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December 30, 2020

Airborne 12.30.20: RemoteID and More!, Airborne Expands!, NATO v Russia

Also: 737 Max Airline RtS, EPA Aircraft Standards, NATA Gets Extension, Life Link III

The FAA has released long-awaited final rules for drones. The new rules will require Remote Identification (Remote ID) of drones and allow operators of small drones to fly over people and at night under certain conditions. These rules come at a time when drones represent the fastest-growing segment in the entire transportation sector – with currently over 1.7 million drone registrations and 203,000 FAA-certificated remote pilots. Remote ID will help mitigate risks associated with expanded drone operations, such as flights over people and at night, and both rules support technological and operational innovation and advancements. We’ve teased this for a while but ANN will be returning

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Christmas Spirit Restored For WWII Spitfire Pilot

RAF Replaces Treasured, Stolen, Heirloom

Members of the world's finest military units never quite lose the comradery and support they enjoyed while on active duty... and the RAF was the latest to prove it, this past week. The Royal Air Force has brought some Christmas cheer to a 98-year-old Second World War Spitfire pilot after learning that thieves had stolen from his home a cherished photo of him flying the iconic aircraft. Dr Edmund James, the last surviving pilot of his Squadron was moved to tears as Wing Commander Marshall Kinnear, Station Commander of RAF St Mawgan in Newquay, presented him with an almost identical framed photo signed with a very personal message from the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston KCB CBE ADC

We're Going Back To A Daily Airborne Sked... AND Adding New Programs!

We’ve teased this for a while but ANN will be returning to a daily webcast schedule right after we start 2021... which we hope will be a much better year than what we’ve just been through. With much of aviation still struggling, increasing our schedule may not seem to be all that careful a move, but the fact is that our aviation community deserves all the honest, REAL-journalistic support we can give it, and this is one way to do it. There are a number of major changes coming your way. The first is the debut of a special new Airborne series devoted to affordable aviation, Airborne-Affordable Flyers -- which will also be supporting the coming debut of the next-generat

AA Has Taken A 'Phased Approach' To Return The Aircraft To Service

The 737 Max has returned to scheduled passenger service with Tuesday’s flight by American Airlines from Miami to La Guardia. The flight reportedly carried more than just some trusting passengers after the aircraft came out of nearly 2 years of limbo, it also carried the wife of the Captain, the first officer’s mother, and American Airlines President Robert Isom. No pressure, right?

From 2010: Skiles Reflects On His Ring-Side Seat To An Historic Event

Jeff Skiles, First Officer of US Airways Flight 1549, "The Miracle on the Hudson," was the guest speaker for the AEA Annual Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 9th, during the Aircraft Electronics Association's 53rd annual International Convention & Trade Show, from April 7-10, in Orlando, FL -- he was also our guest for an intriguing interview shortly before that speech. Skiles stepped into history on a bright, 20-degree afternoon in January 2009, as US Airways Flight 1549 rolled down New York La Guardia Airport's

Action Allegedly Aligns US Standards With International Standards

Quite recently, the EPA finalized emissions standards for airplanes used in commercial aviation and large business jets. This action would allegedly align US standards with the international CO2 emissions standards set by ICAO, 'ensuring domestically manufactured aircraft remain competitive' in the global marketplace. Boeing, obviously, is affected greatly by all this and published the obligatory support statement...

FAA Issues Restrictions on UAS Operations at DOD Facilities

The Restrictions Will Also Be Included In The FAA’s B4UFLYmobile App

The FAA has announced UAS airspace restrictions over additional national security sensitive locations, effective December 30. In cooperation with its federal partners, the FAA will restrict UAS operations in the airspace over two locations. The first facility is Rock Island Arsenal located between Davenport, Iowa and Rocks Island, Illinois. The second facility is Biometric Technology Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Restrictions on these Department of Defense facilities are to address concerns about drone activity over security sensitive facilities.

The Airplane Suddenly Yawed To The Right And Came Back Down To The Runway

On December 13, 2020, about 1045 eastern standard time, a Flight Design CTSW, N138CT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Marion, North Carolina. The pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that all preflight operations were routine for the cross-country flight to Frankfort, Kentucky. Shortly after liftoff at an airspeed about 46 knots, the airplane suddenly yawed to the right and came back down to the runway. The pilot elected to reject the takeoff.

AD 2020-26-12 Requires Revising The Existing Maintenance Or Inspection Program

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Gulfstream Aerospace LP Model Gulfstream G280 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, as specified in a Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective February 1, 2021.

AD 2020-26-14 Requires Modification And Repetitive Inspections Of The PPC Lever Linkage

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 75-16-20, which applied to all Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Model MU-2B, MU-2B-10, MU-2B-15, MU-2B-20, MU-2B-25, MU-2B-26, MU-2B-30, MU-2B-35, and MU-2B-36 airplanes. AD 75-16-20 required repetitive inspections of the propeller pitch control (PPC) lever for security and proper rigging. This AD requires modification and repetitive inspections of the PPC lever linkage. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective February 2, 2021.

Aero Linx: South Carolina Aviation Association SC Aviation Association: Promoting Aviation in South Carolina and Beyond. Airports in South Carolina support the state’s economy and are themselves economic generators. Residents, businesses, and visitors also rely on the airport system for health, welfare and safety needs. Further, South Carolina’s military airfields are also important to our national security. All types of businesses in South Carolina rely on aviation––through both commercial service and general aviation airports––for the efficient transport of people and goods. Airports are a critical part of the transportation infrastructu

Visual Approach An approach conducted on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan which authorizes the pilot to proceed visually and clear of clouds to the airport. The pilot must, at all times, have either the airport or the preceding aircraft in sight. This approach must be authorized and under the control of the appropriate air traffic control facility. Reported weather at the airport must be: ceiling at or above 1,000 feet, and visibility of 3 miles or greater.

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (12.30.20)

“This is such a wonderful surprise, I can’t tell you how much it means to have this photo back on my wall next to my medals. The photo was given to me on my wedding day as present from my Squadron colleagues when I was just 19 years old." Source: Dr Edmund James, a Second World War Spitfire pilot, who received a specially researched photo from the RAF represeenting his days as a WWII Spitfire pilot to replace one that had been stolen weeks before. Wing Commander Marshall Kinnear, Station Commander of RAF St Mawgan in Newquay, presented him with an almost identical framed photo (to the one that had been stolen) signed with a very personal message from the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston KCB CBE AD