Also: Senate Regs Counter FAA, WAI Remembers WASPs, 1st F/A-18 Block III Super Hornets, Last G550

Following what they say was a year-long public Market Survey effort, CubCrafters has officially decided to certify and offer a nose wheel option for its Part 23 certified aircraft, the CC-19 XCub. The company also notes that hundreds of hours of real-world use by a variety of pilots of varying skill levels during the Market Survey phase led to many design improvements that wouldn’t otherwise have been possible in an internal-only development setting. With a robust trailing-link nosewheel assembly and

Overweight, Out Of CG, and Pilot Error Were But A Few of The Many Issues In This Accident

NTSB Analysis: The pilot was conducting a sales demonstration flight with a pilot-rated passenger on board. He reported that, when he started the takeoff run from a lake, three small wakes helped propel the airplane into the air. He stated that the airplane took off on the first attempt, the takeoff was normal, and "there was nothing wrong with the [air]plane at all." He added that, after initiating a 10° right turn to stay over the lake, it felt like the airplane "hit a wall." The airplane then descended rapidly, clipped a tree, and impacted water, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot-rated pas

False Gatwick Drone Frenzy Results In Cops Having To Pay Those Falsely Targeted

The last year or so was a tough year for the drone biz... as regulators went overboard with ideas about how to keep drones from ramming Grandma's airliner as well as keeping them from peeping through their daughter's windows. The paranoia was tough to deal with, and did a fair amount of damage to the industry, which is fighting for respectability and a fair shake. Well... it just got a long over-due one. But just one, mind you.

Four Common Issues Now Repairable

While a new repair program won't cover all ills, a major issue for Bonanza owners is in the process of being resolved. For the longest time, damage/cracks occurring to a Bonanza 'V-Tail' Ruddervator meant a horrific search for parts or salvaged assemblies -- which are in VERY short supply -- to get the bird back in the air. And sometimes, it just didn't happen. Long out of production, and with little help available from Textron (currently the Father company for the Beech Bonanza legacy), Ruddervator repair can become a huge hassle. SRS Aviation has taken a big step forward in dealing with the issue (and there may be others on the way). Already well-known for offering parts and support solutions for a who

Block III’s Boast An Increased Service Life Of 10,000 Flight Hours

They've been waiting for these airframes for a while... and now the Navy is welcoming its next generation multi-mission tactical fighter by taking delivery of the first Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet test jets this month, as part of its continuing effort to improve aircraft lethality, survivability, interoperability and sustainability in an ever-evolving threat environment. Like every aircraft slated for the fleet, The Boeing Company-produced two-seat model (F287) and single-seat (E323) will undergo comprehensive testing. At Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX-23) will perform shore-based carrier testing and focus mainly on th

'Going Virtual So Aviation Fans Don’t Miss Out On International Air Day'

After COVID-related issues caused the actual show's cancellation, the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm’s biggest spectacle is going virtual so aviation fans don’t miss out on International Air Day. The July 11 showcase of the best of British naval aviation is the Fleet Air Arm’s premier public showcase, pulling in more than 30,000 visitors to RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. Like many public events this summer, International Air Day fell victim to restrictions on large gatherings due to the pandemic.

USA-3P Displays Current Weather At Almost 600 Airports

METARmaps.com has unveiled a major product addition to their existing portfolio of distinctive aviation wall maps. METARmaps-USA 3-Panel is the latest addition to a list of amazing functional aviation wall art. Blending the latest in miniaturized electronics and state of the art printing processes, USA-3P displays current weather at almost 600 airports. Weather information is individually presented for each airport using the four standard FAA flight category colors: Green/VFR, Blue/MVFR, Red/IFR, Magenta/LIFR.

From 2019: Company Updates Its Program For Highly Modifying Lancair IV-P Airframes

RDD Enterprises, a company that was created to modify Lancair IV-P airplanes into a safer, longer-range bird, provided Aero-TV with an update about the program at AirVenture. According to David McRae, the owner of RDD Enterprises, the LX7 is designed to be a faster and safer aircraft than the IV-P from which it is built. The company will help a buyer find a suitable donor airplane, from which the wings and tail are removed. The company installs an entirely new wing and tail, as well as new avionics and other upg

Klyde Discloses The True Realities of Today's Politics

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

A Revised Flight Schedule Is Being Coordinated To Focus On High-Priority Celestial Targets

The leadership of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, reached a decision that the observatory’s annual deployment to Christchurch, New Zealand, is not feasible this year, given ongoing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A revised flight schedule is being coordinated to focus on high-priority celestial targets that can be studied from SOFIA’s base at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California.

Aero Linx: Canadian Aerial Applicators Association Safety. Efficiency. Education. The primary objective of the CAAA is to promote safety and education amongst its participating members. The CAAA works with federal and provincial government agencies to design policies that are fair and equitable and, above all, that protect both rural customers and urban dwellers. The CAAA advises regulatory agencies on matters pertaining to the safe and efficient aerial application of pesticides and other crop inputs.

Abbreviated IFR Flight Plans An authorization by ATC requiring pilots to submit only that information needed for the purpose of ATC. It includes only a small portion of the usual IFR flight plan information. In certain instances, this may be only aircraft identification, location, and pilot request. Other information may be requested if needed by ATC for separation/control purposes. It is frequently used by aircraft which are airborne and desire an instrument approach or by aircraft which are on the ground and desire a climb to VFR-on-top.

"The NTSB report is pretty damning... but when you go over all the notes and evidentiary data in a few dozen online files, you find other things to worry about. Why did the pilot state that the accident took place on the first take-off, when it plainly didn't? There were a number of unsuccessful take-off attempts -- which should have clued the pilot onto the fact that there were issues in flying that day. 'The pilot-rated passenger said that it took four takeoff attempts to get airborne and that the airplane felt very sluggish and acted as if it did not want to come off the water.' The passenger stated the pilot said that there was adequate useful load when the findings show otherwise. The Icon A5 is a heavy bird and has little useful load to mess with, and the company pilo