Also: F-22 Accident, MultiGP's IO2020 Postponed, Women in Aviation Advisory Board, European A/C Have More Time

A Sunday morning accident involving the Canadian Forces famed Snowbirds flight demonstration team has taken the life of one of their team members, and injured the pilot. The accident occurred in the Brocklehurst neighborhood of Kamloops, BC, after rain and low visibility delayed the team’s departure from Okanagan, where they were preparing to launch a planned flyover. The accident occurred shortly after departure. After holding for weather as part of the Operation Inspiration formation fl

A Tought Week For Eglin AFB... Second High-Profile Crash In A Week

Just a few days after an F-22 was lost at the same base, in a training accident, an F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 58th Fighter Squadron crashed upon landing around 9:30 p.m. EDT May 19. The pilot successfully ejected and was transported to the 96th Medical Group Hospital for evaluation and monitoring. The pilot is in stable condition. At the time of the accident, the pilot was participating in a routine night  training sortie. First responders from the 96th Test Wing were on the scene and the site has been secured. The accident is under investigation. There was no loss of life or damage to civilian property. The name of the pilot is not being released this time. In light

First Launch Of American Astronauts From American Soil Since 2011

The Demo-2 flight crew has reported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to start final preparations for liftoff. NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley arrived at the Launch and Landing Facility runway after departing earlier today from Ellington Field near the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. They’re slated to lift off at 4:33 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 27, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carried by a Falcon 9 rocket – the first launch of American astronauts from American soil to the International Space Station in nearly a decade.

Next Week Is Obviously Going To Be 'Space Week!' (And We Can't Wait...)

Our friends at Virgin Orbit have released details about Virgin Orbit's first attempt to launch a payload into space from a cradle slung underneath a modified Boeing 747. They seem pretty excited... "We are extremely excited to announce that the window for our Launch Demo mission starts on Sunday, May 24th, and extends through Monday, May 25th, with an opportunity to launch from 10 A.M. – 2 P.M. Pacific (17:00 – 21:00 GMT) each day. That means that this weekend, our 747 carrier aircraft Cosmic Girl will prepare to take off from Mojave Air and Space Port, fly out over the Pacific ocean, and release our two-stage, orbital rocket, LauncherOne — which will then pr

Conclusion: Helicopter Air Ambulance Operator’s Poor Safety Management, Inadequate Oversight Led to Fatal Crash

An air ambulance helicopter crash that killed three crew members was caused by the operator’s “inadequate management of safety,” which led to a pilot departing on a flight without a thorough preflight weather evaluation, the National Transportation Safety Board announced in a public meeting Tuesday. The Bell 407 helicopter air ambulance, operated by Survival Flight, crashed in Zaleski, Ohio, Jan. 29, 2019, in deteriorating weather while enroute to pick up a patient for transport from one hospital to another. All three occupants – the pilot, flight nurse and flight paramedic – were killed in the ac

From 2018: Stratos Jets Will Initially Be Offered Kits

Stratos Aircraft presented an update on its VLJ program and introduced the Stratos 716 model at AirVenture this summer. The Stratos 716X is an evolution of the 714 Proof of Concept (PoC) aircraft. The all carbon fiber 716X features trailing link gear, is powered by a Pratt & Whitney JT15D-5 and is configured with dual G3X screens, GTN 750 MFD, integrated Garmin Autopilot, dual standby attitude indicators, custom switch panels, fully automated pressurization system and air conditioning. The Stratos 716X kit will be comprehensive and include a bui

Could Form Into Tropical Storm Arthur Over The Weekend

Although hurricane season doesn’t officially start until June 1, the Air Force Reserve Command’s Hurricane Hunters departed on their first storm tasking of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season to investigate an area for possible development into a tropical depression or storm near the Bahamas. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the only Department of Defense organization that flies weather reconnaissance, is expected to fly into Invest 90L throughout the weekend to provide weather data by satellite communication to the National Hurricane Center in Miami to improve their computer models that forecast movement and intensity, said Lt. Col. Anthony Wilmot, 53rd WRS director of ope

Jenn Casey's Family Speaks Out

ANN E-I-C Note: The raw emotion of this week's fatal accident that took the life of Captain Jenn Casey and severely injured Snowbird Pilot Captain Richard MacDougall continues. All over North America, aviators and aviation fans have spoken out to express their sadness at the loss of an exceptional member of the airshow community and the way it is being felt by so many. Now, a statement has been published by Captain Casey's family... and if you can stand just a little more heartbreak, it's worth the read: "Captain Jennifer Casey, our beloved daughter lost her life on Sunday, May 17 in Kamloops, British Columbia while supporting an important mission that seemed to be designed for her. Operation INSPIRATION is a mission with o

Deregistered Airplane In Accident After Maintenance

On March 6, 2020, about 1316 eastern standard time, an American Aviation AA-1, N5757L, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Boynton Beach, Florida. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Security cameras at Palm Beach Count Airport (LNA), West Palm Beach, Florida captured the accident airplane at the door of the hangar where it was being worked on at 1242. At 1246 the airplane was no longer in frame. The airplane departed runway 28 at LNA about 1256.

AD 2020-10-05 Requires Disabling The Automatic Temperature Compensation Feature Of The FMS

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rockwell Collins) flight management systems (FMS) installed on airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of the flight management computer (FMC) software issuing incorrect turn commands when the altitude climb field is edited or the temperature compensation is activated on the FMS control display unit. This AD requires disabling the automatic temperature compensation feature of the FMS through the configuration strapping units (CSU) and revising the airplane flight manual (AFM) Limitations section. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these pr

Aero Linx: Light Aircraft Association Welcome to the Light Aircraft Association, the heart of a community that lives and breathes recreational aviation in all its forms! With almost 70 years of history, no other UK association has the depth of knowledge and experience in looking after our sport. From lowly beginnings we have built an impressive association that today boast around 8,000 members and oversees the airworthiness of 2,600 aircraft, plus a further 1,500 aircraft build projects.  We’ve forged an enviable reputation for determination and fairness within the corridors of power in the UK and Europe and are one of the principle representative groups providing balanced consultativ

Obstacle Departure Procedure (ODP) A preplanned instrument flight rule (IFR) departure procedure printed for pilot use in textual or graphic form to provide obstruction clearance via the least onerous route from the terminal area to the appropriate en route structure. ODPs are recommended for obstruction clearance and may be flown without ATC clearance unless an alternate departure procedure (SID or radar vector) has been specifically assigned by ATC.

“I happen to have been one of the four astronauts who landed here almost nine years ago in T-38s on the 4th of July in 2011 to close out the Space Shuttle Program. It’s incredibly humbling to be here to start out the next [crewed] launch from the United States.  I also want to thank the incredible men and women of SpaceX that have put so many thousands of hours of work into this rocket and spacecraft. We’re looking forward to getting up close and personal with Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon in just a few days.”

Source: Astronaut Doug Hurley, who will be one