools can apply and join Pipistrel online courses free-of-charge for a period of 3 months, from April 2020 until end of June 2020. This unique offer is available worldwide to all, including to non-pilots who are interested in aviation. The latest generation

Nearly 700 Employees Affected In This Latest Round

While the talk of a recovery is starting to be more prevalent, there is still more than a little bad news to impart in the Aero-Verse. Gulfstream Aerospace has just confirmed that 700 employees are affected by a new round of layoffs to the Savannah location, and elsewhere around the globe. This is in addition to the October 15th layoff of some 362 employees. As required by law, Gulfstream dutifully reported the issue to the Georgia Department of Labor on May 1st, blaming the action on the economic downturn.

Millions Were Thrilled, Encouraged, and Inspired by Flyovers

Well... it sure was fun while it lasted... but a tweet seen Monday on the Blue Angels twitter account indicates that the joint flyovers conducted by the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds are at an end... though each team will engage in individual flyovers in the coming days. The Thunderbirds spilled the beans a bit as well, tweeting that, "It has been an honor to fly with the @BlueAngels the last two weeks in support of #AmericaStrong. We are headed back to Nellis AFB today and will announce our upcoming individual flyovers in the coming days. Stay tuned here for updates!"

300 iPads Received From American Airlines

The Aerospace Center for Excellence, Inc. (ACE) is pleased to announce American Airlines has donated 300 iPads as part of the airline's initiative, To Care for People on Life's Journey. The generous gift of tablets and chargers will help fuel ACE's mission to Engage, Educate and Accelerate the next generation of aerospace professionals. American Airlines pilot, Captain Tim Averett, was on hand to present ACE with the much-needed technology. Richele Floyd, Director of Scholarships for ACE, is already thinking of ways to incorporate the tablets into its programs.

Covers 439 Airports in 50 States

With the government trying to shore up a number of industries throughout the country, as a result of the global pandemic, airports were thankfully not left out of the equation. The FAA is awarding $1.187 billion in airport safety and infrastructure grants 439 airports across the country. The total includes $731 million in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants and an additional $455 million in Supplemental Discretionary grants (PDF). The money will be available for 100 percent of the eligible costs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Best Tugs Echo Can Move Nearly Anything

Best Tugs showcased its new Echo line of tugs at NBAA-BACE last month. The line includes three variants that can move all types of vehicles, including airplanes, helicopters, boats and trailers weighing up to 18,000 pounds. The tugs feature power steering, an optional wireless winch that can be controlled from Echo's helm or via a Bluetooth control as you work near the loading tray, and a built-in radio to keep crews up to date on where tugs with certain capabilities/attachments are located and where they are needed. Operators can listen to incoming traffic to ide

Board Members And Investigative Staff Meeting Will Meet Virtually

It's another sign of the times... as the NTSB has decided to go all virtual for an upcoming board meeting in order to keep everyone involved, healthy. The National Transportation Safety Board announced last week its intention to hold a board meeting May 19, 2020, 9:30 a.m. (EDT), to determine the probable cause of the Jan. 29, 2019, crash in Zaleski, Ohio, of a Bell 407 helicopter operated as an air ambulance. The helicopter, operated by Viking Aviation, LLC, and doing business as Survival Flight, was on a mission to pick up a patient when the crash occurred in deteriorating weather. All three occupants – the pilot, flight nurse and flight paramedic – died in the acciden

Prototype Will Advance Boeing’S Global Airpower Teaming System

Well... you don't see a craft that looks like this everyday... A Boeing-led Australian industry team has presented the first unmanned Loyal Wingman aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force, a historic milestone for the company and the Commonwealth. The aircraft, which uses artificial intelligence to extend the capabilities of manned and unmanned platforms, is the first to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years. It is Boeing’s largest investment in an unmanned aircraft outside of the United States. As the first of three prototypes for Australia’s Loyal Wingman Advanced Development Program, the aircraft also serves as the foundatio

Power Loss On Takeoff, Forced Landing in Field

On March 28, 2020, about 1447 mountain daylight time, a TL Ultralight SRO Stingsport airplane, N7997N, sustained substantial damage during an off-field landing after experiencing a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff at General Dick Stout Field Airport (1L8), Hurricane, Utah. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airport about the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that was originating at the time.

Hazardous Weather Information Summary of significant meteorological information (SIGMET/WS), convective significant meteorological information (convective SIGMET/WST), urgent pilot weather reports (urgent PIREP/UUA), center weather advisories (CWA), airmen’s meteorological information (AIRMET/WA) and any other weather such as isolated thunderstorms that are rapidly developing and increasing in intensity, or low ceilings and visibilities that are becoming widespread which is considered significant and are not included in a current hazardous weather advisory.

Aero Linx: The Soaring Safety Foundation (SSF) The Soaring Safety Foundation (SSF) is the Training and Safety arm of the Soaring Society of America (SSA). Our mission is to provide instructors and pilots with the tools needed to teach/learn both the stick & rudder skills and the Aeronautical Decision Making skills needed to safely fly a glider. We also provide information and analysis of incident and accident trends in order to develop better training tools.

"The coronavirus crisis has impacted Gulfstream’s business operations. Because of these ongoing challenges, we have decreased our projected deliveries for 2020. We also implemented several cost-cutting measures across the business to address the challenges caused by this pandemic. Unfortunately, those measures alone were not sufficient to overcome this significant impact, requiring us to take additional steps to balance the size and structure of the business with current conditions. As a result, we recently made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce at multiple locations across our company. These are challenging and unprecedented times that require us to make difficult decisions to ensure the long-term health of the business. We sincerely regret the impact these a