The OA-1K is based on the AT-802 and is a joint project between Air Tractor and defense contractor L3Harris.

Some observers have questioned the Air Force’s commitment to the Sky Warden program as the military shifts focus away from counter-insurgency operations that match up with the turboprop single’s capabilities. For example, the original plan to buy 75 OA-1Ks has already been scaled back to 62, according to reports.

READ MORE: Recon Crop Duster: Special Ops Selects Modified AT-802U Platform for Armed Overwatch

The OA-1K, as ordered, can carry up to 3 tons of weapons such as precision-guided missiles and bombs. The aircraft can also be equipped with externally mounted sensor pods with electro-optical and infrared video cameras. The airframe can accommodate up to eight underwing pylons.

According to L3Harris, the Sky Warden can fly 200 nm and loiter on-site for as long as six hours with a full combat load.

“The OA-1K is a low-cost, reliable, multirole, small-to-medium-size aircraft system to support geographically isolated special operations personnel,” the Air Force said in a statement. “The aircraft will perform close air support, precision strike, armed intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance in austere and permissive environments.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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According to a report by Reuters, the probe marks the first time ICAO has called for such a probe since 2007.

The two-week review will involve 12 auditors from 10 countries and begin this week. The results are expected to be released in January. The FAA, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), U.S. Department of Defense, and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be under the microscope, along with other agencies involved in aviation matters in the U.S.

According to the Reuters report, 790 questions will examine eight separate areas of civil aviation legislation, regulation, accident history, incident investigation, and air navigation systems. A positive score in the audit would enable the U.S. aviation infrastructure to “demonstrate leadership in meeting robust aviation safety standards and to encourage nations around the world to do the same,” according to the FAA.

The Reuters report cites FAA struggles with shortages of air traffic controllers that have contributed to a series of near-collisions—some blamed on controller error. It cites a staffing shortfall of 3,000 controllers, causing mandatory overtime and six-day work weeks to meet coverage.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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Different sources have estimated the number as between 11 percent and as high as 20 percent. The company issued a statement to Private Jet Card Comparisons, an online news source that specializes in shared ownership aviation companies and their pricing programs.

“As a matter of policy, Wheels Up does not comment on personnel matters out of respect for the privacy of those involved,” the Wheels Up statement read in part. “However, given the release of internal communications, we do feel it is our responsibility to publicly acknowledge the macro industry factors were the largest contributor to our decision. The sharp decline in our pilot attrition rates in the first half of this year, due in part to a reduction of pilot hiring at the commercial airlines and pilots choosing to stay at Wheels Up, created the staffing imbalance that led to today’s actions.”

The statement cited that aligning its pilot roster with the size of its fleet is critical and “the abnormalities in the industry over these last few months made appropriate staffing forecasting against regular attrition challenging.”

Wheels Up did not immediately return a phone call Tuesday from AVweb for comment.

Despite a $500 million funding package from Delta Air Lines and a new management team, Wheels Up has continued to report losses, though executives still expect to return to profitability by the end of this year. The company reports it fleet includes around 170 aircraft: 59 Beech King Air turboprops, 43 Cessna Citation X super-midsize jets, and 35 Hawker 400XP light jets.

Earlier this month, according to a Jet Card Comparisons report, Wheels Up reduced daily minimum flight times for its jet aircraft and cut back the number of peak days for its entry-level program customers. In September, Wheels Up divested its aircraft management division.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Wheels Up Confirms Pilot Layoffs appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The homeward journey across the Atlantic follows a European tour where it participated in commemorations of both the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the 75th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.

The D-Day mission was particularly noteworthy. That’s All, Brother—so named as pilot John Donalson’s personal message to Adolf Hitler that his time as the conqueror of Europe was running short—is the actual aircraft that led the first wave of 800 jump aircraft over the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

After the war, the aircraft followed a winding pathway through the decades, only to be discovered among a group of C-47/DC-3 airframes destined to be converted to turboprop power by Basler Conversions in—of all places on the planet—Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The CAF restored the airplane in time to participate in the 75th anniversary of D-Day—retracing its path over the French coast.

This year, That’s All, Brother took center stage during commemorative ceremonies in Normandy, including the flight over the invasion beaches, parachute jumps by reenactors wearing World War II-era gear and a very special flight carrying five war veterans over the sacred ground of Operation Overlord.

After the D-Day events, the C-47 continued on to Germany, where it helped commemorate the 1948-1949 Berlin Airlift, in which Allied aircraft delivered lifesaving supplies to citizens of Berlin during the Soviet blockade.

“The presence of That’s All, Brother in Germany was a tribute to the spirit of cooperation and resilience that defined the Airlift,” the CAF wrote.

Deena Clausen, wing leader of the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing, expressed appreciation for the safe return of its prized possession, now making its way back to its home base in San Marcos, Texas.

“This aircraft is a flying museum and a testament to the bravery of those who served during World War II,” Clausen said. “Its journey to Europe and back has allowed us to honor and remember their sacrifices in a profound way.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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Under the agreement, Archer would secure takeoff and landing sites for its aircraft at more than 200 Signature locations, many located in major metropolitan areas, including New York-area airports Newark Liberty International (KEWR) in New Jersey and Chicago O’Hare (KORD) International. The first electrification sites are expected to enter service as early as next year.

• READ MORE: Archer Installs ‘Automotive Style’ Air Taxi Battery Pack Production Line

Archer would contribute the leverage of its collaborative agreement with Beta Technologies and its interoperable rapid charging devices. The systems can charge not only eVTOL aircraft, but also electronic cars, buses, tugs and other airport vehicles.

Beta Technologies systems have already been installed at more than 20 airports in the U.S., with another 50 sites in development. The systems are compatible with “leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)” and were recently endorsed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), according to Archer.

• READ MORE: FAA Issues Final Airworthiness Criteria for Archer Midnight Air Taxi

“This partnership will help us establish a robust network of landing sites across the country to enable the scaling of our air taxi service, ensuring our Midnight aircraft can seamlessly integrate into urban environments and provide a reliable transportation solution for our passengers,” said Bryan Bernhard, Archer’s chief growth and infrastructure officer.

• READ MORE: Beta Makes First Crewed eVTOL Transition Flight

Derek DeCross, Signature’s chief commercial officer, also said the collaboration “unlocks new possibilities in the design and introduction of innovative sustainable aviation solutions while also bringing our guests greater access to the future of urban air mobility via Archer’s Midnight aircraft.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The first-of-its-kind competition, dubbed “Ramstein 1v1,” challenged combat pilots from the U.S., U.K., Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, and Germany.

The meeting was assembled in light of Russian ground gains in Ukraine during the third year of the war that rages at “NATO’s doorstep,” the Air Force Times reported. The allied nations’ air forces envision a need to sharpen air-to-air combat skills as tensions with Russia and China threatened to boil over to a shooting war that would put some of the world’s most advanced air forces head-to-head for the first time in decades.

Aircraft on the ramp at Ramstein included U.S.-built F-35A Lightnings, F-16 Fighting Falcons, F/A-18s, and A-4 Skyhawks, as well as Eurofighter Typhoons and French Dassault Rafales.

“Basic fighter maneuvering is a foundational skill set for fighter pilots,” Lieutenant Colonel Michael Loringer, U.S. Air Force-Europe (USAFE) chief of weapons and tactics, said in a statement. “It tests a pilot’s reaction time, physical stamina, and situational awareness. There is no better way to build trust in a pilot’s aircraft or a pilot’s skills than to engage one-on-one.”

“We don’t want to go to war with Russia, and I don’t think they want to go to war with us, either,” USAFE Commander General James Hecker told the Air Force Times last July. “But we need to make sure that we have the forces capable of deterring them so that nothing bad will happen.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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In transitioning from vertical takeoff mode to wing-borne flight, the six front-facing electric motors tilt forward as it picks up speed to power the aircraft like a conventional fixed-wing aircraft. As shown in a company video, the Midnight achieved speeds of greater than 100 mph on the remotely controlled flight. It then reverted to vertical mode for landing.

• READ MORE: FAA Issues Final Airworthiness Criteria for Archer Midnight Air Taxi

“For the first full transition flight, we chose to keep the aft propellers spinning at very low speeds (200-300 rpm) rather than initiating the ‘stow routine’ to stop them,” Archer told AVweb when asked about the configuration of the six aft rotors. “Envelope expansion is a step-by-step process. In future flights we will exercise this functionality. You can think of this as being analogous to how, for conventional aircraft, the landing gear may not be retracted on a first flight. All of the lift was generated by the wing at the speeds we were flying (100-plus mph).”

At a design max takeoff weight of 6,500 pounds with a 1,000-pound payload, the Midnight is among the largest eVTOLs to achieve transition flight, according to Santa Clara, California-based Archer. The company recognizes the milestone as “critical to being able to carry commercially viable passenger payloads.” Archer did not immediately answer AVweb’s inquiry about how much payload was on board for the unmanned June 8 test flight.

The Midnight is the second of Archer’s full-scale eVTOL models to establish successful transition flight. The manufacturer did so in November 2022, 11 months after its first flight. The aircraft still flies regularly as part of Archer’s flight-test program.

• READ MORE: Midnight Electric Air Taxi Completes First Phase of Flight Test Campaign

“Over the seven eVTOL aircraft I’ve built and flown in my career, they have gotten progressively larger as we pursued payloads that made the aircraft platform commercially viable,” said Archer chief engineer Geoff Bower.

Said Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein: “Transitioning two generations of full-scale eVTOL aircraft in less than two years is another remarkable achievement for Archer’s team. This shows we continue to successfully execute against our plan to create the most efficient path to market with an aircraft that is designed for certification and to be manufactured efficiently at scale.”

According to Archer, the Midnight is in the final “implementation” phase of FAA type certification. Piloted flight testing is on track to begin later this year.

The long-term goal of the Midnight is to replace 60- to 90-minute automobile commutes in populated areas with 10- to 20-minute air taxi trips. The flights are meant to be “safe, sustainable, low-noise, and cost-competitive with ground transportation.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Archer’s Midnight eVTOL Completes First Transition Flight appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Former United Airlines pilot Bruce Forbes, 66 at the time, initially told authorities the Stearman experienced engine trouble on a sightseeing flight over a lake and he struck power lines while he was trying to troubleshoot the engine issues. On Monday, he pled guilty in federal court to misrepresenting the facts.

• READ MORE: The Stearman Next Door

“I was flying low over the water around the curves of Lake Keystone and struck power lines, causing the plane to crash into the lake,” Forbes told the court. “I believed if I told NTSB investigators the truth, their investigation would find that I was flying in an unsafe manner, and I would have difficulty receiving insurance payments.”

Last December, an Oklahoma grand jury indicted Forbes on two counts of making false statements and one count of obstructing a government proceeding. The indictment cited statements Forbes made to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) between August 27 and September 30, 2022, and alleged false statements on October 2, 2023, to a special agent of the Department of Transportation–Office of the Attorney General.

His passenger, 19-year-old Baily Nevill, told local news outlets that, before the flight, she had not received a safety briefing on how to unfasten her safety belt. Describing the accident, she said Forbes was demonstrating “water dancing” low over the surface of the lake before striking the power lines and crashing into the water.

Nevill said Forbes tried to pull her from her seat, but “we were sideways, and the water was rising. We were in the middle of the lake. He was screaming at me. And once the water got above my chest, Bruce then decided to let go of me and swim away.”

• READ MORE: Stearman Patrol

Nevill was unsure how she finally freed herself from the belt and swam to the surface. Boaters rescued both occupants and brought them safely to shore.

The court has not set a sentencing date, and Forbes could be facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He declined to comment on the case to local news outlets.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Stearman Pilot Found Guilty of False Statements in Water Crash appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The non-tower facility, roughly 10 miles west of Palm Springs International Airport (KPSP), has a 5,000-foot runway. According to the most recent AirNav data (calculated as of year-end 2023), it is home to 22 single-engine aircraft, two multi-engine aircraft and one helicopter. It averages 105 operations per week—75 percent of which are transient.

The city has been trying to close Banning Municipal Airport (KBNG) since 2017, following its 2016 study that concluded: “The airport lacks the necessary infrastructure and demand to remain viable and has become a financial drain on the community.” According to city officials, the study also found that closing the airport “would unlock significant economic potential for the city, paving the way for transformative development and job creation in our region.”

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians tribe owns much of the land adjoining the airport, and the city claims that economic development of that land has been compromised by state-mandated crash zones. Charles Martin, chairman of the tribe, was among those working to close the airport.

Terms of the amendment require the city to repay the FAA for fair market value for 20 acres of airport land it received in a 1983 grant, repay all unamortized airport grant money and redistribute all salvageable airport and aviation equipment to other airports.

Banning Mayor Alberto Sanchez said, “We will be working with the FAA on the process to have an orderly closure of the airport in the coming months. We are working to develop a timeline, however, we do anticipate it will take a bit of time for the process to unfold. We will be working with the current tenants of hangars to ensure that there is a relocation assistance plan, most likely at one of the 14 nearby airports.”

Last year, Banning approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with Texas-based Perot Company subsidiary Hillwood Properties to develop the land. Perhaps ironically, Hillwood developed AllianceTexas at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The Hillwood website describes the development as “a 27,000-acre, master-planned development encompassing industrial, logistics, corporate office, retail, aviation, multifamily housing, and more.”

In announcing the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act with the amendment clearing the way for Banning to close its airport, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, D-California., said, “For too long, the Banning Municipal Airport has been a financial drain on the community, preventing redevelopment and economic growth. Now, after years of work, the city of Banning and Morongo Band of Mission Indians can finally unlock untapped economic opportunity blocked by the airport. This is a significant milestone for the city and tribe—and a major step toward creating good new jobs for local residents.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post City Cleared to Begin Phasing Out Banning Municipal Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Evandale, Ohio-based company plans to put them to work on supporting current aircraft engine programs and developing new technologies for future flight. “Hiring has already started,” according to GE.

Among the programs with openings for new engineers is the CFM International Revolution Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) airliner engine project as well as advanced military engine programs. GE said in a statement that most of the openings are expected to be in the U.S., with some global positions also available. Engineering disciplines GE is seeking among applicants include mechanical and thermal design, analysis, systems, controls and aerodynamics.

“We’re entering a new era of technology development focused on reducing emissions and new architectures, advanced materials, manufacturing processes, and supercomputing capabilities revolutionizing what is possible,” said Mohamed Ali, GE Aerospace vice president of engineering. “Now, as a stand-alone public company with innovation at the core of what we do, we look forward to welcoming more engineers to help us invent the future of flight.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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