Also: Asteroid Phaethon Image, A400M Refuels Six F-18s, NH Flight School,KDOT Names New Interim Av Director

A controversial oceanic conservation group, Sea Shepherd, lost a drone Christmas Eve while monitoring suspected poachers at sea, and while attempting to protect porpoises in the Gulf of Mexico.

Sea Shepherd vessel M/V John Paul DeJoria was conducting patrols at 2130 local time when the crew reported ‘suspicious’ activity and launched a DJI multirotor to observe. The Sea Shepherd Matrice drone traveled nearly three miles for the vessel in an attempt to provide protection for the  vaquita porpoise and totoaba bass. Italian airplane manufacturer Vulcanair has made good on a promise it made at AirVenture in July and achieved FAA certification of its V1.0 four-place airplane it hopes to bring to the U.S. market as a training aircraft. Resembling a Cessna 172, the company says that it will cost as much as $100,000 less. Former NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless II, mission specialist on the STS-41B and STS-31 missions, died Dec. 21, 2017, at the age of 80. McCandless is perhaps best remembered as the subject of a famous NASA photograph flying alongside the space shuttle in the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) – the first astronaut to fly untethered from his spacecraft. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bruce's family," said Robert Lightfoot, NASA's acting administrator. "He will always be known for his iconic photo flying the MMU." All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!

Airborne 12.29.17 is chock full of info in this Daily News Episode, Friday, December 29th, 2017... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Hosts Brianne Cross, Christopher Odom, and Laura Hutson, and is supported by ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell, Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, and Aero-Journalist Tom Patton, this episode covers:

• Sea Shepherd Night Drone Shot Down By Poachers
• FAA Certifies The Vulcanair V1.0 
• Gone West: Astronaut Bruce McCandless II
• Arecibo Radar Returns To Work With Asteroid Phaethon Images
• A400M Refuels Six F-18 Fighters In One Flight 
• New Hampshire Flight School Set For Major Expansion 
• KDOT Names New Interim Director Of Aviation

Get Comprehensive, Real-Time, 24/7 coverage of the latest aviation and aerospace stories anytime, at aero-news.net. And be sure to join us again tomorrow, for the next edition of "Airborne Unlimited" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, tomorrow!

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