Recent Updates

Pilot, astronaut and author Michael Collins passed away on Wednesday at the age of 90. Chosen as one of fourteen members of NASA’s third astronaut group in 1963, Collins first went to space as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 10 mission. He also flew the Apollo 11 mission, piloting the command module while crew members […]

NASA signed a memorandum of understanding this week with the National Science Foundation (NSF) “to collaborate on an initiative to open new avenues to engineering careers for communities underserved and underrepresented in STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math].” The collaboration will tap Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) in recruiting and educating the engineers it cites as “essential […]

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on Friday morning and is en route to the International Space Station (ISS). On board Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour are NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut  Akihiko  Hoshide  and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas  Pesquet. Endeavour is expected […]

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has established a type certification team for EHang’s EH216 “passenger-grade” autonomous electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. According to EHang, the team met for the first time last week with “the aim to officially advance the [type certificate] approval work” for the autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV). During […]

As we discussed in Part 1 last month, after buying and testing a new Sterba wood propeller for my Hatz biplane, it was clear it had too much pitch. For reasons discussed in the previous article, I had decided to replace the old Sensenich metal prop with a new wood prop. Selecting a propeller for an Experimental aircraft […]

The Commemorative Air Force is expanding and is offering one new chapter its first classic aircraft to pamper. The CAF says it’s looking for communities that share its passion to showcase and honor U.S. military aviation history. There 83 units that care for and fly 170 aircraft worldwide and three were added last year. CAF […]

The FAA announced on Thursday that its updated training courses for Part 107 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drone) pilots are now live online. The free courses meet the training requirement for operations under the new Operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Over People rule, which is scheduled to go into effect on April 21, 2021. The Operations […]

UPS and its UPS Flight Forward subsidiary have announced plans to purchase up to 150 Beta Technologies Alia-250 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) cargo aircraft. The first ten aircraft, which will be used to support the company’s small and mid-size markets, are scheduled to begin arriving in 2024. UPS says it has also reserved […]

Wisk Aero has filed a lawsuit against Archer Aviation alleging that Archer misappropriated trade secrets and infringed on patents related to Wisk’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Wisk claims that former employees who left the company to work for Archer downloaded and shared files “related to Wisk’s confidential aircraft designs, component designs, system […]

Subaru Corporation has filed for a U.S. patent for a “land-and-air vehicle”—a tilt-rotor/motorcycle. And the application wasn’t dated April 1. Drawings show a heavily faired gas engine-powered motorcycle with conventional throttle, clutch and front-brake controls on its handlebars. It also shows a piggyback airframe component with a pair of wings folded back against the side […]