The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled the FAA’s drone registry is unlawful. The ruling was handed down Friday, May 19, 2017. As of March 2017, more than 770,000 operators had registered with the FAA. Nearly all paid a $5 fee. On Dec. 24, 2015, Maryland-based lawyer and model aircraft hobbyist […]
Briefings
Desert Jet Center creates Benoit Memorial Scholarship
THERMAL, Calif. – Desert Jet Center has created the John J. Benoit Memorial Scholarship to honor the legacy of the Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor who passed away in December 2016 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. The scholarship commits some $10,000 to local youth in the Riverside County area who desire to pursue […]
Airbus Aerial launches
Airbus has launched the U.S.-based operations of a new commercial drone start-up, named Airbus Aerial. “Through Airbus Aerial, we are uniquely positioned and fully committed to advancing the commercial Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) industry. It is bringing together partners from across the industry – ranging from vehicle manufacturers, data analytics companies, service providers and others – to […]
Women in Aviation to meet in Dayton
Women in Aviation International will hold a Connect event in Dayton, Ohio, on Sept. 29-30, 2017. The gathering will be held at the Marriott Hotel at the University of Dayton and begins with a tour of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park sites, including Hawthorn Hill, the Wright family mansion, Carillon Historical Park, Wright-Dunbar Interpretive […]
Kyle Franklin to receive 2017 Bill Barber Award for Showmanship
Kyle Franklin has been named the 2017 recipient of the Bill Barber Award for Showmanship. Kyle is a second-generation airshow pilot and a second-generation Bill Barber Award winner. His father, Jimmy Franklin, started flying airshows in 1967, was the recipient of the 1989 Bill Barber Award, and is one of the true legends of the airshow […]
Embry-Riddle takes top spot at SAFECON
The National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) held its annual national Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) in Columbus, Ohio, at the Ohio State University Airport, May 9-14, 2017. According to officials, 27 schools were in attendance, with 388 students competing under the direction of 86 coaches and advisors, 90 judges, and 40 volunteers and airport staff. Six flight events, five ground […]
Jeppesen charts to be delivered with new Tecnam aircraft
Jeppesen and Tecnam have signed an agreement to provide Jeppesen NavData and digital charts as part of the purchase of new Tecnam aircraft. The pre-loaded data from Jeppesen will be selected by the owner of the airplane to meet their individual flying needs. “We always seek methods to deliver added value when purchasing our aircraft, […]
NTSB releases preliminary report on Icon A5 accident
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report regarding the fatal accident on May 8, 2017, that claimed the lives of two ICON employees at Lake Berryessa, California. The ICON A5 aircraft was piloted by ICON’s Engineering Fellow and Chief Test Pilot Jon Karkow. Also aboard was ICON’s recently hired Director of Engineering, […]
As drone sales soar, majority of reports remain simple sightings
A new analysis released by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) of the 1,270 new unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) sightings reported by the FAA earlier this year found that the vast majority of these sightings are just that — sightings. When releasing the latest data, the FAA specifically stated that no collision between civilian aircraft and a civilian drone […]