Content Designed For Campers 11-17 Years Old

The Aerospace Center for Excellence, Inc has announced that it will host its Destination Aviation Summer Camp for participants online for the summer of 2020. The ACE Team will be delivering content designed for campers 11-17 years old covering aviation lessons, field trips, and interviews with aerospace professionals. It is scheduled to begin June 15th, and take up six weeks. Destination Aviation Virtual Summer Camp is FREE for all to participate with the online lessons, virtual field trips and interviews with aviation professionals. Those interested in a more robust experience can order a Summer Camp Kit.

AMA Offers A Government Affairs Update

Our friends at AMA remain busy trying to keep the more ignorant factions of our government from doing any more damage to the model aviation community and those who progress into aviation, after climbing the ladder to "the big stuff" from their model plane days. AMA's Government Affairs team reports that they continue to work with Congress and the FAA despite the ongoing pandemic.

Says FCC 'Must Reverse Harmful Decision'

ALPA has called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reconsider a recent decision that threatens the safe operation of Global Positioning System (GPS) aviation communication, navigation, and surveillance services. In its Petition for Reconsideration, ALPA called the Commission’s Ligado Networks decision “arbitrary, irrational, and unsupported on any logical basis by the record.”

USS Portland Conducts Laser Weapon System Demonstrator Test

Amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland (LPD 27) successfully disabled an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a Solid State Laser - Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) MK 2 MOD 0 on May 16. LWSD is a high-energy laser weapon system demonstrator developed by the Office of Naval Research and installed on Portland for an at-sea demonstration. LWSD's operational employment on a Pacific Fleet ship is the first system-level implementation of a high-energy class solid-state laser. The laser system was developed by Northrup Grumman, with full System and Ship Integration and Testing led by NSWC Dahlgren and Port Hueneme. 

Aircraft Lost Over The Atlantic, Without Recovery

On March 23, 2020, at 2103 eastern daylight time, a Maule MT-7-235 airplane, N899ZZ, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in the Atlantic Ocean near Swansboro, North Carolina. The pilot and the passenger were presumed fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot held a private pilot certificate for single-engine airplanes with an instrument rating. According to fuel receipts and the manager of the Orangeburg Municipal Airport (OGB), Orangeburg, South Carolina, the airplane and pilot were based at the OGB airport, and at 1820 the pilot added about 40 gallons of 100-low lead fuel to the accident airplane.

AD 2020-11-04 Issued To Mitigate Failure Of The Engine Thrust Reverser System

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Learjet Inc. Model 60 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of a reverse thrust command accelerating the airplane instead of decelerating the airplane. The acceleration with reverse thrust commanded occurred when the thrust reverser doors were in the stowed position instead of the deployed position. This AD requires installing a thrust reverser (T/R) Voice Command Warning System (VCWS) to alert the crew of a T/R malfunction. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective June 25, 2020.

AD 2020-11-05 Requires Repetitive Inspections Of The Tail Rotor Hub Body

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Helicopters Model EC120B helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report of recurrent loss of tightening torque on several attachment bolts of the tail rotor hub body. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the tail rotor hub body for cracks and applicable corrective actions if necessary, and repetitive replacement of the attachment bolts, washers, and nuts of the tail rotor hub body. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD becomes effective June 8, 2020.

Aero Linx: The Naval Helicopter Association The Naval Helicopter Association is a non-profit, member-based organization that is open to anyone interested in naval aviation. NHA is comprised of active duty, retired, civilian, and corporate members. A quarterly subscription to Rotor Review magazine is included in your annual membership. The magazine content includes articles and photographs about unit activities, new developments in rotary wing aviation, and special features of professional interest. NHA also sponsors professional and social functions which include the annual NHA Symposium and hosts social events around the annual CNATRA Gulf Coast Fleet Fly-In at NAS Whiting Field in Pensacola, Fl.

High Speed Taxiway A long radius taxiway designed and provided with lighting or marking to define the path of aircraft, traveling at high speed (up to 60 knots), from the runway center to a point on the center of a taxiway. Also referred to as long radius exit or turn-off taxiway. The high speed taxiway is designed to expedite aircraft turning off the runway after landing, thus reducing runway occupancy time.

“By conducting advanced at sea tests against UAVs and small craft, we will gain valuable information on the capabilities of the Solid State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator against potential threats... The Solid State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator is a unique capability the Portland gets to test and operate for the Navy, while paving the way for future weapons systems, with this new advanced capability, we are redefining war at sea for the Navy." Source: Capt. Karrey Sanders, commanding officer of USS Portland, discussing Amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland (LPD 27) having successfully disabled an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a Solid State Laser - Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) MK 2 MOD 0 on May 16.