50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

United States aviation news

Joby Aviation begins testing at World largest wind tunnel facility

Joby Aviation is beginning testing at the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex , world largest wind tunnel facility, at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California Silicon Valley. The NFAC, managed by the U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex, contains the two largest operational wind tunnels in the world. Data from propeller testing in the N...

What role can private aviation play in the sustainability discussion?

Aviation, as a whole, is at a defining moment in the sustainability discussion. Activism toward the industry’s carbon footprint is aggressive and generating media attention, especially on the private aviation front, while manufacturers are making their best efforts to build more fuel-efficient aircraft and a whole segment of green air transportation is arising from the horizon – the ai...

Special Missions Beechcraft King Air 260 chosen as new U.S. Navy METS

Textron Aviation has been awarded the Multi-Engine Training System contract by Naval Air Systems Command. The contract award is for up to 64 King Air 260 aircraft, which will be known as the T-54A. The initial Lot I award will procure 10 new Beechcraft King Air 260 commercial aircraft and associated support. Lot II and Lot III, if the options are exercised, would each procure up to 27 ai...

Blade Air Mobility and BETA Technologies completed historic eVTOL flight in New York

Blade and BETA Technologies successfuly completed of a historic test flight of ALIA-250 EVA at the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York. The flight marks the first test of a piloted EVA in the greater New York City area and is a significant milestone in the companies' continued partnership to bring safe, quiet, and sustainable air transportation to commuter and commer...

Ameriflight signs LoI with Sabrewing Aircraft for 35 VTOL air cargo drones

Ameriflight signed letter of intent to purchase 35 VTOL air cargo drones from Sabrewing Aircraft. The agreement is for the Rhaegal-A aircraft. Ameriflight expects to take delivery following type certification of the aircraft. The Sabrewing partnership and Rhaegal-A purchase will enable Ameriflight to enter into new business opportunities in distribution center logistics. Using the VTOL c...

Boeing doubles sustainable aviation fuel purchase for commercial operations

Boeing to purchase 21.2 million liters of blended sustainable aviation fuel produced by Neste to support its U.S. commercial operations through 2023. These agreements more than double the company's SAF procurement from last year. The purchase agreements include supply of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel which is blended with conventional jet fuel at a 30/70 rati...

Joby Aviation begins final assembly of first company-conforming aircraft

Joby Aviation is beginning final assembly of the first aircraft to be produced at the company pilot manufacturing facility in Marina, California. With 130,000 square feet of manufacturing space built out, Joby is now starting final assembly of the company’s first company-conforming aircraft. Believed to be a first for the eVTOL industry, the aircraft was manufactured on a...

Global Medical Response signs purchase agreement for three additional air ambulance Bell 407GXi helicopter

Bell signed purchase agreement for 3 additional Bell 407GXi aircraft to Global Medical Response with delivery expected to be completed by the end of 2023. The three Bell 407GXis will join GMR’s exclusive 220 Bell helicopter fleet used for emergency medical operations throughout North America. GMR is the largest medical transport company in the world with 39,000 employees servi...

VISTA X-62 advancing autonomy and changing the face of air power

The Lockheed Martin VISTA X-62A was flown by an artificial intelligence agent for more than 17 hours recently, representing the first time AI engaged on a tactical aircraft. VISTA, short for Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft, is changing the face of air power at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. VISTA is a one-of-a-kind...

Pipistrel selects Lincoln Park Aviation as US distributor

Pipistrel announced Lincoln Park Aviation as its distributor for 15 states in the eastern United States. With more than 35 years of experience in aviation, LPA will handle Pipistrel two- and four-seat aircraft sales and support including the fully electric Velis Electro and the Panthera, a four-seat, low-wing aircraft designed for long-range, high-performance flying. Steve Mckenna, di...

Pratt & Whitney GTF engines to be overhauled in new, dedicated Delta TechOps facility

Delta TechOps and Pratt & Whitney celebrated the unveiling of a new, larger TechOps engine overhaul facility dedicated to the global Pratt & Whitney GTF engine MRO network. The 155,000-square-foot facility in Atlanta will house disassembly, assembly and test capability for engines powering Airbus A220 and A320neo family aircraft. Leadership from Delta and Pratt & Whitney were...

MTU Maintenance Dallas moves into new facility

MTU Maintenance Dallas  will relocate from Grapevine, Texas to a larger facility at nearby Fort Worth Alliance Airport. This will create significantly more capacity. The new climate-controlled shop will have 430,000 square feet of space - an increase of 400 percent compared to the previous location. The new facility will not only accommodate increasing space requirements and a growing wo...