FAA Gets Two More Weeks, 5G Activation Set for Jan. 19

In a surprising turn, the telecoms companies standing up against the FAA folded almost as quickly as they began the fight. For all their sternly worded letters, they almost immediately acceded to postponing their 5G network activation set for January 5th, itself postponed from a mid-December introduction. AT&T and Verizon have agreed to hold off on the activation of their 5G services until January 19, providing another handful of days for the FAA to get its ducks in a row. Under discussion is a mitigation effort that would put a 6-month  agreement into place, but details remain to be hammered out between the parties.

Super Legend Pilots Gain Amphibious and Straight Seaplane Equipment

American Legend Aircraft Company released their newly manufactured seafaring equipment for their series of Cub-derived Super Legend. Owners of such planes can choose from amphibious or straight floats from popular, longtime floatplane outfitter PK Floats. The announcement coincides with a recent victory of an aircraft so-equipped at the 2021 Greenville International Seaplane Fly-in, where the freshly outfitted Super Legend secured the first place prize in a takeoff competition. The builder and pilot, Dick Parsons, had recently retrieved his PK 2050A floats and completed installation just in time to compete. On the topic of his win, Parsons said his Legend "won by a

Upcoming Lakeland, Florida Location Should Become A Favorite For Any "$100 Burger" Flight

Michigan food favorite WACO Kitchen made the journey down to the Sun n' Fun Holiday Festival, informing Aero-News about their upcoming Florida Location. Waco Operations Manager Brooke Pembroke says the new spot will meld the best of their Michigan location with some region-appropriate specialties that should see their Lakeland, Florida location become a favorite for any "$100 burger" flight.

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One YouTube creator has made some waves with his latest video, a quickly edited affair packed with jump cuts, that he says shows his recent cross country flight ending in an ‘unavoidable’ plane crash. The 16-minute video is packed with oddities from the start. It features Jacob flying a 1940 Taylorcraft to spread the ashes of his friend, Johnny Strange, who died in a 2015 wingsuit crash. With his aircraft sporting cameras affixed to the tail, the port wing, and the cabin, Jacob had been filming a supposed cross country. He tells  viewers that he always flies wi

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Bristow Group, a "vertical flight solutions" company, has pre-purchased a batch of the as-yet unmade Butterfly eVTOL aircraft from OverAir. Along with the deal, the two companies agreed to explore commercial aerial taxi service in emerging, densely populated markets. OverAir is yet another entrant into the burgeoning Urban Air Mobility market, boasting a 5-seat, intercity, quad rotor, efficient metro runabout. The company combines the forces of chief engineer Abe Karem with Korean defense contractor Hanwha Systems, combining his large body of aeronautical experience with the

Telescope is Through the Woods with 75% of its Failure Points Behind it

NASA's latest update on its groundbreaking Webb Telescope has cleared more than three fourths of the spacecraft's 344 single points of failure. The multi-layered sunshield has been successfully deployed without issue, says the agency. The occasion marks the end of the majority of the Webb mission's nail-biters, with most deployment operations much safer as the focusing mirror moves itself into its primary configuration. NASA's enthusiasm for the project is palpable, for good reason. The telescope represents what's likely the most demanding, technologically advanced mission in decades, integrating the expertise of every bit of the agency's best minds.

An Unexpectedly Strong Year for Private/Business Aerospace

The COVID-19 changes, and their associated aftereffects, have been a mixed bag for aviation. Those prepared to capitalize on the changes have seen bountiful opportunities to expand, with private and business aviation seeing expansions and growth rarely seen as passengers tire of the hassles imposed on airline travel. Strategic investment firm BRIFO opened the year with a brief look at the state of the market. With 2020's rapid lockdowns by fiat, some remained unprepared for the ensuing changes, assuming that the drop in travel was organic and would take time to return to its 2019 levels. Airlines saw a pronounced decline for a time as many locations imposed temporary tr

Naval Frigate and Overland Variants to See Delivery Through 2022 

The Qatar Emiri Air Force has seen a lot of new equipment in recent memory, receiving Dassault Rafale, F-15Q Eagles, and their most recent addition, the NH90 helicopter. The transport is the result of a collaborative effort by Airbus, Leonardo (formerly AgustaWestland) and Fokker Aerostructures as the primary shareholders of NHIndustries, the largest rotorcraft joint venture in European history. The Qatar Emiri Air Force unveiled their 2 NH90 variants, the Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) and Nato Frigate Helicopter (NFH) at Qatar's National Day. The first delivery of the 'overland' TTH variant was recently made in early December 2021, and will soon be followed by

Solar Orbiter Spacecraft Sends Back Photography 

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory released a small Christmas gift to space enthusiasts in late December, when they released some of the preliminary data sent to Earth from the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter. The comet's passage closer to the sun could see it disintegrate or swing back around into interstellar space once again. The sun-bound comet Leonard passed within view of the Heliospheric Imager, allowing it to record its momentary passage. It managed to be observed by the Parker Solar Probe and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, who both began their own analysis from separate locations during its flight.

Joins Fellow Commercial Rocketeers XArc, SpaceX in Rocket-Based Cargo/Personnel Delivery

Blue Origin signed a cooperative agreement with the United States Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), joining a program to explore its capability for military transportation. The deal signed sets out cooperative responsibilities and research duties between the two organizations, similar to deals with space launch rivals SpaceX and XArc. The Command is the standard bearer for all cargo and personnel movement throughout the U.S. Military, allowing a unified command to transport over land and sea, through the air, and soon, through space. 

Aero Linx: Planes of Fame Air Museum The story of the Planes of Fame Air Museum is the story of one man’s vision. Ed Maloney knew that protecting our aviation history was important. At a time when very few shared his foresight, he understood the need to preserve, inspire, educate, and honor the legacy of what was then an industry less than half a century old. Today, his vision is reflected in the extensive collection of the Planes of Fame Air Museum, comprising aircraft and artifacts that might have been lost forever. His vision lives in the roar and thunder of rare warbirds flying overhead to the delight of millions. Moreover, his vision perseveres through the efforts of our volunteers and sta

Expect (Altitude) At (Time) Or (Fix) Used under certain conditions to provide a pilot with an altitude to be used in the event of two-way communications failure. It also provides altitude information to assist the pilot in planning.

“Not every operation will call for logistics through space, but when we need to respond faster, or assure access in challenging environments, we recognize that space now offers a toolkit, not just a concept. We want our understanding of space transportation’s potential to keep pace with the technical and operational realities that are being built now.”  Source: Vice Admiral Dee Mewbourne, deputy commander of U.S. Transportation Command, discussing the cooperative agreement Blue Origin signed with the United States Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), joining a program to explore its capability for military transportation.