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May 28, 2020

Airborne-Unmanned 05.28.20: FAA UAS Symposium, Flirtey Patent, Senator Letter

Also: AMA Remembers Bob Brown, New eVTOL Startup, Airobotics Gets Approval, UAS Delivers Defibrillators

The FAA and AUVSI have announced the two-part virtual event for the revised FAA UAS Symposium – Remotely Piloted Edition, Episodes I and II, will take place on July 8 to 9 and August 18 to 19, 2020. Episode I is scheduled for July 8 to 9 with a focus on UAS traffic management (UTM) and international UAS integration. Episode II is planned for August 18 to 19 with a focus on UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP) updates and public safety operations. Each event will feature keynote presentations, expert panels, guided and non-guided networking discussions, one-on-one meetings with experts in the FAA UAS Support Center and How-To Sessions with live Q&A. Flirtey has been gr

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Tecnam Unveils Jet/Diesel Powered P2010 TDI

Type Certificate Expected By July

Tecnam has announced the introduction of a new airframe, with an aero-diesel engine and a Type Certificate expected by July. Burning just 5.2 US Gal per hour, the P-2010 TDI offers roomy, Italian-style shaped cabin interiors, and takes advantage of the high-wing configuration with 3 access doors plus another dedicated one for the baggage compartment. It can cover 1,000nm with the full tank capacity of 63 US Gal. The P2010 TDI role is to fill a gap in customer choices, as they can now order the "Twenty-Ten" with three different powerplants, and three different fuel capabilities: automotive unleaded (approved on 180hp version), Avgas on the most powerful 215hp variant and, from now on, Jet/Diesel.

Also: Ligado Takes More Flak, ERAU Makes Return Plans, CG Helo Rescue, UND Plans Restart

It was not the best of days for the team at Virgin Orbit, but it was an educational one. After having to scrub a launch attempt on Sunday, May 24th, due to sensor issues, the VO team, finally had the chance to launch a rocket from the belly of their 747 carrier aircraft, 'Cosmic Girl' on Memorial Day. However, while they finally had the chance to release a rocket in real life, things went bad shortly thereafter. The LauncherOne liquid-fueled two-stage rocket angled skyward about 27°, as expected, at the moment o

Deliveries Declined Across All Segments During The First Quarter Of 2020

GAMA has released its report of general aviation aircraft shipments and billings for the first quarter of 2020... and the news is NOT good. Piston, turboprop, business jet and rotorcraft deliveries declined across all segments during the first quarter of 2020 as compared to the first quarter of 2019. "While the year started off strong, the health and safety restrictions put in place to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic began to significantly impact global operations, supply chains and deliveries towards the end of the first quarter. Companies rapidly implemented a wide range of health protocols in accordance with local, regional and national level guidance to keep product

VO: The Rocket Did Not Explode The folks at Virgin Orbit, displaying an uncommon level of transparency (especially this soon after a launch failure) have filed the following report: Virgin Orbit Report As we’ve delved into the data from yesterday’s flight, the more we see, the happier we get. We’ve taken an enormous step forward as a team, and we wanted to share more about the flight, including both the many things that went well and what we know about the areas where we’ll need to improve. The context of everything that happened before the release of the rocket is incredibly important, and we’ll describe that in detail

They Only Needed Another 10-20 Minutes To Get Past The Worst of The Weather...

NASA and SpaceX scrubbed Wednesday’s launch attempt of the Demo-2 test flight to the International Space Station with astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley due to unfavorable weather conditions around Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon to the ISS was scrubbed less than 20 minutes before the scheduled liftoff due to several 'launch violations' created by different hazards presented by the inclement weather. SpaceX began removing propellant from the Falcon 9 rocket right away before 'safing' the emergency escape system and allowing the astronauts to exit the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The inst

Boeing Starts Involuntary Layoffs

First 6,770 Of US Team Members Being Notified

In a letter released Wednesday by Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun, the Boeing boss has started involuntary layoffs as the pandemic continues to take a horrid toll on the aviation community. Calhoun, while noting that, "I wish there were some other way..." stated that, "Following the reduction-in-force announcement we made last month, we have concluded our voluntary layoff (VLO) program. And now we have come to the unfortunate moment of having to start involuntary layoffs (ILO). We’re notifying the first 6,770 of our U.S. team members this week that they will be affected. We will provide all the support we can to those of you impacted by the ILOs — including severance pay, COBRA

From 2016: Sit Back, Relax, and Let’s Go Flying With “FIFI”…

Our ANN video crew took the opportunity at EAA AirVenture 2016 to capture a lot of video of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) B-29 named “FIFI”. Our montage of this airplane includes lots of scenes on the ground, in the air, and onboard the airplane. As you watch the scenes be sure to note such things as the amount of aileron control wheel motion necessary just to get this lumbering giant into a turn. You might also take a look at the flight engineers panel to see what it took to keep those four ‘Wright

The 2020 Midsouth Airshow Was Scheduled To Take Place June 20-21

It's yet another sign of the times. The 2020 Midsouth Airshow scheduled to take place June 20-21 has been cancelled in attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus. All eyes should have been on the Millington-Memphis Airport June 20 & 21, 2020 as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels were scheduled to return to perform at the Midsouth Airshow -- a 'first-class aviation event' that was to feature military demonstrations, aerobatic performances, static display aircraft, and local emergency response helicopters.

Certification Campaign Was Performed Above The Pyrenees And Central France

The Airbus A400M new generation airlifter has achieved a new milestone after the certification of its Automatic Low Level Flight capability, offering a unique in its class capability for a military transport aircraft. The certification campaign, performed in April above the Pyrenees and central France, involved operations down to 500ft, including transitions from low level flight to other operations like aerial delivery.

Airplane Had Recently Undergone Maintenance

On May 2, 2020, about 0930 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N734NW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Sierra Sky Park Airport (E79), Fresno, California. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated the airplane had recently undergone maintenance and this was to be the third flight after the maintenance, and he planned to stay in the local area...

Aero Linx: RNZAC Welcome to rnzac.org, the ideal spot to view New Zealand from the air. Here you will find all you need to know about flying aircraft in New Zealand. We know there is nothing more informative than an engaging conversation, so we make it our business to stay away from complex terminologies that will make you feel lost just a few minutes into the flight. We have perfected the art of everyday conversation in order to ensure that even our most educative discussions are enjoyable. Get on board for a real talk on why being a pilot is one of the coolest careers around. Forget all what you are told about risks and extended periods away from home;listen to real stories by real pilots who would

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.28.20): Glideslope Intercept Altitude

Glideslope Intercept Altitude The published minimum altitude to intercept the glideslope in the intermediate segment of an instrument approach. Government charts use the lightning bolt symbol to identify this intercept point. This intersection is called the Precise Final Approach fix (PFAF). ATC directs a higher altitude, the resultant intercept becomes the PFAF.

"About 9 seconds after drop, something malfunctioned, causing the booster stage engine to extinguish, which in turn ended the mission. We cannot yet say conclusively what the malfunction was or what caused it, but we feel confident we have sufficient data to determine that as we continue through the rigorous investigation we’ve already begun. With the engine extinguished, the vehicle was no longer able to maintain controlled flight — but the rocket did not explode. It stayed within the predicted downrange corridors of our projections and our Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launch license as the vehicle fell to the ocean, posing no risk to public safety, no danger our aircrew or aircraft, and no significant environmental impact." S