Aircraft Took Off In Less Than 170 Ft And Landed In Under 114 Ft Ground Roll

Electra has successfully achieved the first high-performance ultra-short flight operations of its piloted blown-lift hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) demonstrator aircraft (EL-2 Goldfinch). “Today’s milestone is an incredible achievement as we’ve proven that our eSTOL aircraft has the capability to do what we said it could do – operate from spaces shorter than 300 feet,” said JP Stewart, Electra Vice President and General Manager.

Firm Deal Is For 10 E190-E2 And 10 E195-E2 New Aircraft, Starting In 2q25

Mexicana de Aviación has ordered 20 Embraer E2 aircraft. The deal is for 10 E190-E2 and 10 E195-E2 jets. Deliveries will begin in 2Q25. Mexicana will configure the E190-E2 with 108 seats, and the E195-E2 with 132 seats – both in a single class layout. Mexicana will be the first E2 operator in Mexico, benefitting from the E2's low operating costs and fuel efficiency.

Training Built Familiarization And Shared Tactics, Techniques And Procedures

As Washington National Guard helicopter crews can confirm, emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time in the state. Hikers slide down cliffs and a routine walk on a nature trail could require an emergency airlift. To build familiarization and share tactics, techniques and procedures, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew from 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation, joined members of the Central Pierce Fire and Rescue team May 15 at Crystal Mountain ski resort to rehearse rescue operations with military aircraft.

Spacesuits, Cargo Ops on Station as Starliner Targets June 5 Launch

The ISS Expedition 71 crew kicked off Monday with spacesuit work and cargo operations aboard the International Space Station. Back on Earth, mission managers are reportedly targeting June 5 )don't hold your breath) for the launch of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on NASA’s Crew Flight Test. Four NASA astronauts spent much of Monday in the Quest airlock checking out spacesuits and reviewing procedures for a trio of spacewalks targeted to take place in June. Flight Engineer Mike Barratt started the work as he powered up the spacesuits, cleaned cooling loops, and serviced suit components throughout the day.

98-Year-Old TBM Radioman Joe Will Revisits Some Memories

The annual TBM Reunion took place on May 17 and 18 at Illinois Valley Regional Airport. Despite challenging weather conditions across the nation, ten TBM Avengers flew in to participate in the event. The Commemorative Air Force's Ghost Squadron has three TBM Avengers, and the Rocky Mountain Wing's TBM 309 and the Missouri Wing's TBM were present. Unfortunately, the Capital Wing's TBM Doris Mae couldn't attend due to an ongoing maintenance project on the propeller.

First Collective Agreement Addresses Concerns of All PAL Aerospace Pilots

PAL Aerospace pilots have reached a tentative agreement with management on a new employment contract. The three-year deal was unanimously approved by PAL Aerospace ALPA leadership on May 31 and contains significant improvements to scheduling, working conditions, compensation, job security, and benefits. The new agreement underscores the complexity and significance of representing a diverse group of professionals operating across multiple divisions and geographic locations. Over the next few weeks, the agreement will be shared with the entire pilot group, and then a vote will take place. If ratified, this will be the PAL Aerospace pilots’ first Collective Agre

Also: Hubble On Pause, FedEx Pilots Picket, Nexus eVTOL, VFS Honors

The Rotax folks have published a Service Bulletin after issues were noted that may affect all R915i and R916i series engines. Rotax operators have reported occasional, isolated, cases a momentary slipping of the overload clutch -- which may lead to a slight exceedance of the maximum rpm limit, followed by the engine rpm quickly normalizing. As previously noted, the next Starship launch seems to be pending... soon. According to Elon's troops, the fourth flight test of Starship could launch as soon as June 6 (pending regulatory approval). The launch window will open as early as 0700

Capsized Vessel Located Near Dauphin Island, Alabama

The Coast Guard rescued four boaters after their vessel capsized near Dauphin Island, Alabama, Thursday. Coast Guard District Eight watchstanders received a call at approximately 1:50 p.m. from the Coast Guard National Command Center reporting an SOS signal from a satellite communicator. Watchstanders were able to link to the satellite communicator and communicate with one of the boaters who reported that the 28-foot catamaran vessel he was on had capsized with four persons aboard.

Also: NATA CEO In Legal Dilemma, WestJet Encore Settle, Drone Bill H.R. 8416, USN Jet Trainer 

GAMA released their 1Q/24 GA Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report -- with mostly mixed news. The results for the first three months of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023, show deliveries were flat for piston airplanes and piston helicopters, decreased for turboprops and turbine helicopters, and increased for business jets. Total aircraft billings were up 3.2% at $4.7 billion. Czech sportplane manufacturer Direct Fly has finished delivering its 200th ALTO NG, the latest iteration of their 600-kg sportplane. The Alto was previously offered

Also: Midnight eVTOL Certification, Falcon 9 Record, Pro Line Fusion, Europa Clipper

The warbird community celebrated Mark Novak, Chief Pilot of their B-29 'Doc', and his accomplishment of racking up 500 hours in the vintage bomber. On top of that, Novak built up more than 300 hours of time flying the other B-29 'Fifi', making him the modern era's most experienced B-29 pilot. The Airspace Center for Excellence has been given the blessing to begin operating Lakeland Linder International Airport's first concessions store, riding on the tail of new commercial service by Avelo Airlines. Evidently, there weren't too many bidders for the opportunity, wi

Massive Aviation News Event Started 2024 Off With a Plethora of Exciting Info

Last year, we introduced the SnF Innovation Preview in which 25 companies introduced over 30 new planes, products, engines, accessories, and more… in other words… a LOT of news. Rotax previewed the powerful 916iS, CubCrafters showcased the Carbon Cub UL, Bose introduced the A30, Aerox revealed the Boomula… and so much more. This year, we went beyond that... way beyond all that, with a larger selection of news announcements that covered ALL aspects of sport, general and commercial aviation... all at the start of the

Also: uAvionix AV-Link, F-16 Viper Demo, TN National Guard, 'Staff the Towers'

A Saturday afternoon jump run, originating from SkyDive Kansas City, went bad when it was reported that, "a Skydiver premature parachute deployment at 14,000 msl damag(ed) the tail section." The turbine-upgraded Cessna 206, N29173, was abandoned by the pilot, who made a safe and successful jump, though the aircraft is a total loss. The parachute-equipped jump pilot exited the aircraft after all six jumpers had cleared the aircraft. The fourth flight test of Starship could launch as soon as June 5, pending regulatory approval. SpaceX notes that Starship’s third fli

Also: VA Scholarships, Certification Standards, 'Staff the Towers', Women in Aviation Advisory

In partnership with Revv Aviation and the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID), Coe College is opening a new flight school and aviation management program. Those interested in becoming a professional pilot can complete their certification while enrolled as students within Coe's new aviation management concentration. Just as they got themselves a new contract, things spiraled out of control as the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots claimed, "Managers use intimidation, aggressive interrogation tactics to silence the Union's voice." Scarcely a few weeks passed si

Klyde Is Getting Mighty Tired of The Waiting Game

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Easy Online Forms Available For Sport Plane Manufacturers And Suppliers To Be Listed In The Upcoming eSPRG

Work on the SportPlane Resource Guide is going well… Albeit a little bit behind schedule, because as we got into this process, things became a bit more complicated simply because we learned we could do an even better job at certain aspects of this project than we thought from the beginning. They say that the enemy of true quality is the phrase "good enough" and we want to be far more than “good enough.” FMI: www.sportplane.com, Read More