Top Gun Explodes Onto Screens, a STOL Tragedy and the Longest Paper Airplane Chuck Ever
Plus, near-supersonic bizjet coming; EBACE wraps up; video of a fiery crash emerges, FAA wants fixes to thousands of airliners and much, much, more.
Top Gun Maverick, the sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun, premiered to rave reviews in the United States this week. Starring Tom Cruise, the film is showing at thousands of theaters across the country, but we highly recommend seeing it on an IMAX screen. Here's our review.
The pilot of a vintage Cessna 140 was killed when the plane he was flying in an impromptu Short Takeoff and Landing contest crashed while on final approach to land. Tom Dafoe, 45, was a well-known member of the backcountry flying community. He leaves behind a wife and five children. GoFundMe campaigns have been set up by friends and jetAVIVA, the aircraft sales company where Dafoe worked.
No one was killed or even seriously injured in the crash of a Cirrus SR22 which went out of control while attempting to land at a small mountain strip in North Carolina. Video of the crash, which took place in November, recently emerged. In it one can see the dramatic fireball after the plane impacts trees near the runway.
In Geneva, Switzerland, the European business aviation convention (EBACE) came to a conclusion on Thursday. Organizers reported excellent crowds and a large number of exhibitors. It was the first EBACE to be held live since the pandemic began.
Bombardier launched the Global 8000, the twin-engine business jet the company hopes will become the fastest business jet and the one with the longest range. The 8000 is a follow on to its successful Global 7500. The new model is targeting a top speed of Mach .94 and a range of 8000 nm.
A three-man team from South Korea achieved the longest paper-airplane throw in history, with a chuck of longer than 250 feet. (This beats the Plane & Pilot record by a factor of approximately 25). The best-ever effort was reported by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The Auburn University War Eagles Flying Team claimed top honors at the 2022 National Intercollegiate Flying Association/SAFECON aviation challenge. The trophy, which has been presented annually since 1929, is awarded to the team that excels in a variety of aviation-related skills.
Joby Aircraft says that it's gotten its Part 135 Charter Certificate from the FAA. It's the first charter certificate that we are aware of to be granted to an aircraft manufacturer for an aircraft that hasn't yet earned FAA type or production certification.
The FAA is calling for more than a thousand aircraft with the least 5G tolerant radar altimeters to be replaced with more 5G friendly units by the end of the year. Most of those early deadline planes are made by Embraer. A second, larger group, which consists mainly of Airbus A320 models, will need to get new radar altimeters by the end of 2023. The FAA warns that non-compliant planes could be denied access to more than 100 U.S. airports if they don't get the fix.
The National Air & Space Museum will host its first outdoor event since the pandemic at Dulles International Airport on Saturday June 18th, 2022. The super kid-friendly event will feature a variety of aircraft old and new on display. You need tickets to get in, but tickets are free.
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