Brutally Bad Luck For Snowbird Jet In Recent Accident

Information is starting to emerge concerning the recent tragedy that befell the highly-respected RCAF Snowbird flight demonstration team. The May 17th accident seriously injured pilot Captain Rich MacDougall and resulted in the death of Captain Jenn Casey, the Snowbird PAO (Public Affairs Officer). Much of Canada mourned Captain Casey and the public outpouring of support and sadness was visible coast to coast -- and spoke compellingly about the affection Canada has for their Snowbirds. However; the villain in this crash may be none other than another Canadian resident... a local bird. Examination of the video that was shot as the fated Snowbird flight of two was departing, shows a small object

Also: EAA Confirms COVID-19 SFAR Problems, Tech School Revoked, Rudy Frasca Goes West, FAA Examiner Bribe Attempt

We’re a few steps closer to ‘normalcy.’ With many Ohio businesses open and others preparing for a restart, Sporty's Academy tells us they have resumed training operations last week. Sporty's maintenance staff has carefully examined the entire fleet and cleared each aircraft for return to service, but also notes that each pilot should do the same for themselves as they prepare to return to the flight deck. In light of the new reality, Sporty's has made changes. Getting a pil

Starr Insurance Companies Launches 'Starr Gate'

OK... aviation insurance just got interesting and more useful. There is a new kind of general aviation insurance policy providing pilots who rent aircraft with flexibility for their insurance needs through “high-definition underwriting” and usage-based pricing -- coupled with a tool that can also improve a pilot’s skills. Until now, pilots may not have had real flexibility in their insurance coverage and often paid for coverage they didn’t need. Now, Starr, a leading aviation insurer, has established a way for pilots to pay for coverage based on when they are flying. The program includes the ability to access CloudAhoy, a popular third-party, cloud-based pilot analytics t

Joins Chris Cassidy, Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner

NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday aboard the first commercially built and operated American spacecraft to carry humans to orbit, opening a new era in human spaceflight. The pair of astronauts docked to the space station’s Harmony module at 10:16 a.m. EDT Sunday as the microgravity laboratory flew 262 miles above the border northern China and Mongolia. Behnken and Hurley, the first astronauts to fly to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to the station, were welcomed as crew members of Expedition 63 by fellow NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and two Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.

From 2015: One Of The TRUE Classics Of The Ultralight Movement Continues To Fly Into The Future

Just in case you think ultralights are a thing of the past, ANN’s News Editor Tom Patton, attended the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida earlier this year to show you that they’re still around. One of the earliest producers of ultralights, Kolb Aircraft, was at Sebring to show off their ultralight legal 103 Firefly. Tom meets up with Bryan Melborn the Owner and CEO of the Kolb Aircraft Company. Kolb has been around since the 1970s, and Melborn took over the company in the

VMFA-314 Black Knights Made History By Becoming First F-35C Squadron in the USMC

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 welcomed its most recent delivery of the F-35C Lightning II at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar May 18, 2020. Earlier this year, the VMFA-314 Black Knights made history when they became the first F-35C squadron in the Marine Corps. “We are extremely excited to be receiving our seventh aircraft today,” said Lt. Col. Cedar Hinton, commanding officer of VMFA-314. “Each of these amazing machines represents a significant leap in capability for our squadron and brings us one step closer to becoming fully combat capable.”

Design Enhancement That 'Significantly Increases Cabin Heat Output'

Power Flow Systems has engineered a design enhancement that significantly increases the cabin heat output for their Cessna 172 and 175 second generation exhaust systems (our p/n, PFS-13204). In the original design (dating from 2003), the cool air enters at the front left of the shroud, passes over the internal collector pipes which serve as heat exchangers, then exits to the cabin on the back left side of the shroud. Unfortunately, they tell us that this was almost a direct straight-through pathway. The Cabin heat SCAT hose connection would then come out of the left side and have to snake its way back to the far right side firewall where the cabin heat mixing valve is located. For

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Closes Acquisition of CRJ Series Program

MHI RJ Aviation Group (MHIRJ) has launched a newly created group of entities for the global regional aircraft industry including the CRJ Series aircraft. The launch of MHIRJ coincides with the acquisition close of the CRJ Series Program from Bombardier Inc. by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. "I am pleased to announce the opening chapter of MHIRJ's story," said Hiroaki Yamamoto, President & CEO of the MHI RJ Aviation Group. "Building on the solid foundations already in place and with the strong support of the MHI group of companies, there is new energy on board and our team is committed to serving the regional aviation market and becoming a platform for growth in the industr

VMGR-452 Is The Second Marine Reserve Squadron To Operate The KC-130J

Lockheed Martin recently delivered the first KC-130J Super Hercules tanker assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 452 (VMGR-452), the Marine Forces Reserve squadron at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York. A U.S. Marine Corps crew ferried the aircraft from Lockheed Martin’s facility here on May 28 to the aircraft’s new home. VMGR-452 is the second Marine Reserve squadron to operate KC-130Js and this delivery signifies the recapitalization of the squadron’s existing KC-130T fleet. VMGR-452 — known as the Yankees — has operated Hercules tankers for more than 30 years, flying KC-130s in support of Operations Desert Storm, Enduring F

Student Pilot Had Accumulated About 50 Flight Hours

On May 20, 2020, about 1043 Pacific daylight time, a Cirrus SR20 airplane, N883PJ, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Santa Maria, California. The student pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 solo cross country flight. There were several witnesses who observed the airplane prior to the accident. A witness reported that the airplane was flying lower than normal. He observed the airplane oscillate, followed by an engine power increased and then the airplane straightened out. Shortly thereafter, the power decreased, and it started to oscillate as it went out of view. Another witness observed the airplane with

Aero Linx: The Ultralight Pilots Association of Canada (UPAC) The Ultralight Pilots Association of Canada, UPAC, is the national voice for Canadian Ultralight Pilots. The organization was formed in 1986 when the Ultralight Aircraft Association of Canada (UAAC) and the Microlight Owners and Pilots of Canada (MOPAC) joined forces. UPAC speaks for Canadian ultralight aviation interests in discussions with the federal government. We are committed to protecting the rights and privileges of all ultralight pilots and owners to assure freedom of flight in a minimally controlled flying environment. Our only focus is ultralight flying.

Automatic Carrier Landing System U.S. Navy final approach equipment consisting of precision tracking radar coupled to a computer data link to provide continuous information to the aircraft, monitoring capability to the pilot, and a backup approach system.

"After take-off aircraft CT114161 was observed gaining altitude and departing the formation. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft initiated a left turn, followed shortly by an abrupt steep nose low attitude. Both occupants subsequently ejected from the aircraft. A detailed analysis of video footage recovered for the investigation revealed one bird in very close proximity to the aircraft right engine intake during the critical phase of take-off. The two occupants ejected the aircraft however one received serious injuries and the other received fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed on impact." Source: From a sad but stunning initial report published by Canada's National Defence Airworthiness Investigative Authority, following the May 1