The FAA says the decision by a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) judge overturning the agency’s first fine against an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operator risks causing confusion about what type of aircraft are covered by FAA safety regulations. Administrative law judge Patrick Geraghty on March 6 dismissed the $10,000 fine imposed by the FAA on Raphael Pirker for operating a Ritewing Zephyr over the University of Virginia, arguing the agency has no regulations governing the use of UAS.
Sikorsky has completed an unmanned cargo logistics demonstration with its optionally piloted Black Hawk testbed and says the next demo will involve teaming with an unmanned ground vehicle. A UH-60MU fly-by-wire (FBW) test aircraft modified for optionally piloted operation completed the cargo demo on March 11 under Sikorsky’s Manned/Unmanned Aerial Lifter (Mural) program, a cooperative effort with the U.S. Army.
The U.S. Navy accepted the delivery this month of the LHA-6 America, the first ship of the Amphibious Assault Replacement Program, LHA(R), a ship designed and built to enhance U.S. Marine Corps aviation operations.
SINGAPORE — Malaysian specialist contractor Global Komited Sdn Bhd has signed a deal with Thales to develop and distribute ground-based air defense systems to the Malaysian armed forces. Global Komited supplies automotive, aviation and electronic products and services to both commercial and defense customers in Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified Airbus Helicopters’ new version of the EC145 light twin-engine helicopter. EASA certification for the EC145 T2 covers single-pilot, instrument flight rules (IFR) and night-vision goggle operation, the manufacturer says. EASA has not yet published the certification documents on its website, due to the Easter break.
The first of six sites selected by the FAA in December to conduct unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research has become operational and plans to begin flying a small quadcopter in early May in support of precision agriculture research. The Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems test site won the race to be the first of the six to become operational when the FAA awarded the North Dakota Department of Commerce a certificate of authorization (COA) to operate the Draganflyer X4-ES small UAS.
With sophisticated autonomous capabilities under development for unmanned aircraft, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) wants to bring high levels of automation to existing manned aircraft to reduce pilot workload while increasing mission capability and safety. The agency has scheduled a proposers’ day for May 14 in Washington to brief potential bidders on the new Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (Alias) program, which aims to demonstrate a drop-in, removable kit that would enable operation with fewer crew on board.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. ( Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Apr. 30 - May 1 — SpeedNews 12th Annual Aerospace & Defense Industry Suppliers Conference, Mobile, Ala. For more information go to www.speednews.com/all/conferences
HOUSTON — Cooperation between the U.S. and Russia in oversight of the International Space Station (ISS) is unfolding without interference from external tensions over the Ukraine, according to NASA’s Mike Suffredini, the ISS program manager. Station personnel are preparing for an urgent American spacewalk repair and looming commercial re-supply mission, as well as the delayed validation of software upgrades to a Russian cargo capsule.
NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (Ladee) crashed into the far side of the Moon early April 18, in a planned impact set up after the orbiter spent 140 days collecting data on the structure and composition of the thin lunar atmosphere before dipping to an altitude of less than 1 mi. for close-up measurements. Earlier this month, controllers at Ames Research Center commanded the probe to the lower altitude, where natural orbital decay took it on down to the surface. The spacecraft hit the surface at a speed of 3,600 mph.
A “problem” found recently in orbit with Hispasat’s Amazonas 4A communications satellite has cost manufacturer Orbital Sciences Corp. tens of millions of dollars in first-quarter 2014 charges, executives said April 17.
The U.S. Defense Department is still banking on so-called class justifications for sole-source contracts, especially for weapon systems, a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report says.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel dismissed assertions this week by Russian President Vladimir Putin that building ballistic missile defense (BMD) sites such as Aegis Ashore in Poland, Romania and any other countries in the region will start a new arms race.
Development of the Long Range Land Attack Projectile (Lrlap), Advanced Gun System (AGS) and SPY-3 radar system for the DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer is on track, U.S. Navy officials say. Calling Lrlap and the AGS “the crown jewel” of the Zumwalt during a briefing at the recent Navy League annual Sea-Air-Space conference, Navy officials touted the systems’ test performance thus far.
Raytheon is on track to develop an improved Sea Griffin missile with an extended range, new dual-mode seeker and expanded communications, says Steve Dickman, the company’s Griffin program director. Seeking to capitalize on its success in mating Griffins with U.S. Navy Patrol Coastal (PC) ships, Raytheon is developing improved missiles for the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program as well as for international naval forces, Dickman tells the Aviation Week Intelligence Network.
