Airplane News Update

Airplane News Update

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Airplane News Update episodes

  • Airplane News: FAA Reauthorization, Vitol Disputes NATA Claim, and Lawsuit Against the FAA

    Welcome to your weekly General Aviation news update, and this week we have 3 stories for you; FAA Reauthorization appears close, Vitol disputes NATA Claim, and a class action lawsuit against the FAA.


    First up, congress appeared this week to agree on language for a long term FAA authorization.

    The reauthorization is over 1,000 pages, with topics including fine increases for consumer violations, legislation over near collisions, quality control for large aircraft manufacturers, and FAA staffing.
    Congress now will need to vote in favor of the bill before it heads to the President’s desk.
    We’ll keep you updated when we see more.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/bipartisan-congressional-approval-for-long-term-faa-reauthorization/
    Next up is Vitol aviation and GAMI G100UL.
    Vitol Aviation has more than 1,000,000 gallons of GAMI G100UL for sale that the National Air Transportation Association says is not ready for sale.
    NATA says that without a fuel specification from ASTM International, furl suppliers and retailers “lack assurances that the unleaded fuel they are selling will not expose them to liability” and therefore cannot be commercially available.
    Vitol says it has had no issue getting insurance for the GAMI G100UL and that the fuel has an FAA approved specification.
    We’ll have to see if NATA’s claim hinders Vitol’s ability to bring the G100UL to market.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/g100ul-maker-refutes-nata-claim-that-its-not-ready-to-sell/
    Last up, the FAA is getting sued!
    A class action lawsuit filed this week states the FAA turned away more than 1000 qualified air traffic controller applicants due to discrimination.
    The lawsuit doesn’t state that incompetent controllers were hired, but rather that particular demographics of controllers were never given a chance to demonstrate their competency.
    The suit continues, stating that certain minority candidates were given “Buzz words” to bring their resumes to the top.
    Questions were also alleged to have been placed in the biographical questionnaire that were weighted to give certain candidates advantages, such as playing more than 4 sports in high school giving a candidate 5 points, while an applicant holding a pilot certificate only gave them 2 points.
    The questionnaire also omitted relevant experience as a military air traffic controller.
    We’ll keep you up to date with what we see from this lawsuit.
    https://simpleflying.com/faa-air-traffic-controller-applicants-lawsuit/
    Alright, that’s it! Have a great week and we’ll see you next week.

    4 min
  • Airplane News: Mental Health Recommendations, NTSB on Dust Devils, Controllers Help Identify Hypoxia

    Welcome to your weekly General Aviation news update, and this week we have 3 stories for you; Mental Health Committee issues recommendations, NTSB Warns of Dust devils, Controllers credited with Hypoxia Save.


    First up, the Mental health ARC has issued a recommendation that pilots are allowed to get “Talk Therapy” from professionals without needing to disclose it on their medicals.

    The ARC report also discussed the current culture within the aviation industry that contributes to medical disorders not being disclosed including fear of job/income loss, reputation loss, and potential prosecution.

    Along with culture, the report discusses trust levels between pilots/controllers, the FAA, and AMEs.

    In total, the report is 164 pages long, including figures, and has 24 total recommendations for the FAA.

    The FAA has received the report and is in the process of reviewing it.

    We’ll keep you updated if we see more.


    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/mental-health-committee-says-pilots-shouldnt-have-to-report-talk-therapy-sessions/


    Next up, the NTSB has issued a safety alert for Dust Devils.

    Dust devils have been present in 170 aviation accidents since 1982, and can pose a serious risk to small aircraft.

    The small, swirling vortex of air are typically 100 to 300 feet wide, and about 1000 feet tall.

    Wind speeds can exceed 60mph and are most commonly found in the South West of the United States.

    The NTSB says that dust devils are commonly invisible and can result in uncommanded roll or yaw inputs along with loss of lift.

    Should you encounter a dust devil, promptly report it to ATC.


    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/ntsb-warns-pilots-of-dust-devil-dangers/


    Finally, two controllers out of Boston are being credited with a Hypoxia save.

    Rosella Owen and Scott Elms were controlling a Cessna 310 on a photo mission at 13,500 when they noted the pilot wasn’t as responsive as most pilots in the congested airspace.

    Owen asked if the pilot was okay and was on oxygen, to which he replied he was.

    The controller determined his performance didn’t match the level of experience he had as a pilot and directed him to descend to 9000 feet.

    Upon descending, radio calls were “getting clearer and sharper every time,”.

    The pilot later found a kink in the oxygen line.

    Great job to these controllers out of Boston!


    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/controllers-credited-with-hypoxia-save/


    Alright, that’s it! Have a great week and we’ll see you next week.



    4 min
  • Airplane News: Boom Supersonic XB-1, Boeing Management Changes, and United Under FAA Scrutiny

    Welcome to your weekly General Aviation news update, and this week we have 3 stories for you; Boom Supersonic XB-1 First Flight, Boeing Upper Management Changes, and United Airlines under FAA Scrutiny.

    First up, Boom Supersonic test flew the XB-1 this week.

    The XB-1 took off from the Mojave Air and Space Port and flew for 12 minutes.
    The aircraft successfully completed all its testing objectives, though specifics were not announced.
    The XB-1 reached a maximum altitude of 7120 feet and got up to 238 kts.
    Do you think that quiet supersonic travel is possible? Let us know in the comments!
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/boom-supersonics-xb-1-takes-historic-first-flight-paving-the-way-for-overture/
    Next up this week, the Boeing saga continues.
    If you’re unaware, Boeing is attempting to recover after the 737 Max 7/8 issues and after a Door plug blew out of a 737 Max 9.
    Boeing has lost several upper management including the CEO of commercial airplanes, the CEO of Boeing as a whole has resigned effective at the end of the year, and the chairman of the board will not seek reelection.
    Hunt for the new CEO will occur later this year after a yearly meeting with shareholders.
    We’ll keep you updated if we see more from Boeing.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/boeing-top-management-purged
    Last up, United Airlines is getting some extra FAA Scrutiny after several incidents.
    Incidents have not resulted in any injuries, but include a taxi-way diversion, a lost wheel, an engine fire, the loss of a piece of the fuselage fairing on an aircraft, and other hydraulics related issues.
    Issues included both Boeing and Airbus aircraft with United admitting the issues and stating in an internal memo "we need to take an even closer look at multiple areas of our operation to ensure we are doing all we can to promote and drive safety compliance”.
    We’ll keep you updated if we see anything else from United.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/291018/
    Alright, that’s it! Have a great week and we’ll see you next week.

    3 min
  • Airplane News: FAA Sun n Fun Study, New WindRunner Aircraft, Boeing Issues Safety Advisory

    Welcome to your weekly General Aviation news update, and this week we have 3 stories for you; FAA recruiting pilots for Sun N Fun Study, new aircraft designed to carry wind turbine blades, and a Boeing has issued a safety advisory for the 787.

    First up, the FAA is asking pilots who hold a current medical certificate and have flown in the last 6 months to be part of a study at Sun N Fun. 

    The study session will pay $300-$500 depending on the class of medical certificate, and the study session takes about 4 hours. 

    The purpose of the study is to obtain data for computerized tests. 

    These tests are used to recertify pilots following a medical event like a head injury or stroke.

    We’ll leave a link below to sign up if you’re interested! 


    https://generalaviationnews.com/2024/03/18/faa-recruiting-pilots-attending-sun-n-fun-for-research-study/


    Next up this week is a new design for an airplane that would be long enough to carry wind turbine blades.

    The company, Radia, out of Colorado hopes to build the 356 foot long jet to deliver turbine blades to remote land-based wind farms.

    The aircraft, a 4 engined jet called the WindRunner, will carry two turbine blades per flight to remote unimproved airstrips near the wind turbine fields.

    Delivery of the blades will allow wind turbines with blade lengths up to 320 feet, 100 feet longer than currently used. 

    To put the cargo volume in perspective, WindRunner will have 7 times the cargo capacity of a C5 Galaxy along with a range of 1200 miles.

    We’ll keep you up to date with more news about the WindRunner.


    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/massive-aircraft-designed-to-carry-wine-turbine-blades/


    Last up this week is Boeing’s Response to the LATAM 787 issue we discussed last week.

    If you’re unfamiliar, there was an issue in a LATAM 787 that resulted in a hard pitch down injuring 50+ people. 

    Previously the cause was unknown, now it’s speculated the seat switch on the Dreamliner may be to blame.

    Boeing has issued a safety advisory asking airlines to inspect the switches on their 787s as a precautionary measure, noting that in certain circumstances the safety cap can jam the button resulting in unintended seat movement. 

    According to a Wall Street Journal report on the LATAM flight, a flight attendant serving a mean inadvertently hit a switch on the back of the seat pushing the pilot into the controls of the 787.

    Currently, no official report from New Zealand has been released.

    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/boeing-issues-safety-advisory-after-latam-airlines-incident/

    Alright, that’s it! Have a great week and we’ll see you next week.

    3 min
  • Airplane News: Tax Hike For Business Jets, 787 Troubles, and United Loses Tire After Take Off

    Welcome to your weekly General Aviation news update, and this week we have 3 stories for you; proposed tax hike for business jets, 787 troubles, and United loses tire after take off.

    First this week is a proposed tax increase for business jet operators.

    The tax increase would be implemented by raising the federal tax on Jet Fuel fivefold over the next 5 years.
    Estimated revenue to be generated would total 1.1 billion which would be funneled into the FAA to increase the number of air traffic controllers by 2000.
    The proposal has gotten push back from several aviation groups including the NBAA, who said “The Biden administration’s sweeping plan would hurt business aviation and the jobs and communities that depend on it, and make it harder for U.S. companies to compete in a global economy,”
    It doesn’t appear this proposal has any bills associated with it, so we’ll have to wait and see if this is just talk.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/biden-administration-proposes-five-fold-jet-fuel-tax-hike-for-bizjets/
    Next up is another fire for Boeing, a LATAM Airlines 787-9 experienced a technical issue which resulted a sudden drop injuring between 30 and 50 passengers.
    The Dreamliner was cruising at 41,000 feet and was two hours into the flight.
    A passenger said the captain told him the “Gauges went blank” and he was unable to control the airplane during the incident.
    Pretty scary stuff, we’ll be following this one for sure.
    https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/technical-event-cited-in-787-sudden-loss-of-altitude/
    Last up, A United Airlines 777 taking off from San Francisco lost a tire.
    The flight was initially scheduled from San Francisco to Osaka, Japan but diverted and landed at LAX.
    The tire fell off destroying and damaging a number of cars in a parking lot near SFO.
    No one was injured by the rogue tire.
    It’s likely this was a maintenance issue and yet another issue plaguing Boeing.
    https://abc7news.com/flight-emergency-sfo-tire-falls-from-united-airlines-to-osaka-35/14500843/
    Alright, that’s it! Have a great week and we’ll see you next week.

    3 min
  • Airplane News: First Hydrogen Electric Cell, Bonanzas & Barons Paused, EAA Wants Piper AD Rescinded

    Welcome to your weekly General Aviation news update, and this week we have 3 stories for you; First hydrogen electric fuel cell airplane in France, Textron pauses orders for Bonanzas and Barons, and the EAA wants the piper AD rescinded.

    First up this week is a light sport demonstrator aircraft that uses a Hydrogen Electric propulsion system.

    Beyond Aero announced this week that they flew their demonstrator, called “Bleriot”, in early January.
    The Bleriot completed 10 takeoffs and landings over six weeks to validate the 85 kW propulsion system.
    The electric motor was powered using 1/3 battery power and 2/3 gaseous hydrogen, compressed in three tanks to nearly 5000 PSI.
    Beyond Aero hops to create electric business aircraft with hydrogen propulsion systems with in the decade.
    We’ll keep you updated when we see more.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/france-marks-first-crewed-hydrogen-electric-flight/?MailingID=%CAMPAIGNID%&utm_campaign=avwebflash&utm_medium=newsletter
    Next up this week is Textron, who confirmed they are not currently taking orders for new Beech Bonanzas or Barons.
    Textron hasn’t detailed why there is a pause in orders nor when they may resume accepting them.
    The company said in a statement ““To ensure the best experience for our customers throughout every stage of their ownership journey, Textron Aviation has temporarily suspended additions to the order book for the Beechcraft Bonanza,”
    We’ll keep you updated when we see more about these aircraft.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/textron-pauses-orders-for-bonanzas-barons/
    Last up this week is the EAA, who is pushing back on the Airworthiness directive for 31,000 high-wing pipers.
    The AD was implemented due to incidents on a PA-12 and a PA-14 which resulted in deformed rudders.
    Both incident aircraft had been modified with after market engines and aftermarket tail beacons.
    The EAA says the AD is “flawed in regulatory process, scope, and requirements” and continues to say later that at current production and supply rates, retrofitting all 31,000 aircraft would take 75 years.
    We’ll keep you updated if we see anything else about this!
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/eaa-wants-piper-rudder-ad-rescinded/
    Alright, that’s it! Have a great week and we’ll see you next week.

    3 min
  • Airplane News: FAA Reauthorization Act, Crash Landing on Freeway, and Joby Part 145 Maint. Cert.

    Welcome to your weekly General Aviation news update, and this week we have 3 stories for you; FAA Reauthorization Act progresses, Challenger crash landing on FL Freeway, and Joby gets a Part 145 Maintenance Cert.


    First up this week is the FAA reauthorization act, which has progressed through the Senate committee.

    The committee voted against raising the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 67, with at 14-13 vote.
    Other changes included increasing CVR recording times to 25 hours, increasing the number of people in certification/enforcement, increasing air traffic controllers, adding additional runway surveillance at airports, and boosting civil penalties for airline violations from $25,000 to $75,000.
    We’ll keep you updated when we see more about the FAA Reauthorization.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/senate-committee-rejects-pilot-retirement-age-boost/
    Next up this week is a sad one, a Challenger 604 owned by Hop-A-Jet made a crash landing on highway I75 in Naples, FL.
    The crash was recorded by a number of cellphones and dash-cams and video has been posted all over social media.
    The jet was in the final phases of flight having flown from Columbus, OH with an intended destination in Naples.
    Unfortunately, both pilots were killed in the accident.
    The flight attendant and two passengers were able to escape the jet before a fire consumed the aircraft.
    We’ll keep you updated when we see more about this accident.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/at-least-two-dead-in-challenger-freeway-crash/
    Last up this week is Joby, who has received its Part 145 Repair Station Certificate from the FAA.
    The Part 145 certificate allows Joby to perform maintenance and repairs on its aircraft.
    With the new maintenance certificate, Joby will also be offering paid on-the-job training for those interested in working as eVTOL technicians.
    If you haven’t heard of Joby, the company is an air taxi manufacturer who received an FAA Part 135 in 2022, began production in 2023, and has already delivered aircraft to the Air Force.
    Joby will also be operating their air taxis in the UAE starting in 2026.
    Lots of innovation happening in the realm of eVTOLs!
    https://aviationsourcenews.com/general-aviation/joby-aviation-gains-faa-part-145-maintenance-certification/
    https://airwaysmag.com/joby-evtol-air-taxi-services-uae/
    Alright, that’s it! Have a great week and we’ll see you next week.

    4 min
  • Airplane News: Crash, Piper M700 Fury, Retirement Age, Analog NAVAIDs, and 25 Hr CVR

    Welcome to your weekly General Aviation news update, and this week we have 5 stories for you; small airplane crash, New Piper M700 Fury, FAA tells congress not to increase pilot retirement age, FAA advises to use analog NAVAIDs, and comments close for the 25 hour CVR rule.

    First up this week is a crash of a Grumman GA-7 Cougar.

    While we don’t normally talk about small aircraft accidents, this one was recently rebuild by a popular YouTube channel called Rebuild Rescue.
    The aircraft departed Coatesville-Chester County Carlson Airport in Pennsylvania and crashed shortly after takeoff.
    Based on a map provided from Aviation Safety Network, the crash appears to have occurred less than 2 miles from the airport.
    The pilot and only occupant of the Cougar was killed in the crash.
    As usual, we’re not going to speculate on the cause of the accident.
    We’ll wait until the NTSB report is released, which may take a few years.
    https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/351359
    https://www.fox29.com/news/coatesville-plane-crash-chester-county-school-board-president-killed-in-small-plane-crash
    Second up this week is the new Piper M700 Fury!
    Piper has unveiled their new M700 Fury, a single engine turboprop with a 301kts max cruise speed, 3400 foot per minute rate of climb, and take off and landing distances under 2000’.
    The M700 Fury comes with a Pratt and Whitney PT6A-52 Engine, Garmin G3000 Avionics Suite with HALO Safety System, Garmin PlaneSync, and Garmin Auto land.
    The Fury has a useful load of 2,220lbs, a maximum rage of 1852NM, and a maximum approved altitude of 30,000’.
    At 4.1 million, I’m not sure your flight school is going to be picking one up but for those who can afford it, the M700 is a cool new turboprop airplane!
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/290413/
    https://www.piper.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024_M700_SpecSheet.pdf
    Next up this week is the FAA and Congress discussing the potential of raising pilot retirement age to 67.
    The new FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker has asked congress to leave the current mandatory retirement age in place until the agency has had more time to study the increase.
    The pilot retirement age is now part of negotiations towards a 5 year FAA reauthorization act.
    Without another extension or a reauthorization act, the FAA’s reauthorization will expire on March 8th, 2024 .
    We’ll keep you up to date if we see any reauthorization updates or changes to pilot retirement ages.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/age-67-pilot-retirement-back-in-legislative-spotlight/
    Third up this week is guidance for anyone experiencing GPS spoofing or other anomalies.
    The FAA is advising that pilot use analog NAVAIDs such as VOR or NDB if pilot notice issues such as:
    Report Link: https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/nas/gps_reports
    SAFO: https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/SAFO24002.pdf
    Last up this week is that comments have closed of the 25 Cockpit Voice Recorder rule.
    If you’re unfamiliar, the NPRM aims to increase Cockpit Voice Recorders from 2 hours of recording to 25 hours.
    This would allow the FAA and NTSB to better investigate incidents.
    Reactions to the NPRM have been mixed, with a number of comments expressing concern that the 25 hours of CVR will be used to listen in on pilot conversations or used to punish pilots with certain viewpoints.
    ALPA addressed this in their comments, suggesting that there should be restrictions on the use of recording or transcripts for administrative or disciplinary proceedings including by both Federal Agencies and by a pilot’s employer.
    We’ll keep you updated when we see the final rule.
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/mixed-reaction-to-25-hour-cvr-rule/
    https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2023-2270-0001/comment
    Alright, that’s it! Have a great week and we’ll see you next week.

    6 min
  • Airplane News: Top Secret Announcement, Max 9 Flies, Mark Baker Steps Down, & Amelia Earhart’s Plane

    Welcome to your weekly General Aviation news update, and this week we have 4 stories for you; Pilot Institute Community, Max 9 flies again, Mark Baker steps down from AOPA, and Robotics Firm claims to have found Amelia Earhart’s plane!


    First up this week is our release of our exclusive Pilot Institute Community, or PIC for short.

    https://community.pilotinstitute.com
    We created the Community as a place for all our students to interact and learn from each other.
    Here, you will be able to find answers to any aviation questions you have, organized more logically than Facebook.
    You will get answers from our Subject Matter experts, Guest Instructors, and experienced Pilot Institute graduates.
    You will also be able to connect with others who are studying at the same time, on the same topic.
    You can even do chat live with other students directly into the course.
    The best part is, it’s free and available with your current course login, no need to create a new account.
    Head over to community.pilotinstitute.com to get started!
    We’ll also have an exclusive live event today at 4PM, and every day next week for our community kickoff event!
    Next up is the 737 Max 9, which has been approved to return to service after required inspections.
    The approval comes nearly three weeks after a door plug was blown out of an Alaska Airlines Max 9 climbing through 16,000 feet.
    FAA Administrator Whitaker issued a statement saying “The January 5 Boeing 737 MAX incident must never happen again. Let me be clear: This won’t be back to business as usual for Boeing. We will not agree to any request from Boeing for an expansion in production or approve additional production lines for the 737-9 MAX until we are satisfied that the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved.”
    Hopefully this is the last we hear from Boeing with maintenance issues!
    Next up this week is AOPA’s Mark Baker, who will step down when a suitable replacement has been found.
    Baker says he will stay for up to two additional years to ensure a smooth transition and that he will continue to run AOPA as normal until the transition occurs.
    There’s no word on where MZark Baker will go or if he will retire after he is done at AOPA.
    We’ll keep you updated if we see more.
    Last up this week, a Robotics Firm out of South Carolina claims to have possibly found Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Electra.
    The company used side-scan sonar to search a 5200 square mile area in the pacific.
    The Sonar return was found in the area working off of a 14 year old theory that Earhart’s Navigator, Fred Noonan, may have failed to take into account crossing the international date line in his navigation calculation.
    This would have put Earhart and Noonan 60 miles west of their intended destination.
    The company was not able to dive on the return, so the claim is just that for now.
    We’ll have to see if anyone can get back to that location to dive on the possible wreck.
    Alright, that’s it! Have a great week and we’ll see you next week.
    https://community.pilotinstitute.com
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/mark-baker-stepping-down-as-aopa-president/
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/robotics-firm-confident-amelia-earharts-plane-found/
    https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/alaska-says-max-9-grounding-cost-150-million-expects-boeing-to-pay/

    6 min

About Airplane News Update

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Join us each week as we cover the latest airplane industry news. From general aviation to the airlines (and everything in between), this show is the easiest way to stay informed.