Also: Virgin Orbit Launch Demo 2, Super Bowl LV, Skydio Earns CES Award, Drone Gambling

As previously noted, a CA drone pilot was arrested on suspicion of having flown his hobby drone into an LAPD helo. Now, this overtly errant drone pilot has pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge that he recklessly operated a drone that crashed into and damaged the fuselage of a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter. Andrew Rene Hernandez, 22, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. AeroVironment and Arcturus UAV have entered into a definitive agreement under which

Prop, Spinner, STC Paperwork Now Available

Hartzell Propeller recently received an STC for its specially designed three-blade high performance Talon prop for installation on Extra 300L two-seat aerobatic aircraft. The Talon features an enhanced aerodynamic design coupled with Hartzell's state of the art ASC-II resin transfer carbon fiber process. The Talon's launch customer was Michael Goulian, who has been flying the propeller on his single seat Extra in air shows for several years. "I have made a living flying Hartzell props in aerobatic shows and very competitive air races for years," Goulian said.

Hilton Was Also A Major Supporter Of The Young Eagles Program

To honor Barron Hilton's legacy as a supporter of aviation, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has awarded a half-million-dollar grant to the Endowment Fund of the Ninety-Nines, a nonprofit organization of women pilots dedicated to aerospace training and education. The grant will enable the Ninety-Nines to increase outreach activities, develop more high-quality pilot proficiency education programs, and share the group's passion for aviation and the Ninety-Nines with others.

HondaJet Fleet Is Currently Comprised Of Over 170 Aircraft Worldwide

Honda Aircraft has received Russian type certification from the Federal Air Transport Agency (FATA), demonstrating that the aircraft meets the safety standards set by the organization. The first HondaJet with Russian registration began its operation in the region immediately after receiving the certification. As customer demand grows, Honda Aircraft Company notes that it is continuing to expand its list of type certifications. The HondaJet currently holds 13 type certifications around the world, including, the United States (FAA), Europe (EASA), Mexico (AFAC), Brazil (ANAC), Argentina (ANAC), Panama(AAC), India (DGCA), Japan (JCAB), Canada (TCCA), China (CAAC), Turkey (DGCA) and

System Is Comprised Of A Wing Extension, A Winglet, And An Autonomous Load Alleviation System

Tamarack Aerospace is undertaking a Fly-Off between an unmodified CitationJet and a Tamarack-transformed CitationJet. This event is set to be a 'real-world' comparison between Tamarack Active Winglet performance on a Cessna CitationJet (N44VS), and a “flat-wing” CitationJet without Active Winglets (N741CC). The fly-off is scheduled to commence this morning, Tuesday, January 26, 2021 from Portland, Maine (PWM) to West Palm Beach, Florida (PBI). The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) will document the race for the potential setting of a record speed between this city pair for this type of aircraft. Tamarack CEO Nick Guida is said to be confid

OFT-2 Mission Will Launch Starliner On A United Launch Alliance Atlas V Rocket

NASA and Boeing are targeting no earlier than Thursday, March 25, for the launch of Starliner’s second uncrewed flight test as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2, or OFT-2, is a critical developmental milestone on the company’s path to fly crew missions for NASA to the International Space Station. The target launch date is enabled by an opening on the Eastern Range, the availability of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, steady progress on hardware and software, and an International Space Station docking opportunity.

From 2019: First Flight Conducted In Early 2019

SyberJet Aircraft recently completed the first flight of its SJ30i aircraft featuring SyberVision, an all-new cockpit based around the Honeywell Epic 2.0 avionics suite, new ergonomic enhancements, electronic standby attitude/heading display, and much more. SyberJet conducted the flight out of its Engineering and Product Development Center at the San Antonio International Airport (KSAT) and kicked off an 18-month certification test program which will culminate in an amended type certificate for the SJ30i and immediate subsequent deliveries thereafter.

Will Serve Until The Senate Confirms A Permanent Replacement

John P. Roth will serve as the Acting Secretary of the Air Force as of Jan. 20, until the president nominates and the Senate confirms a permanent replacement. Roth succeeds Barbara Barrett, who served as the 25th Secretary of the Air Force from Oct. 18, 2019, until Jan. 20. Roth has served as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller since January 2018. From May 2019 to December 2020, he also performed the duties of Under Secretary of the Air Force, a role he held from June to October 2019.

Weathervane Allegedly Conducted Approximately 1,400 Illegal Flights

The FAA has proposed a whopping $1,001,000 civil penalty against Weathervane Aviation Services, LLC, of Westport, Mass., for allegedly operating illegal charter flights. The FAA alleges that between May 9, 2016 and Aug. 31, 2018, Weathervane conducted approximately 1,400 illegal flights in two, twin-engine Cessna 402C airplanes between New Bedford Regional Airport and Nantucket Memorial Airport. The flights were illegal because Weathervane lacked a required air-carrier certificate and used unqualified pilots, the FAA alleges.

Also: Space Florida, Datalink ADS-B, American Rocketry Challenge, 25-Hour Voice/Data Recorders

An ANN visit to Velocity Aircraft this week was an eye opener... one of the few true survivors of the once-bustling sportplane kit  industry, Velocity’s decades of experience and a dedicated builder/owner community continue to show signs of strength... And growth. Two ongoing projects, possibly heading for kit production, are pretty exciting. The  Velocity V-Twin, which continues to be the hottest product at Velocity is being stretched into a six-place configuration (which may, ultimately be bu

Aero Linx: Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India Located at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan at the Safdarjung Airport in New Delhi, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is responsible for formulation of national policies and programmes for the development and regulation of the Civil Aviation sector in the country. It is responsible for the administration of the Aircraft Act, 1934, Aircraft Rules, 1937 and various other legislations pertaining to the aviation sector in the country. This Ministry exercises administrative control over attached and autonomous organizations like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy and affiliated Pub

Flight Standards District Office An FAA field office serving an assigned geographical area and staffed with Flight Standards personnel who serve the aviation industry and the general public on matters relating to the certification and operation of air carrier and general aviation aircraft. Activities include general surveillance of operational safety, certification of airmen and aircraft, accident prevention, investigation, enforcement, etc.

"It is fitting that we share the goal of the Barron Hilton Pioneers program. We are deeply grateful that the Hilton Foundation honors Barron Hilton's love of aviation with this generous grant to the Ninety-Nines Endowment Fund." Source: Mary Wunder, Chair of the Ninety-Nines Endowment Fund, in a statment associated with the 99's having received a massive half-million dollar donation from the Barron Hilton Pioneers.