Yup... This Week Is Definitely Looking To Be 'Space Week'

Aero-News RealTime Update--1554ET, 05.25.20: According to a brief tweet from Virgin Orbit, today's first launch effort has failed. "We've confirmed a clean release from the aircraft. However, the mission terminated shortly into the flight. Cosmic Girl and our flight crew are safe and returning to base." No other details yet available. More info to follow... Aero-News RealTime Update--1521ET, 05.25.20: After dealing with sensor issues on their first targeted day for launch, Sunday, the Virgin Orbit 747 'Cosmic Girl' is airborne, carrying 'LauncherOne' on what may be a historic air-launch of an orbital liquid-fueld rocket system. T

President Expected to Be in Attendance

The last few days before the historic launch of NASA/SpaceX Demo-2 have been busy... and both the President and Vice President are rumored to be planning to attend the launch... which now has a 40% chance of favorable weather. Saturday, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley participated in a countdown dress rehearsal of the launch day events. The crewmates are preparing to launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket and fly to the International Space Station. Demo-2 will be the first crewed mission for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

From 2016: One Of The True Hits Of The Oshkosh Experience, The Annual Night Airshows Are NOT To Be Missed!

Watching a fireworks display on a clear dark night can be inspiring and exciting, but until you’ve seen the sky lit up with a nighttime Aerobatics display, you just don’t know what a fireworks show is really like. Nighttime aerobatic performances are becoming more popular as time goes on, but the king of then all has to be at EAA AirVenture, and this video gives us the highlights (literally) from the 2015 nighttime airshows at Oshkosh. In the video you’ll see

Aviation Org's Continue Uncommon and Welcome Stance Against Dangerous Program

NBAA joined with other industry stakeholders in a petition filed May 22 requesting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reconsider its approval of Ligado Networks' proposed high-speed broadband cellular network operating near frequency bands currently used by GPS and satellite communications (satcom) networks. The petition identifies several concerns with the FCC's April 20, 2020, order of approval for the nationwide 5G cellular service, including Ligado's failure to sufficiently demonstrate its ability to act as a "good neighbor" and not interfere with other frequencies. The petition also questions the FCC's decision to move forward with its approval in light of

Class Schedules Will Be Optimized To Minimize Contact

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to reopen the institution’s residential campuses in Florida and Arizona for face-to-face instruction on June 30. With health precautions in place, Embry-Riddle will resume face-to-face instruction, in keeping with its Path Forward strategy, said President P. Barry Butler. “We are excited about the return of students to Embry-Riddle’s residential campuses,” said Mori Hosseini, chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees. “We continue to review all progress and monitor every phase of the strategy. We believe that a structured, cautious return to normal operations will provide a

Missions Covered Approximately 500 Nautical Miles

MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) has been flying humanitarian aid missions in a company-owned MD 520N supporting the fight against COVID-19. An MDHI pilot flew the first mission in one of the Company’s helicopters to the Navajo Nation, whose border is approximately 150 miles north of MDHI’s Mesa, AZ base of operations. The Navajo Nation covers 27,000 square miles that can be logistically challenging for transport of goods due to terrain and obstacles throughout its vast expanse.

Program Captures A 3-D Scan Of Each Structural Part

The Army is turning to “digital-twin” technology to resolve challenges and boost efficiencies for its enduring fleet of Black Hawk helicopters. As a first step in this endeavor, an operational Black Hawk helicopter and a separate fuselage began an 800-mile journey Tuesday from Corpus Christi Army Depot in Texas to Wichita, Kansas. Through a partnership between the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, the Strategic Capabilities Office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Wichita State University, researchers at the National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR) will create a virtual model of a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter. Researchers will completely disassemble one of

Wrote DOT & FAA Urging Drone Use in COVID-19 Response

In a letter to DOT Secretary Elaine Chao and FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson, Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) have called on the DOT and FAA to pursue pathways for the expedited use of drones to address key gaps in the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response efforts. Specifically, the Senators highlight the need to promote access to key health care essentials for constituents that do not have direct access to needed medications, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other essential supplies by way of an accelerated pathway toward expanded beyond visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations.

Pilot "...Was Unable To Keep The Wings Level"

The pilot reported that, during the first flight test of the antique airplane, which was in the process of being restored, he had difficulty controlling the airplane in the roll axis. After takeoff, he noticed that the airplane required some right aileron to keep the wings level. After turning crosswind, the problem worsened, requiring that he apply more pressure to the control stick (in the right aileron direction). As he turned downwind, he used nearly full right aileron to maintain control, and the force on the control stick was so high that he was unable to hold it with one hand...

Aero Linx: SouthWings The dedicated staff, board of directors and volunteer pilots of SouthWings rally a broad range of environmental, community and government entities around key environmental issues in the Southeast. Founded in 1996, SouthWings is a non-profit conservation organization that provides a network of volunteer pilots to advocate for the restoration and protection of the ecosystems and biodiversity of the Southeast through flight.  We have flown thousands of individuals and organizations to educate community leaders, policy-makers, and the media, and to collect scientific data on forests, watersheds, historic landmarks, and the globally significant ecosystems of the Southe

Fly Heading (Degrees) Informs the pilot of the heading he/she should fly. The pilot may have to turn to, or continue on, a specific compass direction in order to comply with the instructions. The pilot is expected to turn in the shorter direction to the heading unless otherwise instructed by ATC.

"Given our national airspace system's extensive use of GPS, including ADS-B-enabled air traffic control services and GPS-supported terrain warning systems, any question of even the slightest risk of interference should have been enough to pause this approval process. We believe the FCC should promptly reconsider its order and the methods by which it was granted." Source: NBAA Chief Operating Officer, Steve Brown, reaffirming that any impact to existing GPS and satcom signals carries significant safety implications. NBAA joined with other industry stakeholders in a petition filed May 22 requesting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reconsider its approval of Ligado Networks' proposed high-speed broadband cellular network opera