An Extraordinary Woman Goes West

The following is a statement on the passing of Annie Glenn, wife of former NASA astronaut Sen. John Glenn:  “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Annie Glenn. A stalwart member of the space and military communities, her courageous support of her legendary husband John was unmatched. She provided an example for other women who followed to face the challenges of being part of our nation’s space program, and the stress of having spouses in combat. She stood steadfastly by her husband as he took to space once again as the oldest person to orbit Earth, even as she continued her own lifelong public service on behalf of children, the elderly, and the disabled. The Glenns dedication to each other is we

Nearly 200 G280s Are In Service Worldwide

Gulfstream Aerospace’s G280TM, has been out and about... while setting another city-pair speed record. On Feb. 16, the aircraft departed Vermont’s Burlington International Airport, arriving 6 hours and 10 minutes later with a steep-approach landing at London City Airport. The 2,735-nautical mile trans-Atlantic journey was completed at an average speed of Mach 0.83. Aircraft that operate at London City require steep-approach certification because of the airport’s short runway and stringent noise-abatement requirements. The G280 has amassed 75 city-pair records. Earlier this year, the aircraft set another speed record while connecting Kahului, Hawaii, with Phoenix. On Jan. 5, the G280 flew

Red Arrows Plan Relocation To RAF Waddington

Following the announcement in July 2018 that RAF Scampton would close, it was confirmed that RAF Waddington has been selected as the only viable alternative basing location for the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT) – the Red Arrows. There will now be an assessment study to examine and cost the options before developing a business case for the eventual move. The relocation will take place before RAF Scampton closes in late 2022. More than 30 alternative sites were assessed for their suitability and, of these, three potential future locations for RAFAT were subsequently approved.

From 2017: Kaman Revives The K-MAX Helicopter…

Kaman has revived the K-MAX helicopter, and delivered the first new production aircraft to a customer in April, 2017. Terry Fogarty, Director of Business Development for K-MAX Helicopter Programs at Kaman, told ANN CEO and Editor in Chief Jim Campbell at HAI in Dallas, TX earlier this year that when you think about a helicopter as a tool, he is continually surprised by the number of different missions suggested by customers for that tool. Such uses include humanitarian missions, powerline missions, and other things that were always on the periphery before,

Significant Fee Increases Proposed – From 29% Up To 54%

Responding to notification of significant fee increases for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) services at several U.S. airports, the NBAA and other aviation associations are urging the acting CBP commissioner to consider alternatives in addressing possible budget shortfalls. Last week, many airports that support international operations with CBP inspection facilities funded by the user fee program received notice of a significant fee increase – from 29% up to 54% – with nearly immediate effect. In some cases, the airports were asked to either accept the new fee or suspend future CBP service. CBP’s User Fee program funds inspection services at approximately 60 airport

F-35 Production Employees Will Temporarily Adjust Schedules

Blaming supplier delays, Lockheed Martin reports it is taking proactive measures to mitigate impacts and position the program for the fastest possible recovery by adjusting work schedules, maintaining specialized employee skillsets, and accelerating payments to small and vulnerable suppliers, to continue meeting customer commitments. Lockheed Martin and the IAM agreed to a temporary alternate work schedule for F-35 production line employees in Fort Worth to maintain their workforce.

Coalition Growth Reflects Need to Focus on Tech to Augment Current/Future Crisis Response Efforts

The Small UAV Coalition has announced that Workhorse (WKHS) has joined the Coalition as an Associate member. Workhorse joins the Coalition on the heels of a successful effort in partnership with the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) and other industry leaders to test how unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) can augment coronavirus response efforts. As Governor Ralph Northam commented, “Drones can be an important way to deliver medical supplies while people stay home to adhere to our social distancing guidelines.”

$74M Being Spent To Enhance And Modernize Air Assets

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) have executed contract actions on two contracts, valued at $74 million dollars, to enhance and modernize its fleet of air assets. AMO, an operational component of CBP, has approximately 1,800 federal agents and mission support personnel, 240 aircraft, and 300 marine vessels operating throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. AMO safeguards our Nation by anticipating and confronting security threats through our aviation and maritime law enforcement expertise, innovative capabilities, and partnerships at the border and beyond. AMO issued a delivery order valued at roughly $47 million for the acquisitio

A/C Substantially Damaged After Veering Off The Runway

On March 14, 2020, about 1600 mountain standard time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company Hawker 800XP, N100AG, was substantially damaged after veering off the runway and impacting a sign at the Scottsdale Airport, Scottsdale, Arizona. The pilot and co-pilot were not injured. The airplane was being operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot stated that the flight departed from Roger, Arkansas about 1315 with the planned destination of Scottsdale. After an uneventful flight, the pilot made a stabilized approach to runway 21. Upon landing, the airplane touched down on the runway centerline in light and variable winds. The pilot recalled

Aero Linx: The European Airshow Council The European Airshow Council consists of a group of like-minded people that meet each other annually and understand that everyone involved in Airshows should be striving to achieve standards of excellence in their activities. More than 10 years ago the Chairman started to bring people together and his main objective was to exchange ideas and to provide an opportunity to find a common purpose for people involved in Airshows, “because those who criticise are always on the same side of the (safety) rope”.

IFR Military Training Routes (IR) Routes used by the Department of Defense and associated Reserve and Air Guard units for the purpose of conducting low-altitude navigation and tactical training in both IFR and VFR weather conditions below 10,000 feet MSL at airspeeds in excess of 250 knots IAS.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Annie Glenn. A stalwart member of the space and military communities, her courageous support of her legendary husband John was unmatched. She provided an example for other women who followed to face the challenges of being part of our nation’s space program, and the stress of having spouses in combat. She stood steadfastly by her husband as he took to space once again as the oldest person to orbit Earth, even as she continued her own lifelong public service on behalf of children, the elderly, and the disabled. The Glenns dedication to each other is well known, and we looked to them as an unmatched example of the strength and compassion that a lifetime of devotion creates. She will be missed.” So