Wright Flyer III

Two years after building their first aeroplane, the Wright brothers built and flew their first practical aircraft.

Mi-28NE 'Night Super Hunter'

Andrei Boginsky, Russian Helicopters’ CEO on 24 November, confirmed that serial production of the military helicopter had been launched. It was primarily designed to search for, and destroy low-speed air targets, tanks, armoured and non-armoured vehicles, low-speed aerial targets destruction, air reconnaissance, and target designation for other helicopters and aircraft. as well as enemy manpower in daytime and at night, in all weather conditions.

MRO Providers Are Forced To Be More Efficient Than Ever Before

There is no denying that COVID-19 shook the aviation from the ground up. Many businesses dependant on aviation had to downsize or change their plans immensely to stay in the industry. MRO businesses are not different and are already seeing a chain of changes affecting both customers and providers.

Remote, Windswept And Laidback, St Helena Island Is A Speck In The Atlantic Ocean

St Helena Island is not the seemingly desolate land that its isolation may imply, rather it is a source of adventure, impeccable beauty and untamed nature. With ancient wrecks, giant stairways, great forts, natural wonders and extraordinary walks, the island is a world apart from anywhere else.

Collins Aerospace And Boom Supersonic Sign Strategic Collaboration

Collins Aerospace Systems has signed a collaboration agreement with Boom Supersonic to advance nacelle technology on Boom’s forthcoming flagship supersonic airliner, Overture.

LICENCES

It’s generally accepted that the baseline qualification for professional pilots worldwide is the CPL/IR, or Commercial Pilot Licence with Instrument Rating.

The Yakolev Yak-130

The Yakovlev Yak-130 is a subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer and light fighter originally developed by Yakovlev and Aermacchi as the "Yakovlev-Aermacchi Yak-130/AEM-130"

Tef's Test

So that time of the year rolls around again, well actually a bit longer than a year due to the 'Chinese' flu. I eventually am allowed to complete a renewal of my license without the fear of interacting with the public and hence bursting into flames.

HX50 Revolution: A HIGH PERFORMANCE, LOW COST HELICOPTER

Hill Helicopters, whose concept has been under study since 2007, regards its HX50 helicopter as the best type of personal helicopter – crafted on field-proven engineering, state-of-the-art manufacturing and iconic British design. The HX50 has been introduced by Hill as “a first of its kind platform, every minute detail has been elaborately crafted to deliver a helicopter specifically focused on the needs of private owners”. It will be able to carry five passengers and luggage with ease.

BAIL OUT! BAIL OUT!

When a young naval instructor and his pupil — a trainee flight cadet from Indian Air Force — marched across the tarmac to their aircraft on 21 November 2003, little did they know they would be ‘walking the wing’ a few minutes later.

Exit The ‘Queen Of The Skies'

So much damage to human lives, countries, economies, businesses ad nauseum. Aviation and travel have been hit particularly hard but Covid-19 has claimed another victim.

Boom Supersonic Rolls Out Demonstrator Aircraft In Bid To Break Sound Barrier

Boom Supersonic unveiled its first demonstrator aircraft X-B1, which is scheduled to begin flight testing next year, in a milestone for the U.S. startup planning a commercial airliner that can conquer the sound barrier

300th Advanced Light Helicopter Rolls Out Of Indian Manufacturer HAL's Hangar

29 September, 2020 was a special day for Indian aerospace manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The 300th advanced Light Helicopter (ALH-Dhruv) rolled out from its production hangar.

Icarus Aerospace Tactical Air Vehicle

Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) is a light strike aircraft being designed and manufactured by Icarus Aerospace, a Canadian manufacturer of clean-sheet, mission-specific aeronautical products. The company unveiled the optionally piloted multirole TAV in August 2020. It will become a force multiplier for security and armed forces globally.

Seychelles Buried Treasure, Pirates, And James Bond

Seychelles is a cluster of 115 charming islands found in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, off East Africa. The archipelago serves as a tropical, luxury honeymoon hotspot but this island nation is much more than that with its gorgeous landscapes, abundant nature, and rich culture. The waters here show off a sensational spectrum of blues, greens and everything in between.

Aerial Fire Fighters On Pay As You Go

UK start-up Arcus Fire, has joined forces with New Zealand companies Flight Structures Ltd and Pacific Aerospace to develop the F-45, a clean-sheet single engined turboprop focused on the fire fighting, cargo and commuter airline markets.

Bell Helicopters Protect Agriculture Against Locusts

Desert locusts, which live in land areas between west Africa and India, cause the most devastation and like to breed in moist conditions. Eggs hatch two weeks after they have been laid, and hoppers become adults after about six weeks. They live for about three months and during that time adult locusts can eat their body weight every day, and fly up to 150km a day in search of new supplies.

Air Rescue With Piloted Multicopters Is Possible, Makes Sense, And Improves Emergency Care

The results of the world's first feasibility study on the use of piloted multicopters in rescue services has concluded that air rescue with piloted multicopters is possible, makes sense, and improves the emergency medical care of the population.

ROSOBORONEXPORT Presents the Orlan-10E versatile unmanned aircraft system

The Orlan-10E has become one of the first Russian modern tactical unmanned aircraft systems to successfully undergo all tests with the Russian Ministry of Defence and enter service with the Russian Land Forces and airborne troops. The system has proven its reliability and effectiveness during numerous operations in various weather conditions.

CAUTION WIRE STRIKE!

One of the numerous risks posed to helicopters that operate in a medium stretching from ground to a few thousand feet is the abundance of wires. Starting from the local cable guy who runs cables across the street to the farmer who wants to zipline his produce across valleys, to the high-voltage power lines that criss-cross the countryside, wires are an omnipresent hazard to low-flying choppers. Often invisible to the naked eye till it is too late, wire strikes claim a few helicopters and their crews every year. Here’s an example from my personal recollection.

Rostec Launches Serial Production Of Upgraded Mi-35P

Russian Helicopters holding company has launched serial production of the upgraded Mi-35P attack helicopter at the Rostvertol plant. The first serial model completed its type-specific flight tests, receiving confirmation of the declared performance characteristics and implemented changes in its design.

Yahsat Selects Airbus To Build Next-Gen Thuraya 4-NGS

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) has selected Airbus to build Thuraya 4-NGS, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) nextgeneration L-band telecommunications satellite. This milestone order will come with an overhaul of Yahsat’s space and ground platforms. The satellite is scheduled for operation in 2024

Aerion Supersonic

The world’s first environmentally responsible supersonic aircraft and companies involved in its construction

Dynali H3 Sport Ultra Light Helicopter

Ultralight helicopters have opened up the market to make helicopter flying accessible to many more people than the general aviation class for which both the purchase price and the operating costs, are prohibitive to the general public.

Training Through Simulation - Flying With Hatsoff

There are some critical emergencies that cannot be practiced on actual aircraft or helicopter; either because it cannot be simulated or because it is far too dangerous to do so. Take for example, a catastrophic failure of the tail drive; or a dual engine failure. No amount of reading manuals or discussion in briefing rooms can impart a realistic ‘feel’ for aircraft behavior or expected pilot action. This left a big void in training systems of the past, often leading to fatal outcomes.

Madagascar - A Land Of Contrasts, Beauty And Lemurs

There are many dichotomies in Madagascar - an oligarch in terms of natural riches, but still one of the poorest countries in the world. It has a culture which is profoundly informed by ‘ancestry’, yet finds great difficulty in protecting resources for the living and future generations. The island has an impressive system of protected landscapes, but the inhabitants follow a policy of ‘slash and burn’ to gain land for growing rice.

Covid And Flying

So just when does the ludicrous sideshow to a flu season end? Some say when it vacates the media, some say when the tax season comes about around the world and there’s nothing to garner. Either way its causing a nause, a great deal of frustration and general idiocy.

Alameda County Sheriff's Office Air Support Unit begins operating first public safety configured Bell 505 Jet Ranger X

Following strong interest from global municipalities that are expanding their capabilities by adding aerial operations to their mission portfolio, Bell introduced its public safety configuration of the Bell 505, which includes the following onboard equipment:

TESTBEDS

In my corner of aviation research lately, flying testbeds have become a thing to talk about again. Back in the heady post WW2 days of the expansion of modern aviation, these were a very important thing to have in aviation, the Americans even had a special name for some of theirs: “X-planes”, although in reality that was a narrow niche of a much bigger whole.

From Autoplane to SkyDrive

One hundred and three years ago what looked like a modified Ford Model T became the first flying car. Equipped with wings and a rear propeller, the Curtiss Autoplane was introduced in 1917 and could lift slightly off the ground but could never actually achieve full flight.