Also: Cathay Pacific Mispaints, Orion's First Service Module, FAA Fly Safe-LOC, Neutron Star

In the wee hours of the start of the weekend a new version of the FAA Reauthorization bill was published... and the news is mixed. The 1200 page document was released September 22nd at 0040ET... to initially mixed reviews. Some initial notes show that this five year bill does not include the draconian Privatization effort that has been aggressively fought by nearly everyone in aviation and the onerous ATC fees levied on EAA and other venues have been dropped. There is also some additional language in support of the Pilot’s Bill of Rights. GA groups are analyzing the 1200 page doc now. And the news for model aviation may be dire... On September 24, 2013, Canadian pilot Alexis Reichert set a new female world record for flight duration in a human-powered rotorcraft by staying airborne for 53 seconds in

Also: FAA Reauthorization Stalled, Golf Course Drone Delivery, eBee X Fixed-Wing, Drone Locates Missing Woman

AMA president Rich Hanson has sent letters to the House and Senate, requesting they consider a risk-based approach to regulating recreational UAS. This would ensure the safe integration of UAS into the nation’s airspace while continuing to allow responsible model aircraft operators to fly safely. It is still uncertain if Congress will pass an FAA Authorization bill by the September 30 deadline, but legislators have begun work to resolve some of the issues surrounding the Special Rule for Model Aircraft (Section 336), which may include remote ID requirements on some aircraft. A congressional update on Section 336 was just released via a video from Interim Executive Director, Chad Budreau. Drone pilots can take a new free King Schools course titled Using LAANC to Fly Drones in Controll

An Estimated 100 Missions Have Already Been Completed In The Region

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued 46 special waivers for drone operations to support emergency and recovery efforts since Hurricane Florence made landfall.  More than a dozen drone operators have flown an estimated 100 drone missions related to the storm under existing Part 107 authorization.  

Industry Group Applauds Bipartisan Efforts Of Congressional Leaders

The House and the Senate reached consensus on the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 late last week. In a statement, Airlines for America (A4A) president & CEO Nicholas E. Calio said the association applauds the bipartisan, bicameral efforts in Congress, led in the House by Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and in the Senate by Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) and their staffs, for reaching agreement on the FAA Reauthorization Bill of 2018.

Will Streamline Approvals Of Aviation Products Across Borders

The FAA has signed separate agreements with Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC) and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) that will make it easier to approve each country’s aircraft and aviation products for their growing aviation markets.

Section Included In The Bill Titled 'Preventing Emerging Threats'

The FAA Reauthorization Bill that is scheduled for a house vote on Wednesday contains language that would allow the government to disable drones that are perceived as a threat, including shooting them down.

P-63 Kingcobra Reaches Silver, And The P-51 Red Tail Mustang Grabs Trophy

The Palm Springs Air Museum's participation at the 2018 edition of the National Championship Air Races Reno soared to new heights. The Air Museum's P-51 Mustang "Bunny" again reached the Silver level like last year, and then placed 3rd overall. Six of the seven aircraft were P-51 Mustangs. All aircraft were evenly matched, so pilot skill was essential.

Also: DroneInsurance.com And AirMap, EagleView And PrecisionHawk, Laser-Carrying Drones, Army Drones

Claiming to offer, “... a cloud-based platform to manage, process, view, analyze and collaborate around data for insurance, property management, mining, quarrying, and construction,” Airware has elected to shut down operations after spending some 118 million in investment capital. Airware was founded in 2011 in Newport Beach, California, by Jonathan Downey and relocated to San Francisco in January 2014, and purchased Redbird, a drone analytics software company, in 2016. Company staffers were offered little warning... having been notified the day of the shutdown. At its height, the company reportedly had over 140 employees. AUVSI has urged lawmakers working on a reauthorization bill for the FAA to include legislative proposals that would give the Departments of Homeland Security and Just

iPads Replacing Paper-Based Flight Kits On The Carrier's Airplanes

CommutAir, a United Express carrier (UAL), is issuing pilots iPads to replace heavy paper-based flight kits for its cockpit crewmembers. The implementation of Electronic Flight Bags (EFB) is a part of CommutAir's commitment to establishing modern technology infrastructure to sustain its rapid growth. 

Will Mark The 100th Launch Of The Heavy-Lift Booster

Arianespace’s upcoming mission from the Spaceport in French Guiana – which will mark the heavy-lift Ariane 5’s 100th launch – has been cleared for liftoff this week with a dual-satellite payload.