Global Near Space Services and Bye Engineering Partners have completed phase two of their solar-electric high-altitude, long-endurance airship unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) dubbed Star2Flight. The UAV is being developed as an intelligence and surveillance platform. The “lighter than air” ship includes a “recoverable solar electric lower stage flying vehicle (see rendering below).
‘Congress must now act responsibly’
By Ben Sclair The U.S. Senate passed legislation today (Thursday, September 15) that extends funding for the FAA four months and avoids a second partial FAA shutdown. The following quote on the topic blows me away. “It is a positive step for the country that the Congress has passed this historic combination of extensions, which […]
Scottsdale Air Fair returns
The Scottsdale Air Fair will return to the Scottsdale Airport [Arizona] on November 5 and 6. The air fair was canceled in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks ten years ago. Hosted by the City of Scottsdale, the air fair supports the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program and other community organizations.
UAS – friend or foe?
“Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are the future,” according to the September 2011 European Aviation Safety Agency newsletter. Three pages of the eight-page newsletter are dedicated to UAS, which includes some quotable nuggets: “to fully achieve the UAS industry’s vision, UAS will come in all shapes and sizes and operational constraints will have to be relaxed […]
Pilots Flock to Willapa Harbor Fly-in
By Dave Gauger Pilots from throughout the northwest flocked to the Willapa Harbor Airport Saturday (August 6). The promise of famous Ekone Oysters brought 22 aircraft into the Raymond airport from throughout Washington State, California, Nevada and Canada. The hungry pilots consumed more than 300 oysters while swapping tales, showing off their proud flying machines […]
Midwest LSA Expo set for Sept. 9-11
The Plane & Pilot Midwest LSA Expo expects more than 40 Light Sport Aircraft, including Part 103, Motorgliders, and Gyroplanes on the flightline at Mr. Vernon, Illinois’s Outland Airport (KMVN) September 9-11. See the program book for the Expo online for information about the exhibit hall, forums and general schedule of events. The show will […]
10-hour flight for EnergyOr UAV
MONTREAL — EnergyOr Technologies, a fuel cell energy developer, announced its fuel cell powered Faucon H2 UAV completed a 10-hour, 4-minute flight. From the press release, the Faucon H2 has a 3-meter (9.84 foot) wingspan, a 1.2-meter (3.93 foot) length and 9-kg (19.84 pound) mass and cruises at 65-100 km/h (40.38-62.13 mph). After reading the […]
Lake Tahoe Airshow pictures
LAKE TAHOE, California — Ed Rosiak, president of the California Pilots Association, attended Saturday’s (August 27) Lake Tahoe Airport‘s Airshow. Below are a few pictures from the ramp, and from Ed’s email to me, a few comments on the airport. “What is important to understand is that just a few years ago the South Lake […]
Mountain High supports civilian, military pilots
Mountain High Oxygen and Supply has built its 3,000th two-person O2D2 Pulse-Demand Oxygen Unit. I spoke with Mountain High’s Robert Jamieson who confirmed the first unit was shipped in 2008, and they’ve delivered about 1,000 units per year since. In fact, about the time the O2D2 came out, Jamieson mentioned that the Department of Defense […]