8-K Filing Reveals Crash During Remotely Piloted Test Flight

A much-hyped remotely piloted test of Joby's second demonstrator aircraft ended disappointingly, as the aircraft was involved in an accident of some kind. The company has been understandably mum on specifics while the NTSB quickly  announced their investigation into the cause. The incident was mentioned in the firm's terse 8-K documents, saying that "its remotely piloted, experimental prototype aircraft was involved in an accident during flight testing at our remote flight test base in California. There were no injuries." The company had gained no small measure of interest when it filed the request for radio-controlled, remotely piloted flights off the Californian coa

Boeing Not Anticipated to Be Allowed to Self-Certify New Production Aircraft

Boeing's production woes have continued, as the FAA said the company will not be allowed to self-certify new 787 Dreamliners. Outgoing FAA administrator Steve Dickson said the agency needs to see "a systemic fix to their production processes,” he said in reference to the issue. “They've got to produce the quality on their production line that we're looking for and that they've committed to." Problems with the manufacture of the aircraft have plagued it for months, since deliveries were suspended in May after regulators became wary of proposed inspection methods. With a not-insignificant portion of the FAA’s name on the line, their caution makes sens

Demonstrators Taken to Mach .95, -40?F During Flight Testing for 2022 Approval

Dassault Aviation updated customers on the progress being made by their upcoming 6X, showing off some of the tests faced by the aircraft, from arctic encounters to chasing the sound barrier. The trio of pre production demonstrators have been flown for more than 600 hours across 180 flights in what Dassault describes as a "rapid-paced flight test program." While putting the design through some of its first paces, they sent one Falcon across the Atlantic for cold-weather testing in the harsh Canadian North where it saw temps down to -13 degrees F.

Parallel Hybrid Offers the Economy of an LSA and Utility of a Cessna - But Don't Expect A Production Model Any Time Soon

Tecnam's successful development program aimed at creating a hybrid P2010 aircraft has borne fruit, successfully completing its first test flight. The fluorescent green P2010 H3PS (for 'High Power High Scalability Aircraft Hybrid Powertrain') reputedly has the honor of being the world's first parallel hybrid aircraft, combining a standard 141hp Rotax 915 IS with a 30 kW Rolls-Royce electric motor for a powertrain boasting a combined 180hp. The aircraft is meant to be a proof-of-concept piece to demonstrate the viability of such a system for light aircraft. The team describes the H3PS as in most respects a normal P2010, offer

VX4 Order Book Swells to 1,350 and $5.4 Billion

Vertical Aerospace has signed a non-binding MoU with AirAsia Aviation Group to create an aerial ride sharing platform in Southeast Asia. The deal will establish a lease of at least 100 of Vertical's VX4 eVTOL aircraft to begin services under the AirAsia once the platform opens. Vertical notes that the deal brings pre-orders for their aircraft past 1,350 in total while establishing a foothold in the coveted Asian market. Their presence in the 3rd most populous region of the world is a good start, further bolstered by another announcement from large Vertical customer Avolon, a large worldwide aircraft lessor holding 500 VX4 preorders. 450 of those aircraft have been earmarked for service around th

From 2016 (YouTube Version): An Amazing Opportunity For Colorado’s STEM Educators…

In this video you’ll hear about a program that is designed to inspire teachers to inspire their students by sharing with them the excitement of flying in a 1942 Boeing PT-17 Stearman trainer plane. Hetty Carlson, of the Teacher Flight Program, explains how they use aviation as a tool to motivate and encourage students. Their Colorado-based operation has a goal of flying one teacher from every school along the Colorado Front Range. Counting up the school districts and the schools involved means that they are offering 1,600 teachers, through the year 2020, the

Contracted MRO, Maintainer, and Installer Adds 117,000 Square Feet to Texas Facilities

King Aerospace Commercial Corporation signed a lease agreement for 2 additional hangars at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport near Rogers, Texas. The secure-environment space will be used for their specialized FAA Part 145 modifications, development, and integration work on mission-critical widebody aircraft. The King portfolio includes a range of services for civilian VIP interiors and ordinary MRO offerings, but their real claim to fame is their expansive roster of military equipment.

Students Obtain Over $400,000 in Awards for Buisiness Aviation Maintenance Training and Career Advancement

The National Business Aviation Association Maintenance Committee has announced the lucky recipients of the 2021 Maintenance AMT Scholarship, delayed since last year from pandemic-related scheduling issues. Each of the winners will receive a specialized training package suited to their career needs, from initial maintenance training programs to engine courses. Those eligible for the assistance are current or aspiring business aviation maintenance technicians, required to send a letter of recommendation, resume, transcript, and completed essay. Additionally, donors have supported an AMT travel fund to offset the costs of travel and lo

At 2,000 Ft He Deployed The CAPS And The Airplane Slowly Descended To The Water

On January 13, 2022, about 1326 eastern standard time, a Cirrus SR-22, N879CD, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lexington, South Carolina. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, a preflight inspection of the airplane was conducted with no anomalies noted. He stated, “I checked the oil quantity and added one quart of oil.” The pilot conducted a run-up and departed for Charleston Air Force Base/International Airport (CHS), Charleston, South Carolina, on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan about 1300.

Pilot Noticed The Airplane Was Leaking A Large Amount Of Fuel From The Right Wing-Root

On December 05, 2021, at 1652, a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain airplane, N64BR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Medford, Oregon. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot and passenger made a flight on November 24, from the airplane’s home airport in Fallon, Nevada to Medford. After landing, the pilot noticed the airplane was leaking a large amount of fuel from the right wing-root. The pilot arranged to make the necessary repairs with a fixed based operator (FBO) at the airport and drove a rental car back home

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Negative Contact Used by pilots to inform ATC that: Previously issued traffic is not in sight. It may be followed by the pilot’s request for the controller to provide assistance in avoiding the traffic. They were unable to contact ATC on a particular frequency.

"Safety is a core value for Joby...  Which is why we have been expanding our flight envelope with a remote pilot and in an uninhabited area, especially as we operate outside expected operating conditions... Experimental flight test programs are intentionally designed to determine the limits of aircraft performance, and accidents are unfortunately a possibility. We will be supporting the relevant authorities in investigating the accident thoroughly." Source: Excerpts from an 8-K filing by Joby Aviaion, following the accident involving one of their two remotely piloted test aircraft.