Pacific Wrecks to Scour Papua New Guinea for Remains of Top Scoring Ace Plane

The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center has embarked on a search for the remains of its WWII ace namesake's aircraft, working with preservation specialist Pacific Wrecks in an effort to find the P-38 Lightning "Marge". Pacific Wrecks, a preservation group looking to save whatever's left of historic crashes before they're permanently lost to the climate, believes they have a line on the location. Justin Taylan, founder, has a plan to find the remains of Marge, and he's been bootstrapped to the tune of 63,000 dollars to see the mission through.

Grid Overlay Is A Feature That Promises To Improve Enroute Terrain Clearance For Pilots

The aviation industry continually seeks advancements in technology to enhance flight safety and pilot confidence. One of the latest innovations in this field is the introduction of ForeFlight’s MORA/LSALT MORA, or Minimum Off-Route Altitude, and LSALT, the Lowest Safe Altitude in Australia, are essential metrics for pilots to maintain safe clearance from terrain and obstacles when deviating from a planned route. 

With the Odysseus Mission Officially Done, They Begin to Eye the Next

Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lunar lander is not answering their calls, despite hopes that its solar system would possibly provide enough juice to answer the phone. They called an official "time of death" on March 23, 10:30 CST, officially ending the program. Intuitive had hoped that changing sun angles would hit the deployed panels just right, providing enough power to power up the radio and get in one last transmission. It was known to be a bit of a long shot, since the batteries of the lander were already depleted not long after it landed.

Cockpit Seat Movement Inadvertently Triggered by Seatback Control

Boeing has issued an alert to airlines operating the 787 Dreamliner to inspect pilot seat switches following a harrowing incident that caused a LATAM Airlines jet to plunge suddenly during a flight from Australia to New Zealand. The unexpected dive, which occurred recently, resulted in injuries to 50 passengers and has raised concerns over the safety of the aircraft's cockpit design.

Electric, Hybrid Powerplants Proving Popular Among Caravan Operators

Auric Air of Tanzania signed on to operate some of Surf Air's electric Cessna Caravans, continuing the latter's spree of partnerships in Africa. Auric Air is a regional operator offering scheduled passenger and charter flights across East Africa. They plan to convert a dozen Cessna C-208 Caravans to Surff Air's alternative powerplants. It's fertile ground there, with a plethora of Caravan operators and small-time air taxi networks, perfect to find a series of new friends in electric flight. 

"Healthy Earnings? Pay Us!" Says Pilot Base

FedEx pilots on the Air LIne Pilots Association Master Executive Committee made a point to publicize the healthy earnings seen in their employer's recent earnings call, making sure onlookers know the company should be able to afford a new contract. "On the same day FedEx executives boasted about the success of their cost-cutting measures and another profitable quarter, they failed to mention the simultaneous layoffs,” said First Officer Connor Wilm, acting chair of the FedEx ALPA Master Executive Council.

Student Pilot Being Charged With Interference With A Flight Crew

In a breach of aviation security, a 19-year-old student pilot is now dealing with federal charges after multiple attempts to enter the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight. The incident, which took place on March 3rd during Flight 322 from SAN to IAD. Nathan Jones, the accused, left his seat several times during the flight, making three separate efforts to access the cockpit door. His actions prompted an immediate response from the flight crew, who, with the assistance of off-duty law enforcement officers, restrained Jones using flex cuffs. To further secure the cockpit, flight attendants used a beverage cart to barricade the entry.

Also: FAA's New Budget, EUTELSAT Via BelugaST, SnF Warbirds, 2025 World Games Drone Race

ANN had an exceptional opportunity this week, with a chance to get a little operational experience flying an aircraft equipped with the Deltahawk DHK180 aviation diesel engine. The flight down from Racine, WI, the day before, covered a total of 818 NM, at an average 148 Kts True Airspeed and a total fuel burn of 45 gallons of Jet A -- nonstop. CKD Aero has partnered up with Kite Magnetics to create the Dakota e-Hawk, the “world’s most cost-effective two-seat electric aircraft”. The e-Hawk is intended to be the first in a lineup of kit aircraft using

Also: TRU Simulation, FedEx Strike?, Women Of Aviation Worldwide, Ansett Av Training A320 FFS

United Airlines will pause pilot hiring like its Boeing-family companion Southwest. United won't be expanding its fleet as planned, leaving it with a large pilot base following its hiring bonanza in 2021 and beyond. Carriers feel they have enough personnel to weather through the rest of the year, even accounting for attrition. United Airlines' VP of flight operations Mar Champion said that new hire classes would be paused in May and June, possibly to resume sometime in July. The Allied Pilots Association says it believes the pilot supply is "sufficient to

Pilot Reported That The Winds Were Gusty And He Estimated The Surface Winds To Be About 10 to 15 MPH

Analysis: The student pilot was practicing hovering without the supervision of a flight instructor. The pilot reported that the winds were gusty and he estimated the surface winds to be about 10 to 15 mph. The pilot stated he started to drift and attempted to make a turn; during the turn, the pilot realized he was too close to some objects, and he began to panic. The pilot lowered the collective and the back right skid contacted the ground, after which he pulled up on the collective and lost control of the helicopter...

From 2016 (YouTube Version): Rebuilding “The World’s First Airliner”…

The RIMOWA Luggage slogan for their line of high-end luggage products is, “The Luggage with the Grooves.” At EAA AirVenture 2015, our ANN crew met up with Stefan Bitterle, a public relations spokesman for the aviation operation within their company, to learn about their very special airplane. RIMOWA has created the first ever airworthy replica of a Junkers F13 airplane that could be called, “the airplane with the grooves.”Bitterle provides us with a detailed background of the Junkers F13 and of the re-creation of this aircraft by RIMOW

Case Closed for Charter Operator who Sidestepped Dry Lease Regs

The Campbell Oil Company, Executive Aircraft Services, and two personnel have agreed to pay the DOJ a $700,000 fine to clear up the allegations of illegal charter flights, which were cited in a complaint filed last year. The fine was agreed to be paid by the two aforementioned companies and two people, Brian Campbell, and David Stephens. The allegations said that entities had, in collected form, operated more than 150 passenger-carrying revenue flights under a 'sham' dry lease agreement that were, in actuality, essentially wet leases.

Aero Linx: The Rhode Island Pilots Association The Rhode Island Pilots Association represents the GA community based at seven airports in the State of Rhode Island. Our mission is to Protect, Promote and Preserve general aviation in our state. Part of RIPA’s mission is to promote aviation safety within the entire aviation community, and we are dedicated to aviation safety. Because of this, the Rhode Island Pilots Association is a principal sponsor FAA Safety Seminars in Rhode Island.

Marker Beacon An electronic navigation facility transmitting a 75 MHz vertical fan or boneshaped radiation pattern. Marker beacons are identified by their modulation frequency and keying code, and when received by compatible airborne equipment, indicate to the pilot, both aurally and visually, that he/she is passing over the facility. 

"As previously announced on February 29th, our IM-1 mission ended seven days after landing, as Odysseus' mission was not intended to survive the harsh temperatures of the lunar night... Before its batteries were depleted, flight controllers tucked Odie into a configuration that could call home if various systems outperformed manufacturer expectations. Intuitive Machines started listening for Odie's wake-up signal on March 20, when we projected enough sunlight would potentially charge the lander's power system and turn on its radio." Source: Intuitive Machines, via a release officially capping the IM-1 mission, as their Odysseus lunar lander is not answering their calls, despite hopes that its solar system would possibly provide e