A passenger with no flight experience was forced to fly and land the Cessna Caravan single-engine turboprop he was a passenger in after the pilot became incapacitated. The passenger/pilot made a brilliant landing at Palm Beach International after getting some equally brilliant on the fly flight training from ATC.
Textron Aviation delivered its first Cessna SkyCourier to FedEx, part of a 50 airplane deal. The twin-engine, non-pressurized SkyCourier can haul pallets and packages the Caravan cannot. FedEx has options for an additional 50 of the twins.
$10,000 hamburger? The crew of a Lockheed WC-130J Hurricane Hunter plane face military discipline after they flew the plane to Martha’s Vineyard last month to pick up classic motorcycle for one of the crewmembers, as well as to grab a quick lunch. By the way, the motorcycle in question is a 1970 BMW R75/5. Nice bike. We’d give them a pass on this one.
The FAA has decided to change the certification basis under which it will type certify emerging e-VTOL aircraft, using the existing Powered Lift Category, created in order to deal with tiltrotor aircraft, instead of performance-based certification.
In what might be a record, at least 1,400 private jets flew into the Louisville area to watch the Kentucky Derby last Saturday. The race, by the way, was perhaps the best ever.
Women in Aviation International will put an emphasis on the “international” part of its name by making membership in its organization the same price regardless of where one resides. Likewise, lifetime memberships will be the same price, $1,500, regardless of postal code.
Battery maker Natron is working to bring a new type of battery to market based on plentiful sodium instead of lithium. The battery will have remarkable recharge performance and durability, as well as being less likely to suffer thermal runaway, which is a danger with lithium-ion batteries. They are, however, heavier than lithium batteries, so their aviation applications might be limited. Natron hopes to have the batteries to market by late next year.
Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, who repeatedly punched a passenger who was reportedly harassing aboard a Jet Blue flight waiting to depart won’t face federal charges, this after the feds reviewed the details of the incident.
A Cessna Caravan carrying 16 crashed shortly after takeoff from its base in Brazil. Two were killed and 14 were injured in the crash.
TMB maker Daher is working with Luxemburg Institute of Science and Technology (the MIT of Luxemburg) to develop a technique for “welding” advanced composites. The materials are increasingly used in advanced aircraft construction but components have to be joined with adhesives.
Republic Airlines is one of at least two regional airliners seeking an exemption from the rule that requires that pilots have amassed 1,500 hours and to possess an ATP certificate. Before a law passed by Congress in the wake of the Colgan Air crash in Buffalo, first officers could be hired with a small fraction of that time and with only a commercial certificate and First-Class Medical. Republic is asking the FAA to let it put pilots in the right seat with only 750 hours, with certain restrictions.
