After Years On The Ground, The DC-9-21 Was Flying This Weekend For $150 A Drop

With a nearly mythical rep, the once silent Perris SkyDive DC-9 is ALIVE! Following an initial test flight and a few practice landings that were flown by a flight crew that had to be brought in all the way from Florida, the California DZ put the DC9 back in service and made at least three jump runs on Saturday, taking about 60 jumpers per jump run to about 15K'. For years, the grand old bird, which entered service in 2006, sat forlorn and engine-less as the folks at SkyDive Perris slowly brought it back to life on a facility that is not normally known for jetliner restoration.

Event Was Reportedly Recognized And Verified By A Guinness World Records Adjudicator

UVify is claiming a new Guinness World Record for the most unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) airborne simultaneously. This event took place in Songdo, Korea, where UVify orchestrated a display of 5,293 IFO drones that lit up the night sky. The fleet of IFO drones created intricate patterns and visuals above the crowd, showcasing UVify's programming and drone control technology. The record-breaking feat exceeded the previous record.

Amphibious and Overambitious Seaplane LSA Manufacturer Up for Grabs

Icon Aircraft has been given final approval for $9 million in Chapter 11 financing, with an asset auction approved to take place in June 2024. The move came courtesy of US Bankruptcy Judge Craig Goldblatt, who granted final approval to the company's debtor-in-possession financing, setting the schedule for the company's sale. Judge Goldblatt did not approve the stalking horse bidder, though, despite its approval by Icon and shareholders. 

Postaccident Examination Of The Engine Revealed That The Fuel Filter B-Nut Fitting Was Not Properly Torqued

Analysis: The pilot was conducting a test flight following recent maintenance when, shortly after departing, the engine began to lose power. He performed a forced landing on airport property, during which the airplane landed hard and sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the fuel filter b-nut fitting was not properly torqued, which likely introduced air into the fuel system.

Sale Shortly After Wag-Aero Divested Itself Of Its Interest In Leading Edge Air Foils

An interesting surprise occurred this week as Wag-Aero customers logged on to their site in order to order a few things...no Wag-Aero. Instead, the site was redirected to Aircraft Spruce, which has apparently bought out the once popular Wag-Aero operations shortly after the same operation divested itself of its interest in Leading Edge Air Foils. The following message appeared when the Wag-Aero site was accessed... "Aircraft Spruce is pleased to announce the acquisition of the parts distribution operations of Wag-Aero. Wag-Aero was founded in the 1960’s by Dick and Bobbie Wagner in the basement of their family home in Lyons, WI, around the same time that Bob and Flo Irwin started Aircraft Spruce in the basement of their home in Fullerton, CA. Both companies published their first parts catalogs in 1965, and in 1971 Wag-Aero moved to their permanent facility on North Road in Lyons. In 1995 The Wagners sold Wag-Aero to Bill Read and Mary Myers

Series of Aviation Films Will Run All Week for Nightly Admission

AirVenture audiences will have a fun nightly option to wind down after a long day of walking at this year's AirVenture 2024, with nightly movie exhibitions spanning old classics from the early years of wartime photography to modern biopics. The lineup will start with everyone's fave cold war guilty pleasure, Top Gun, running on Saturday July 20th. Sunday will see 2023's A Million Miles Away, Monday 1948's The Fighter Squadron, then Toward the Unknown (1956), Fire Birds (1990), Captains of the Clouds (1942), The Blue Angels (2024), and capping everything off the last Saturday with The Right Stuff from 1983.

Chapter 11 Filed After Company Admitted To An Astounding $170 Million In Debt

The Bankruptcy Judge overseeing Icon's convoluted Chapter 11 process has approved $9 million in Chapter 11 financing and set a June asset auction for the Icon A5 Program -- and said that objections had apparently been resolved (for the moment) by shareholders who claimed (not surprisingly) that Icon was being sold to an 'insider.' Judge Craig T. Goldblatt gave final approval to Icon's (DIP) debtor-in-possession financing and approved the sales schedule... but has yet to approve that previously disclosed stalking horse bidder -- according to an agreement reached with those shareholders who contested the proceedings. Icon bailed out and went for Chapter 11 last month after admitting to an astounding $170 million in debt. The company claimed that it wanted to sell its assets and liquidate the program as the debt became so ponderous... though this was unlikely to have been a process they couldn't have seen from FAR away. 

Allegedly Working On A Website Dedicated To Assisting With Spare Parts Quotes/Orders

The BushCat/Cheetah community was taken aback last month when their manufacturer decided to pull out of kit production without warning. SkyReach claims to remain committed to supplying spare parts for the BushCat/Cheetah fleet of over 300 aircraft, regardless. Skyreach has published a supplemental statement that intones... "We would like to thank the BushCat/Cheetah community for reaching out to us over the past few weeks since we announced a pause on the manufacturing of BushCat kits. We have been overwhelmed with your support and concern for the company and staff. The aviation industry is under a lot of strain and many other kit manufacturers have found themselves in a similar situation unfortunately."

From 2010 (YouTube Version): Preserving The History Of An Amazing Facet Of Aviation

ANN's phenomenal trip to Albuquerque for the 2010 ABQ Balloon Fiesta is the gift that keeps on giving... both with the memories we have of the extraordinary visual delights of that week as well as the tremendous opportunities our Aero-TV crews had to experience so much of the world of ballooning, its people and its history. One of the more intriguing aspects of that trip was our visit to the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum. The Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum presents the development of ballooning through historic, scientific and artistic objects reflecting world-wide achievements in this field.

Solo Student Pilot Was Landing The Light-Sport Airplane On The Runway When It Bounced Multiple Times

Analysis: The solo student pilot was landing the light-sport airplane on the runway when it bounced multiple times. The nose gear collapsed, the propeller struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest upright on the runway in a nose-down attitude. The student pilot was able to exit the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.