Free EAA Webinars End this Friday

Zenith Aircraft's Sebastien Heintz and Roger Dubbert will be hosting one of the webinars offered for EAA Homebuilders Week, holding their course this Friday, January 26. The duo will discuss recent changes at Zenith, like its expanded production facilities in central Missouri. Heintz is always a good leader for discussions surrounding the family firm's product lineup, particularly while their popularity remains at an all-time high. Heintz and Dubbert will go over the newest changes in the Zenith lineup, including their engine, avionics, and kit options for 2024. Those looking to window shop or build their own would do well to register for the free webinar.

Aircraft Lessor Hit with 1-Terabyte Hack from 'Slug' Group

AerCap confirmed a ransomware attack in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, stating that the firm was robbed of 1 terabyte of data by the "Slug" group. The group has threatened to slowly trickle out releases of the data unless AerCap pays their ransom, setting a 2-week deadline to begin paying. The leak plans appear to have 5 gigabytes published after 3 days of non-payment, 30 gigs after a week, with the rest of the data published at the end of the 2-week term. No indication has been given of how much the ransom sits at.

Detailed Response Gives Level Headed Approach to Rulemaking for Sport Aviation

Like the EAA, Van's Aircraft finds the FAA's proposed clean stall speed of 54 Vs1 a bit constrictive, noting that the limit "defines which legacy aircraft will meet the definition of light-sport". As such, it's the "single most important parameter that will determine the success or failure of this category". Van's quotes the FAA itself while talking about the thinking that goes into setting a max LSA stall speed, noting that a "stall speed in the mid-fifties is not enough and would leave out airplanes appropriate for 21.190 and for operation by sport pilots".

Blended Wing Body Tech Under the Microscope in Academic Program

Bombardier has announced the first academic partner in its EcoJet Research project in the University of Victoria Centre for Aerospace Research. The EcoJet project aims to explore the use of blended wing body aircraft, which are slated to be capable of slashing bizjet emissions by "up to 50%" by current company estimates. Victoria Centre for Aerospace Research is only the first to be unveiled, with British Columbia's SME Quaternion Aerospace announced not long after. The trio presented a small scale model of their vision for a blended wing body EcoJett, showing off the team behind a catfish-looking, uncrewed drone.

New Leases Expand Fleet of 737s In Canadian Service

Avolon and the China Development Bank Financial Leasing company have signed deals to lease additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to Canadian LCC WestJet. The deals see Avolon provide a pair of Boeing aircraft, with China Development leasing 3. All aircraft will be brand new, like the rest of WestJet's upcoming fleet. All in all, the firm will receive as many as 22 737 MAX aircraft before the end of 2025, with up to 62 additional aircraft by the end of 2028.

Connectivity a Hot Commodity with Well-to-Do Passengers

Viasat Inc has been selected by the Lufthansa Group to provide in-flight internet service to more than 150 new aircraft, across the Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines fleets. The deal will see aircraft fitted to the European Aviation Network in-flight connectivity spec. That will provide combined S-band Viasat satellite coverage with a complementary ground component network operated by long-standing Lufthansa Group partner, Deutsche Telekom. The end result will be fast enough to support streaming in-flight, an increasingly decisive factor for passengers looking to maximize productivity.

Also: Aeronca Nation, Fabric Covering, Oshkosh Performers, Airbus A350-1000s

Daher's sales and deliveries were pretty brisk through 2023, according to its most recent reports. The firm "sustained its delivery pace for the TBM and Kodiak aircraft families" with new bookings extending the backlog into 2025. The wave of interest in private, capable traveling aircraft continues unabated, with sales undoubtedly bolstered by the French company's unique high-low blend of products. "The Airpower History Tour is back!" said this year's B-29 tour announcement. 'Mark your calendar as the world-famous Superfortress "FiFi" is making the rounds once again. This year, Fifi

Pilot Intentionally Chose To Leave The Left Fuel Tank Empty Because It Was Drained From Being Repaired

On December 16, 2023, about 1150 Pacific standard time, a Vans RV-8, N6948L, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Corona, California. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot had flown the airplane to Corona on November 13, 2023, for the purpose of having it painted there. The accident flight was the first flight after it was painted. The paint shop required the pilot to disassemble and reassemble the airplane before and after the painting because it was a homebuilt airplane. The pilot intentionally chose

From 2017 (YouTube Version): Takes Advantage Of A New Category Of Aircraft Established By The FAA…

Gyroplanes are among the most misunderstood aircraft, but the recent certification of the factory-built AutoGyro Calidus as a primary category aircraft has gone a long way towards making the public more aware of what the aircraft are, and their capabilities. That is the assessment of Andy Wall, CEO of Autogyro USA, who told ANN's Tom Patton at the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo in January that the company has been inundated with inquires since the certification was granted in December of last year.

Aero Linx: The International Comanche Society

The International Comanche Society is the leading organization dedicated to Piper Comanche aircraft and their owners. With over a thousand members, we offer numerous resources to help you with your Comanche aircraft, while making new friends to share your experiences with.

Option Approach An approach requested and conducted by a pilot which will result in either a touch-and-go, missed approach, low approach, stop-and-go, or full stop landing. Pilots should advise ATC if they decide to remain on the runway, of any delay in their stop and go, delay clearing the runway, or are unable to comply with the instruction(s).

"The FAA is silent in the connection of 54 KCAS Vs1 to the limitation of what a sport pilot may fly. In this regard, we would like to see an increase in the stall for aircraft that may be flown by a sport pilot to at least a minimum of 58 KCAS as proposed by other organizations. This would allow more legacy aircraft (including many Piper training models) to be included within the legacy fleet that meet the definition of light sport. We believe that while this speed may set a useful minimum for what a sport pilot can fly, it should not limit the stall speed of a light sport aircraft. The NPRM allows expansions of a light sport aircraft that would only be available to a sport pilot, or private pilot for that matter, through endorsements."   <