Training Will Also, In the Future, Place Greater Emphasis On Synthetic Training

Squadron Leader Chris Pearson and Flight Lieutenant Jamie Bell are the first to partake in a trial which may provide an alternative training pipeline pathway to flying a fast jet. Having achieved their wings in under a year, both pilots will now progress onto the Hawk T2 with 25(F) Squadron at RAF Valley later in the summer. In so doing they may pave the way for future fast jet pilots to earn their wings at RAF College Cranwell. The two pilots began Elementary Flying Training (EFT) with 57 Squadron at RAFC Cranwell in May 2019.  Upon successful completion of EFT and after being streamed for Fast Jet, they were selected to partake in a novel collaboration between t

Removes Initial Height Requirement For Officer Aviators

As part of the Air Force’s on-going effort to encourage a more diverse pool of applicants to pursue careers in aviation, the minimum height requirement for officer applicants who wish to fly has been removed as of May 13. While still preserving safety of flight, the policy adjustment prevents initial applicants who are below 64 inches or above 77 inches in height from requiring an accessions waiver. “We’re really focused on identifying and eliminating barriers to serve in the Air Force,” said Gwendolyn DeFilippi, assistant deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services. DeFilippi, who chairs the Department of the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Group, ex

Mission Will Validate The Company’s Crew Transportation System

The Flight Readiness Review has concluded, and NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission is cleared to proceed toward liftoff on the first crewed flight of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station, is slated for Wednesday, May 27, at 4:33 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As the final flight test for SpaceX, this mission will validate the company’s crew transportation system, including the launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, and operational capabilities. This also will be the first time NASA

From 2016: The First Certified Four-Place High Wing Aircraft Since The Cardinal…

The U.S. Sport Aviation Expo is dedicated to recreational flying which includes light sport aircraft, and that’s what Tecnam has been heavily involved in. However they have much more than LSA’s in their lineup, and one of these aircraft is what they call the P2010. ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell, was at the Expo and spent some time with Shannon Yeager, the Director of North American Sales for Tecnam. Yeager starts the ball rolling by pointing out that the Tecnam P2010 is the first new high wing

Atlanta GA Operator Busted for Alleged Illegal Charter

The FAA has proposed a $5.89 million civil penalty against Humes McCoy Aviation of Atlanta, Ga., for conducting hundreds of allegedly illegal charter flights. The FAA alleges Humes McCoy operated a Cessna Caravan, Beechcraft Super King Air and CASA 212-200 on a total of 270 illegal cargo flights in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The flights were illegal because the company did not have a commercial operating certificate, advertised and offered to perform operations that required such a certificate, received compensation for the flights, and used pilots who had not passed required tests and flight-competency checks, the FAA alleges.

Also Asks To Prevent Approaches In Very Low Visibility

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report (A18Q0030) into a runway overrun that occurred in Havre-Saint-Pierre, Quebec, in February 2018. Among the issues identified, the investigation found that the rules that govern instrument approaches in Canada are too complex, confusing and ineffective at preventing pilots from conducting approaches that are not allowed, or banned, because they are below the minimum weather limits.

"Critical Patent For The Safe And Precise Drone Delivery Of Packages"

Flirtey has been granted what they call a critical patent for the safe and precise drone delivery of packages. This key patent describes a combination of hardware and software that enables the delivery of packages by a drone, potentially lifting the package to pick it up, holding it securely and lowering it once at the point of delivery. Flirtey's drone delivers its contents by lowering a tether, while the drone is suspended in air, and once the package is delivered, it then retracts the tether. Flirtey invented this method of delivery to be the safest and most precise, and also claims that it has since become the standard for the drone delivery industry.

"Felt Like The Tail Was Thumping"

On May 9, 2020, about 0630 central daylight time, an experimental Titan Tornado S airplane, N318WH, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident about 3 miles north of Haskell Airport (2K9), Haskell, Oklahoma. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he departed from 2K9 and climbed about 600 feet per minute to 2,000 ft where he intended to level off. He stated that the airplane was flying really well with no anomalies noted at that point. As he decreased the pitch attitude, very suddenly the airplane vibrated aggressively and it "felt like the tail was thumping."

Aero Linx: The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association is a craft specific, independent aviation union. It is not an industrial union and represents only aircraft maintenance technicians and related employees in the craft or class in accordance with the National Mediation Board Rules and their dictates. AMFA is committed to elevating the professional standing of technicians and to achieving progressive improvements in the wages, benefits, and working conditions of the skilled craftsmen and women it represents. AMFA was created in 1962 but did not represent any carrier until 1964 at Ozark Airlines...

Precision Approach Radar

Radar equipment in some ATC facilities operated by the FAA and/or the military services at joint-use civil/military locations and separate military installations to detect and display azimuth, elevation, and range of aircraft on the final approach course to a runway. This equipment may be used to monitor certain non-radar approaches, but is primarily used to conduct a precision instrument approach (PAR) wherein the controller issues guidance instructions to the pilot based on the aircraft’s position in relation to the final approach course (azimuth), the glidepath (elevation), and the distance (range) from the touchdown point on the runway as displayed on the radar scop

“Studies have shown that women’s perceptions about being fully qualified for a job makes them less likely to apply, even though there is a waiver option... Modifying the height standard allows the Air Force to accommodate a larger and more diverse rated applicant pool within existing aircraft constraints.” Source: Lt. Col. Jessica Ruttenber, Air Force mobility planner and programmer and team leader on the Women’s Initiative Team who led the height standards adjustment effort, recently announced by the service.