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All News

December 21, 2022

U.K. Court Orders Airbus Qatar Trial Split

Double the Litigation

A U.K. court has ordered an upcoming trial to be split into two parts on account of the sheer weight of disagreements between litigants Airbus and Qatar Airways. The parties are embroiled in a protracted dispute over alleged breaches of contracts stemming from the subjective airworthiness of A350 jets purchased by the Middle Eastern air-carrier. Per a ruling handed down by Judge David Waksman, the first part of the June 2023 Qatar Airways vs. Airbus trial will focus on liability, with arguments pertaining to the disputants’ combined claims, estimated at $2-billion, to be heard and considered subsequently.

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USAF Grounds B-2 Bomber Fleet

Downspirited

The United States Air Force has grounded the entirety of its B-2 Spirit—colloquially Stealth Bomber—fleet, and will inspect all twenty of the enigmatic aircraft in the wake of a 10 December incident in which an in-flight malfunction forced a B-2 crew to make an emergency landing at Missouri’s Whiteman Air Force Base.

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L3Harris to Acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne

Announcement says Acquisition Good for Cutting Costs, Strengthening National Defense

L3Harris Technologies will acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne after all, buying out the company in an all-cash transaction valued at nearly 5 billion. The two companies will bring their respective expertise to the fore, addressing pricing qualms from their biggest government customers. With the civilian-sector space industry growing increasingly competitive by the year, a combined L3Harris/Rocketdyne outfit may allow them to increase the level of competition in the field of rocketry, whether solid motor boosters, scramjets, missiles, or hypersonics. 

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F-35B Crash Video Watched Over 8M Times

Vertical Landing SNAFU Makes for Engaging Timeline Fodder

The latest in a line of embarrassing moments for the F-35 ended up on tape this week, racking up more than 8 million views. In the video, an F-35B owned by Lockheed Martin, but operated by a "government pilot" attempted a vertical landing only to bounce, buffet, and crash in plain view of bystanders. The pilot ejected only feet above ground level, remaining airborne for less than 10 seconds before returning to earth. The unidentified aviator was taken to medical facilities and suffered no serious injuries. 

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FAA Proposes eVTOL Certification Criteria

Archer Aquiver

On 19 December 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the airworthiness criteria upon which the type certification of Archer Aviation’s M001 eVTOL will be predicated. The agency has released subject criteria for public comment.

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Brevard County Withholds Grant for Cocoa Beach Air Show

While Cocoa Beach Misses out on $90k, the Show Will Go On

Brevard County commissioners rejected a proposal to grant Florida's upcoming Cocoa Beach Air Show $87,852. The grant was authorized by the Brevard County Tourist Development Council and the council's Cultural Committee, under the auspices that the show will bolster income throughout the local hospitality industry. While the 9-member council recommended the grant, which would have come from the county's 5% tourist development tax on local overnight accommodations, county commissioners decided not to dispense the grant. 

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Mesa to Wind Down Operations with American Airlines

Mesa to Shift Attentions to United Airlines, Shake Up Operations Seeking Profitability

Mesa Air Group has announced plans for a restructuring of its operations between American Airlines and United Airlines, due to "unprofitable operations" with the former. Mesa said the change was "driven primarily by higher pilot wages and block hour utilization penalties driven by the ongoing industry wide pilot shortage", with the American wind-down being a consensual change. Mesa is finalizing a new 5-year agreement with United Airlines to place the associated aircraft into United Express operations, compensate Mesa for higher RJ costs, and cover all Mesa's existing flying at American.

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Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Air Ambulance Crew

King Air C-90B Lost off Maui

The United States Coast Guard has called off its search for a Hawaii Life Flight King Air C-90B that went down in the Alenuihaha Channel between the islands of Maui and Hawaii on 15 December 2022. The twin-engine turboprop went missing during a flight from Kahului Airport to the Waimea-Kohala Airport on the island of Hawaii, where a patient awaited pick up. The identities of the King Air’s three crew-members have yet to be disclosed.

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Classic Aero-TV: The Ever-Evolving AirCam - Raising the Bar Higher Than Ever

From 2019 (YouTube Version): New AirCam Option Allows For The Installation Of A Third Seat

The recently announced Aircam 'Gen-3' model airframe now has the option of incorporating a third seat located behind the second seat as well as a 220-pound gross weight increase from the current 1,680-pound max gross weight -- totaling up to 1,900 pounds. The new jump seat can be readily converted between cargo usage or the carrying of a third passenger. And yes; the full enclosure canopy can be added to the Gen-3 AirCam with the third seat -- which Lockwood notes was designed from the start to accommodate

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NTSB Final Report: Cirrus SF50

Smoke Had Become Dense, And The Airplane Cabin Became Engulfed In Flames

After starting the airplane’s engine for a planned flight, the pilot began to smell smoke, which became stronger as he continued with flight preparations. The pilot decided to terminate flight preparations and have a mechanic examine the airplane. After shutting down the engine, the pilot saw smoke rising from the armrest area of the right center passenger seat. By the time the mechanic arrived, the smoke had become dense, and the airplane cabin became engulfed in flames a few minutes later.

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Airborne-NextGen 12.13.22: DJI Mini 3, Matternet Delivers, Heron TP TC'd

Also: Orion Returns, "Dragon" Ultralight eVTOL, uAvionix, Joby Partners On AMT Curriculum

DJI has introduced its Mini 3, a compact, ultra-lightweight camera drone which—at a mass of less than 249-grams—is exempt from UAV regulations in many parts of the world. The Mini 3’s 34-millimeter camera sensor films 4K High Dynamic Range (HDR) video and 12-Megapixel (MP) photos, and makes use of True Vertical Shooting—a social-media-friendly feature that allows the gimbal within which the Mini 3’s camera is housed to rotate ninety-degrees, thereby facilitating seamless transitions between landscape and portrait orientations. Mountai

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Airborne-NextGen 12.13.22: DJI Mini 3, Matternet Delivers, Heron TP TC'd

Also: Orion Returns, "Dragon" Ultralight eVTOL, uAvionix, Joby Partners On AMT Curriculum

DJI has introduced its Mini 3, a compact, ultra-lightweight camera drone which—at a mass of less than 249-grams—is exempt from UAV regulations in many parts of the world. The Mini 3’s 34-millimeter camera sensor films 4K High Dynamic Range (HDR) video and 12-Megapixel (MP) photos, and makes use of True Vertical Shooting—a social-media-friendly feature that allows the gimbal within which the Mini 3’s camera is housed to rotate ninety-degrees, thereby facilitating seamless transitions between landscape and portrait orientations. Mountai

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ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (12.21.22)

Aero Linx: The International Cessna 170 Association (TIC170A) The International Cessna 170 Association (TIC170A) was formed in 1969. We have more than 1034 members that own a total of 821 Cessna 170s. “Preserving and promoting a truly classic aircraft” takes time, talent, and resources. It took foresight to form the association back in 1969 to share information about flying and maintaining the Cessna 170. Many hours have been spent by members gathering data and sharing information by way of publications, at conventions, during fly-ins, and on the internet forums.

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ANN's Daily Aero-Term (12.21.22): Permanent Echo

Permanent Echo Radar signals reflected from fixed objects on the earth’s surface; e.g., buildings, towers, terrain. Permanent echoes are distinguished from “ground clutter” by being definable locations rather than large areas. Under certain conditions they may be used to check radar alignment.

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Aero-News: Quote of the Day (12.21.22)

“Every incident is unique, and we are currently evaluating what went wrong and how we can mitigate future risk. We will resume normal operations once a safety investigation has been concluded.” Source: A spokesperson for the service’s 509th Bomb Wing—which along with the Air National Guard’s 131st Bomb Wing operates the whole of America’s B-2 fleet—made remarks after a B-2 accident.

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