Maps Of Earth’s Gravitational Field Will Indicate Movement Of Liquid Water, Ice And Land Masses

The twin GRACE-FO (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On) satellites, developed and built by Airbus, were successfully launched Tuesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in CA using a Falcon 9 launcher. GRACE-FO is a joint project between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) in Potsdam, near Berlin.

Jet To Undergo Shipboard Trials This Fall

Members of the flying control and flight deck control teams aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08), flagship of the Royal Navy’s new class of aircraft carriers, visited Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland this week for their first live peek at the F-35B Lightning II, ahead of the jet’s first trials aboard the ship this fall.

Complements FAA Approval Issued In 2017

EASA has granted approval to Flying Colours to install ADS-B Out tracking technology on Bombardier Challenger 300 airframes operating within its jurisdiction. The announcement, made just ahead of EBACE 2018, follows the same approval from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), and complements the existing FAA approval issued in 2017. Flying Colours already holds supplemental type certificates for the installation of ADS-B Out equipment installation on Bombardier Challenger 600-2B16 (604 and 605), from the FAA, EASA and TCCA.

Unnamed Customer Operates In North America

Flyht Aerospace Solutions has signed a Software as a Service (SaaS) contract renewal with an existing customer. The value of this renewal agreement with the airline is $1.03 million, assuming the Company provides services over the full term of the five (5) year contract.

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PRODUCT: Airbus Helicopters Model AS332L2 and EC225LP helicopters.

Also: Drone Ops Over DoD Facilities, Space Needle Drone Crash, NAA’s Most Memorable, Textron's X5-55

As the reputation of the drone community, hobby and professional, continues to evolve, drones involved in rescue and recovery efforts are making our rep shine ever brighter... and we could use all of that we can get. A recent example resulted in the the recovery of two hikers and an incapacitated dog who found themselves stranded in New Mexico along a wooded hiking trail -- and who now owe their well-being to the use of a firefighter's personal drone. A five member search team was deployed when one of hikers, a man and a woman, called 911 at 1700 local time, to request help. The couple and their dog were lost in Otero Canyon, according to reports from the  Bernalillo County Fire Department. AMA has been busy and has reported what’s been a successful year lobbying in Washington on b

Also: 2nd ERAU Arrow Wing Cracked, Memphis Airport, Orbital ATK Launch, Flexjet Pilot Salaries

Last week, representatives from the City of Santa Monica and the FAA sat before a judge in the D.C. Circuit Court jointly defending their consent decree that led to the shortening of the runway at KSMO, and will eventually lead to its closure. The two were before the court to respond to a Petition to Review filed by aviation interest groups in February 2017 asking the court to invalidate the Settlement Agreement between the FAA and the City. That agreement gave the city the authority to shorten the runway, which it did last December. The FAA has certified Boeing's design for folding wingtips on the 777X airliner that will allow the aircraft to operate at existing airport gates. The FAA said that the Boeing Model 777-8 and 777-9 airplanes will incorporate CFRP wings with folding wingtips. Boeing will inco

Also: NATS-Aireon, H135 For US Navy, EmPower STC, Spidertracks-Olympic Aero Services

Oshkosh 2018 is ramping up to be an outstanding addition to an aviator’s MUST-SEE list... especially now that we’ve learned that one of the homebuilt aircraft community’s most amazing efforts is due to make an appearance. Known as ‘Bally’s Bomber’ the third scale B-17 that has been painstakingly crafted over the course of more than 17 years is now looking to make its debut at Oshkosh, this July 23-29. The Bally Bomber for the first time last November 14th, though builder Jack Bally originally envisioned the project to require some five years or so... The result is gorgeous.... One of the seven wonders of the homebuilt aircraft world... this one requiring 25,000 rivets, and some 40,000 man-hours. One of the more intriguing offerings we’ll see at Oshkosh 2018, and undoubtedl

Also: Aero-TV: Textron's X5-55, InfraDrone App, NASA's Mars Helicopter, Gremlins on Track

This month, Aurora’s Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System (AACUS) successfully delivered cargo to U.S. Marines in the Integrated Training Exercise at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in California. AACUS completed its first closed loop mission from takeoff to landing for its intended purpose of actual cargo resupply to Marines, as it successfully completed an autonomous cargo sustainment flight delivering more than 500 pounds of water, gasoline, MREs, and replacement communications gear including a packed cooler to represent urgently required cargo such as blood. Aurora says that this was the first ever “autonomous point-to-point cargo resupply mission” providing critical logistics support to Marines in need. The HorseFly truck-launched Autonomous Drone Packa