Also: Emergency AD-Boeing 737, First US-Based Global 5500, EPA Proposes Standards, NASA Stratospheric Balloon

A number of computer media reports are providing details behind the massive Garmin ransomware attack that appears to have started last Thursday and brought many of their aviation services to a standstill. The most recent reports assert that Garmin is being hit up for a $10M Ransom via a ransomware strategy known as 'WastedLocker.' Media publication, 'BleepingComputer' has reported contacts with a Garmin staffer confirming the severity of the attack, the amount of ransom, and providing details th

Targeted For Launch, 0750 EDT Thursday, July 30

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket, carrying NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter, has arrived at the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The rover will search for habitable conditions in the ancient past and signs of past microbial life on Mars. The Launch Services Program at Kennedy is responsible for launch management.

2Q Results Were Tough To Deal With, 747 Officially Killed Off

A letter from Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun (pictured) to his employees have addressed the poignant realities of the current COVID-19 pandemic-affected  aerospace market. Calhoun notes that, "These past few months have been unlike anything we’ve seen. The pandemic’s effect on our communities and industry is ongoing. And the challenges we face as a company are still unfolding..."

Flights Will Be Available On The SBD Dauntless, LT-6 and T-34

Flights have resumed on a limited basis for CAF Dixie Wing WWII Warbirds. At this time, flights will be available only on the SBD Dauntless, LT-6 and T-34. Their Aviation Museum remains closed to visitors due to the continuing uncertainty of Covid-19, so all flights must be pre-scheduled with the rides team by calling 1-883-FLYWARBIRD, or 1.678.364.1110. No walk-up flights will be available for the immediate future.

From 2017: The Current Infrastructure Is Not Adequate To Meet The Demand…

There is undoubtedly a pilot shortage. That is the assessment of John Michael Bingham, President and CEO of Phoenix East Aviation, one of the nation's largest flight schools headquartered in Daytona Beach, FL. At NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, Bingham told Aero-News CEO and Editor in Chief Jim Campbell that becoming a pilot is a great career choice for young people right now, because every airline sees what's coming in the future over the next few years, and that is an "acute shortage of pilots."

'The F-15EX Will Continue To Ensure Air Superiority For Decades Ahead'

In less than a year, Eglin Air Force Base takes possession of the Air Force’s newest fighter, the F-15EX. Big plans and procedures are underway so developmental and operational testing can begin as soon as possible when EX1 and EX2 arrive in 2021. The Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force will manage the DT and OT planning and provisioning for the aircraft. The 40th Flight Test Squadron will take possession of EX1 and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron will own EX2.

All-New 225,000-Square-Foot Facility

Gulfstream has opened its new Customer Support service center at the U.K.’s Farnborough Airport for business. The facility’s first aircraft is a Middle East-based Gulfstream G450 arriving for scheduled maintenance. The all-new 225,000-square-foot/20,903-square-meter facility can easily accommodate up to 13 large-cabin aircraft, including the Gulfstream G650, G650ER and the new industry flagship Gulfstream G700.

A Witness Heard The Airplane Having Engine "Trouble"

On July 1, 2020, about 1915 central daylight time, a Titan Titan Tornado airplane, N5082N, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Marksville, Louisiana. The pilot and his passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to initial information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane departed from a private airstrip near LeCompte, Louisiana, on a local flight. A witness heard the airplane having engine "trouble," saw the airplane impacting a cornfield, and called 911.

AD 2020-15-05 Requires Amendment Of Certain Existing Afms To Limit The Use Of Windmill Restarts

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-18-02 for certain Austro Engine GmbH model E4 engines and all Austro Engine GmbH model E4P engines. AD 2018-18-02 required replacement of the timing chain and amending certain airplane flight manuals (AFMs) to limit the use of windmill restarts. This AD requires amendment of certain existing AFMs to limit the use of windmill restarts and removes the timing chain replacement requirement in AD 2018-18-02. This AD was prompted by reports of considerable wear of the timing chain on the affected engines. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective

Aero Linx: The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation Founded in 1988 and based in New Jersey, the foundation obtained and restored a Douglas C-54, one of 330 that carried out the airlift, to flying condition. The foundation painted the airplane in a scheme similar to that of the 48th Troop Carrier Squadron, one of the groups that participated in the event. Artifacts, displays and information explaining this history-making event fill the interior of the flying museum...

Compulsory Reporting Points Reporting points which must be reported to ATC. They are designated on aeronautical charts by solid triangles or filed in a flight plan as fixes selected to define direct routes. These points are geographical locations which are defined by navigation aids/fixes. Pilots should discontinue position reporting over compulsory reporting points when informed by ATC that their aircraft is in “radar contact.”

"These past few months have been unlike anything we’ve seen. The pandemic’s effect on our communities and industry is ongoing. And the challenges we face as a company are still unfolding. As cases continue to rise in areas around the globe, health and safety remain a top priority. My thanks go to everyone who is supporting our safety efforts, wearing face coverings and upholding our shared accountability for keeping one another safe. All those affected directly by COVID-19 also have my sympathies..." Source: A letter from Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun to his employees has addressed the poignant realities of the current COVID-19 pandemic-affected  aerospace market.