Thales and Iridium have joined the infamous ultra-high-altitude Perlan continuous flight program. The engineless glider can now avail itself of the Iridium communications network, offering the world's highest internet hot spot at more than 65,000 feet. Perlan will use their newfound connectivity for inflight communications, as well as live streaming from both the glider and its Egret super tow plane. The FAA has published its first round of Notices To Air Missions regarding the soon-to-be activated 5G cell networks, placing warnings over 1,462 airports in an effort to ease the industry into a post-5G world with minimal issue. The restrictions put into place warn that radio altimeters are unreliable and not authorized for use unless equipped with approved alternative methods of compliance. Virgin Orbit confirmed it successfully deployed into orbit all 7 customer satelli
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ANN is proud to work with some of the best in the industry... in a number of disciplines... but only a few folks have the pedigree boasted by Ace CFI, Rod Machado. A prolific speaker, author, presenter, and all-around funny guy, Rod has built up an immense following in the flight instruction community for just a few primary reasons... he's one of the best in the field, he is a master communicator and writer, and he knows how to put forth an engaging and often humorous take on aviation's most complex topics. Rod is an Airline Transport Pilot with all fixed wing-flight powered instructor ratings. He started instructing student pilots full-time in 1973 and taught ground schools (often to classrooms of 200) starting in 1975. Machado has taught hundreds to fly from the right seat as a Certified Flight Instructor, even more thousands as a classroom instructor, some 350,000+ via 400+ aviation
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The first prosecution of an airman operating without a certificate has been filed, with the filing of indictments for wire fraud and uncertificated airmanship. Matthew Jones of Spanish Fork, Utah, is accused of falsely presenting himself as the owner and operator of Noctem Aviation and a Certified Flight Instructor for fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Jones stands accused of defrauding prospective students by presenting himself through text messages and Instagram posts to be a capable and legal instructor for the purposes of obtaining funding for his daily living expenses. Delta Airlines has notified prospective pilot candidates that the company has reduced its minimum hiring requirements. The reception was mixed, with more than a few non-industry commenters decrying the decline in standards. Those in the pilot career pipeline should be excited,
Supply Issues Still Raise Questions, But Sarasota Perseveres
The Sun ‘n Fun crew offered a somewhat off-season event at the lakeland Linder Airport a few weeks ago... giving ANN a chance to catch up with a number of companies from throughout the Aero-Verse. Kirk Fryar, President of Sarasota Avionics, took a moment out of the Sun n Fun Holiday Festival to talk with Aero-News Editor in Chief Jim Campbell about the state of his company heading into 2022.
Zeva has completed the first untethered flight test for its Zero flying wing airframe, where the aircraft took off and flew under its 8 electric propellers. With the first flight completed, the Zero now boasts the bragging rights of being a functional, real aircraft, with flight time in its logbook in an industry rife with ground demonstrators and digital renders. The flight is an important milestone in the airworthiness certification process, proving the unmanned demonstrator could take off and maintain position in a controlled hover, as well as taxi, climb, and maneuver at low altitude. As the eVTOL industry moves onwards, investments and promises abound, building hype for an imminent future where the everyday convenience of automotive ride share apps will meet the limitless freedom of aerial mobility. The Markets and Markets Company released their forecast for the ae
Company Now Boasts Rare 4th Gen Adversary Fleet With AESA, HMCS, Datalink
Top Aces put their freshly modified and fully equipped F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighter through its first test flight, ensuring the company's Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS) is up to spec and ready for rollout across their fleet. The flight will be followed by a series of "robust operational test activities" prior to its entry into service. Once cleared, the F-16 will be the only true 4th generation airframe for adversarial use, perfect to train 5th generation fighter pilots. Top Aces has built their AAMS to replicate the most advanced capabilities of contemporary air-to-air combat opponents, allowing more realistic, accurate training scenarios.
The battle for market supremacy in space continues, and a new front is seeing competition: Entertainment studios in low-Earth orbit. Space 11, the parent company of future reality tv show "Galactic Combat", has found its commercial partner to build its space station film studio. Working with Voyager Space company Nanoracks, Space 11 hopes to complete a free-flying space station that will function as a soundstage in zero gravity. The announcement follows similar news from another business, Space Entertainment Enterprise, set to co-produce an upcoming Tom Cruise Movie. Their partner in station engineering is Axiom Space, another NASA contractor who has built modules on the ISS.
GE, SmartSky, and Mosaic Link Up for eVTOL Safety Systems
As the market for Advance Air Mobility comes closer to real world, omnipresent fruition, many companies see a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get in on the ground floor and become an integral part of the foundation of a nascent industry. The turn from small aircraft passenger service being based around half-century old light aircraft to ubiquitous, battery powered, eVTOL multirotor pod aircraft stands to make a considerable number of winners. Expansive rideshare services, sustainable aviation, and small-footprint airfields are closer to market than the layman thinks, and a recent NASA Innovation Award is building the ecosystem.
Indefinite Pause on Flights to Miami, Houston, Chicago, San Francisco, & More
Emirates announced the suspension of flights to a number of destinations in the United States, saying that the deployment of 5G network architecture causes the company concern. The company gave no timeline as to when service could be expected to return, only saying "we hope to resume our US services as soon as possible." The list of locations includes 9 fairly high profile destinations as outlined in the company's statement on January 18th. "“Due to operational concerns associated with the planned deployment of 5G mobile network services in the US at certain airports...
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The Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has sent a letter to dealers and representatives, announcing the end of continuous operations. The company has apparently seen lean times lately, and its owners have directed the company to declare Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Enstrom will leave behind nearly 1,500 unsupported aircraft around the world, unless the assets are bought out. Dornier Seawings has purchased the Flywhale seaplane program from its German parent, Uniplanes GmbH, in a package that includes all intellectual property, production assets, design data, drawings, manuals, tooling, and molds. The acquisition positions the Flywhale FW650 as a future Dornier product in line with the company's Seawings and Seastar CD2 aircraft as the DS-2C. The battle for market supremacy in space continues, and a new front is seeing competition: Entertainment studios in low-Earth orbit. Space 11,
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