In an August 6 letter to Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) president Jason Ambrosi urged the manufacturer to reconsider its proposal to reduce cockpit crew from two to one from entering the commercial aviation environment.

• READ MORE: Airbus, Avincis to Explore Europewide Electric Air Taxi Operations

Ambrosi cited the recent CrowdStrike cybersecurity incident as an example of the risks associated with an overreliance on technology. Ambrosi stated that technology should complement human expertise and monitored airline operations rather than replace it.

“Technological advancements can and have enhanced aviation safety, but in order to maintain and enhance our current level of safety, technology alone will never replace the indispensable role of two pilots in the flight deck,” Ambrosi said in the letter.

In addition to ALPA, the letter garnered support signatures from leaders of the European Cockpit Association and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, which represent tens of thousands of pilots around the world.

This article first appeared on AVweb.com.

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According to the study, Alaska had 4,996 private jet departures per 100,000 residents and a total of 36,650 departures in 2023, averaging over 100 flights daily.

• READ MORE: Finding Freedom by Flying in Alaska

Wyoming and South Dakota also ranked high with Wyoming reporting 24,263 jet departures a year and 4,173 registered aircraft, while South Dakota had 26,944 annual departures and 2,961 private jets. Montana, North Dakota and Nevada rounded out the top six, while surprisingly no East Coast states made the top 10.

In fact, despite the significant wealth in New York, Connecticut, and Maryland, these states had the fewest annual private jet departures per 100,000 residents.

“America flies more private jets than any other country in the world, with a grand total of 3,123,007 departures in the U.S. in 2023,” Rustic Pathways CEO Shayne Fitz-Coy said.

This article first appeared on AVweb.com.

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The manufacturer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year, declaring $170 million in debt. In June, legal filings showed SG Investment bought ICON for $15.79 million.  

• READ MORE: ICON Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection, Pledges Transparency

“It has been an incredible honor to lead ICON Aircraft and work with the brightest and most passionate group of people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing,” said outgoing CEO Jerry Meyer said in an August 2 press release. “I want to extend my deepest appreciation to every team member for their dedication and hard work. I wish them and the company nothing but success in this exciting new chapter.”

Jason Huang, the new company president, will lead ICON through the transition and noted that he is optimistic about the company’s growth and opportunities.

According to ICON, the company is committed to upholding its reputation of producing high-quality aircraft and service to its A5 owners. The manufacturer says service and flight training operations will continue in Tampa, Florida, and Vacaville, California, as well as 60 other service and training partners throughout the U.S.

This article first appeared on AVweb.com.

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According to the NTSB report, ADS-B data indicates the aircraft departed Trenton Mercer Airport (KTTN) in Trenton, New Jersey, around 7:40 a.m. and flew to Hartford Municipal Airport (KHXF) in Wisconsin before departing KHXF around 11:45 a.m.

• READ MORE: NTSB to Focus on ‘Four Corners’ of PC-12 in Fatal Crash Probe

ATC recordings and ADS-B data show the aircraft was on the Fisk arrival when the pilot was directed to make a wider turn to accommodate an L-29 and an L-39 that were landing in front of him. The pilot confirmed he had them “in sight” and initiated a left turn. He was subsequently cleared to land on the yellow dot on runway 36L and acknowledged the clearance.

The NTSB report noted that the aircraft crashed into a soybean field about 1.5 miles from the end of Runway 36L, catching fire and destroying the plane. It struck the ground on a heading of 060 degrees and came to rest in the same direction. The main wreckage included the fuselage, empennage, and wings, with flight controls intact. The wreckage has been recovered for further investigation.

Investigators found weather conditions at the time of the crash to be VMC with a visibility of 10 miles.

This article first appeared on AVweb.com.

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The massive July 19 computer outage at Delta disrupted the airline’s crew-tracking system for nearly a week, preventing the company from locating pilots and flight attendants to operate flights. As a result, Delta had to cancel some 30 percent of its flights.

• READ MORE: GA, Private Aviation Dodge Worst of Cyber Outage Impact

Speaking to CNBC on Wednesday, Bastian said the carrier is prepared to pursue legal action.

“We have no choice,” Bastian said. “We’re not looking to wipe them out, but we’re looking to make certain that we get compensated, however they decide to, for what they cost us—half a billion dollars in five days.”

Bastian said Delta’s recovery was significantly hampered due to its heavy reliance on CrowdStrike and Microsoft for cybersecurity. The airline had to manually reset 40,000 servers to restore operations.

CNBC reported that Delta has engaged prominent New York City-based law firm Boies Schiller Flexner to seek damages from CrowdStrike and Microsoft.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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According to the insurance provider, airlines will contribute approximately 35 percent of the premiums, while general aviation is expected to account for 47 percent. Allianz says the surge in premiums comes as 2024 air traffic is anticipated to reach a record high—growing by 10.4 percent year over year, predominantly driven by the Asia-Pacific and North American regions.

The report highlights that most of the value in aviation insurance claims comes from collisions, crashes, and issues with defective products which together account for 85 percent of total claims. Contributing factors to rising premiums include an increase in aircraft repair costs due to higher labor rates, increased prices for aircraft parts, and inflation.

The report also mentions the transition to next-generation aircraft continues to impact claims, especially with engine disassembly and repair costs. Additionally, a growing shortage of aircraft mechanics and less experienced technicians could influence future claims, potentially leading to higher repair costs and increased risk, according to Allianz.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The training provider also introduced two new free courses—Drone Part 107 Regulations and Private Pilot Ground Reference Maneuvers— in addition to a new YouTube playlist, How to Become a Pilot.

“It has been a great privilege to play a part in people’s lives when they are learning to do something so important to them, learning to fly,” said King Schools co-founder Martha King.

“Learning to fly changes who you are and how you think about yourself,” said Kings Schools co-founder John King. “We want to encourage as many people as possible to embark on this fun, exciting, and life-changing activity.”

In addition to the discounts, King Schools also announced it will offer two scholarships for flight instructors—the Women in Aviation International Martha King Scholarship for Female Flight Instructors and the National Association of Flight Instructors/King Schools Scholarship for Flight Instructors. Both scholarships are valued at $15,000 plus an additional $5,000 in cash.

A revamp of King Schools’ Cessna Sport/Private Pilot Course, featuring over 130 new videos designed to be clearer, more concise, informative, and entertaining, was also announced during the news conference.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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Pelton also said the EAA was stronger than ever with more than 300,000 members and touted the growth of its Young Eagles program, which has flown some 60,000 kids per year. He also applauded the pilots flying for the program, noting that there were 1,200 new ones that joined the initiative.

Pelton said 2024 AirVenture attendance numbers are comparable to last year, while presale numbers were 4 percent higher than 2023. However, Pelton said aircraft arrivals are down slightly from last year. According to the EAA, there were 1,700 aircraft arrivals at AirVenture Monday morning, with several parking areas 80 percent full.

This year marks the 71st installment of AirVenture, which runs through Sunday at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH).

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The aircraft, a successor to the Extra 330SC, features a wider cockpit, shorter fuselage, redesigned cowling, increased control stick clearance, and improved headroom compared to its predecessor.

• READ MORE: EAA AirVenture Reports Attendance Boost

Extra said the 330SX model is much easier to fly, allowing pilots to achieve higher scores in aerobatic competitions.

“The introduction of our high-performance aileron package delivers superior roll authority,” Extra said. “It ensures that both at a competition level and on the air show stage pilots will benefit with crisper maneuverability at all airspeeds.”

Competition aerobatic pilot Bob Freeman was the first U.S. customer for the aircraft and was scheduled to fly one during the daily airshow at AirVenture.  

• READ MORE: Donation Expands Bob Hoover Academy Fleet

“We were thrilled to officially unveil the Extra SX to North America, showing our prototype SX001 and the Freeman Airshows SX!” Extra said in a social media post.

According to Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assocation, the aircraft has a retail price of $550,000 and deliveries take about a year to fulfill. Extra has sold 10 of the 330SX models and produced five so far.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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The company’s 10,000th SR Series aircraft, appropriately named N10000, is on display at EAA AirVenture this week.

“From the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) to the Perspective Touch+ flight deck, Cirrus continuously innovates to provide owners with personal aircraft that set the industry standard for aviation safety, luxury, convenience and ease of ownership,” Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen said in a press release. “We are honored to celebrate 10,000 SR Series aircraft deliveries with our team members, partners, and stakeholders,”

Cirrus says achieving the milestone is a testament to its innovation and ability to develop industry-leading products. One of the latest technologies Cirrus has introduced are the Apple Vision flight training goggles, which enable augmented reality walk-arounds of aircraft.

During a press briefing at AirVenture, Todd Simmons, Cirrus president of customer experience, highlighted the company’s expansion, noting its new aircraft programs in Kissimmee, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona; and McKinney, Texas. Simmons mentioned that most of the customers in the Cirrus management program are Vision Jet owners.

Simmons also noted that prior to the pandemic, some 13 percent of customers coming to Cirrus were new to aviation. He said that spiked to around 40 percent during the height of the pandemic but now it’s about 29 percent.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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