Reviving 2023’s Most Utilized Negotiation Tactic

On Friday, 15 September 2023, Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) union leaders representing Air Transport International (ATI) pilots unanimously voted to afford the chair authority to call for a strike authorization, thereby setting the stage for a possible work-stoppage in the event the National Mediation Board releases the parties to self-help under the Railway Labor Act of 1934. 

$50k Bonus for Challenger Type Rating, $100k for Captains Thru Dec 31

For those on the fence about hopping on with PSA Airlines, company brass has kicked up a little extra cash in the hopes of bringing fresh blood to the flight deck. The best deal is a sign-on bonus of $100,000 for direct entry captains, with $75,000 for "experienced pilots. That's available through the end of the year, with captain pay starting at $150/hr and $93/hr for FOs. Captain pay can be seen at 750 hours of part 121 time, too, helping to pay off some of that weighty debt flight training often incurs.

Fighter Jet Unaccounted For After Pilot Safely Ejects

On Sunday, 17 September 2023, a U.S. Marine Corps pilot ejected from an F-35B Lightning II fighter jet, coming safely to ground under parachute canopy in a North Charleston, South Carolina neighborhood. The $80-million aircraft, however, remains missing, and is feared to have plunged into one of two sizable area lakes. The pilot’s reason(s) for ejecting remain under investigation.

Of Close Shaves and Hanlon’s Razor

A 64-year-old Ottawa man who gained access to Ottawa-Rockcliffe Airport (YRO) then stole and crashed a Cessna 140 is facing charges of theft exceeding $5,000, dangerous operation of a conveyance, and operation while prohibited. The Rockcliffe Airport is owned by the Canada Aviation and Space Museum—the Great White North’s national aviation history museum—and is operated by the Rockcliffe Flying Club.

STEM Focused Event Offers Boost to Fledgling Female Aviators

Registration is open for the International Women’s Air & Space Museum’s (IWASM) 2022 Wings of Women (WOW) STEM Conference. The event is aimed at providing female students from middle to high school ages with an accessible, tailored STEM experience. Hands-on activities, career guidance, and mentorship help to provide a stimulating, educational environment for all attendees, with keynote speakers perfectly chosen to jumpstart enthusiastic youth into a promising field.

To Preserve and Teach

Incorporated as a non-profit domestic corporation in June 1997, the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation (AAHF) is a one-of-a-kind, national organization comprising veterans, their families, and civilian supporters individually and collectively dedicated to preserving and presenting the legacy of U.S. Army Aviation. By virtue of chapters in Hampton, Georgia; Mesa, Arizona; and St. Louis, Missouri, the Foundation hosts and participates in aircraft and museum tours, school programs, air-shows, and other public events across the U.S. The AAHF aspires to accurately portray the American soldier as an active, accepted, and admired

Agreement Makes Sale of 2 VoloCity Aircraft, with Options for 78 More

The Bristow Group has inked a deal with Volocopter "to explore and develop passenger and cargo services for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft in the U.S. and U.K." The deal is fairly open-ended, with the only firm order being for a pair of VoloCity aircraft, with the option to buy 78 more should Bristow choose to exercise it. Under the collaboration, both firms will "begin immediate cooperation to build a UAM ecosystem that includes regulatory discussions, infrastructure exploration, and local partnership building". The agreement pretty much covers the gamut of things to consider before leaping into AAM services, including commercial, operational, and eVTOL air

Heroic Bystanders Mount Rescue Effort

A Seawind International Seawind 3000 amphibious airplane went down in Western Washington-State’s Lake Sammamish on the morning of Friday, 15 September 2023. The accident, which occurred at approximately 11:10 PDT, claimed the life of one of the aircraft’s two occupants; the second individual sustained significant head injuries and was transported to an area hospital.

Also: Matternet-UPSFF, Wisk In DC, General Atomics-DARPA, Volatus MOU w/LEO  

The FAA has granted uAvionix approval to conduct BVLOS drone flights utilizing Vantis, North Dakota’s first-of-its-kind UAS system. uAvionix, with support from the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, demonstrated to FAA personnel that it had established adequate risk mitigations to satisfy requisite safety standards for the specified BVLOS operation within the NAS. The FAA has issued a brief statement in which they state that they have closed the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy mishap investigation. The final report cites multiple root causes of the April 20, 2023, mishap and 63 c

Also: Young Eagles Air Academy, WWII Pilot Fred L. Brewer Jr., Virgin Galactic, Cert G700-G800 Engines

The FAA has issued a brief statement in which they state that they have closed the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy mishap investigation. The final report cites multiple root causes of the April 20, 2023, mishap and 63 corrective actions SpaceX must take to prevent mishap reoccurrence. H2Fly, a German Hydrogen-Electric Demo Company has successfully completed a test flight using its liquid hydrogen-electric powered HY4 aircraft. The HY4 demonstrator was able to set a company record with a 3-hour flight, showing some promising performance that p

Also: Young Eagles Air Academy, WWII Pilot Fred L. Brewer Jr., Virgin Galactic, Cert G700-G800 Engines

The FAA has issued a brief statement in which they state that they have closed the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy mishap investigation. The final report cites multiple root causes of the April 20, 2023, mishap and 63 corrective actions SpaceX must take to prevent mishap reoccurrence. H2Fly, a German Hydrogen-Electric Demo Company has successfully completed a test flight using its liquid hydrogen-electric powered HY4 aircraft. The HY4 demonstrator was able to set a company record with a 3-hour flight, showing some promising performance that p

One Dead in Apparent Midair Break-Up

The NTSB has released its preliminary report a 17 August 2023 accident in which a Piper PA-28-161, registration N9855S, was destroyed and its two occupants, a pair of Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs), were fatally and seriously injured respectively when the aircraft impacted a building in the vicinity of Ft. Pierce, Florida. The airplane was operated by Aviator College under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as an instructional flight.

Aero Linx: The Jet Propulsion Laboratory

JPL is a research and development lab federally funded by NASA and managed by Caltech. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory holds a unique place in the universe. We are a leader in robotic space exploration, sending rovers to Mars, probes into the farthest reaches of the solar system, and satellites to advance understanding of our home planet.

Lost Communications

Loss of the ability to communicate by radio. Aircraft are sometimes referred to as NORDO (No Radio). Standard pilot procedures are specified in 14 CFR Part 91. Radar controllers issue procedures for pilots to follow in the event of lost communications during a radar approach when weather reports indicate that an aircraft will likely encounter IFR weather conditions during the approach. 

“How in the hell do you lose an F-35? How is there not a tracking device, and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?”

Source: From an inquiry by Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace, who is mystified as to how the USMC can lose all trace of an F-35...