“We are incredibly excited to partner with Aerodynamics and contribute to their growth and fleet innovation,” said Walter Da Costa, Tecnam chief sales officer.

The delivery date for the aircraft was not released.

According to Tecnam, Aerodynamics Academy is one of the fastest-growing flight schools in Europe, with some 200 students.

The versatility and ease of use of the Tecnam P2008JC’s single-engine, high-wing design makes the aircraft attractive in the training environment, according to the company. The design sports a carbon-fiber fuselage, and metal wings and tail. This combination produces an airplane that is more fuel efficient and quieter than all-metal designs.

Aircraft at flight schools have to fill many different roles, from primary, VFR training to instrument flight.

Tecnam said the P2008JC MkII does this by means of a redesigned instrument panel and glareshield, which allows the use of Garmin’s innovative G3X Touch display.

The post Spanish Flight School Expands Fleet With Tecnam Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The purchase contract includes new medium multirole aircraft for the Spanish Air and Space Force and the Spanish Navy configured as both maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA). The 1.695 euro ($1.8 billion) deal also includes a full flight simulator, mission system simulator, and initial logistics support package, Airbus said.

• READ MORE: Airbus NH90 Sea Tiger Naval Helicopter Makes First Flight

The MPA aircraft will replace the country’s Lockheed P-3 Orion fleet, which it retired last year. The airplanes will be tasked with anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare. and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and will be capable of carrying torpedoes and other weapons systems.

“The aircraft will be fully designed and manufactured in Spain, fostering the national industrial defense footprint and sovereignty” said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “In particular, the maritime patrol version is the most complex C295 mission configuration to date.”

• READ MORE: Airbus U.S. Space and Defense Adds New Line of Business in Drones

The MSA-configured aircraft are set to replace the country’s CN-235 VIGMA twin-engine military transporter for anti-smuggling and anti-drug trafficking operations, as well as search-and-rescue missions.

The post Spain Places Order for 16 Airbus C295 Patrol Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Block II orders are part of a modernization plan aimed at updating the Army’s aging Chinook heavy-lift cargo helicopter fleet, which first entered service in the early 1960s. 

The $271 million deal increases the number of the Block II special operations variant of Chinooks under contract to 42, according to the aircraft manufacturer.

• READ MORE: Army Special Ops Ups Block II Chinook Order

“The Chinook has been a key player in the special operations domain for many years,” said Heather McBryan, vice president and program manager of cargo programs at Boeing. “USASOAC and international allies have used the unique capabilities of the Chinook to complete the most daring missions around the globe. With the new and improved MH-47G Block II aircraft, USASOAC is not only receiving the most capable Chinook helicopter, they are also provided the flexibility to add additional upgrades as their needs evolve over time.” 

• READ MORE: USSF MH-47 Chinooks Deployed in Sudan Evacuation

The USASOAC contract award comes as the Army continues a heavy-lift study expected to determine whether or not it will move ahead with full-rate production of the more advanced CH-47 Block II.

In July, Boeing announced the end of Block I production when it received orders for 18 CH-47F Block I Chinooks for South Korea and one aircraft for Spain. The deliveries are expected in 2027.

Time for a special upgrade.

Thank you, @USASOAC, for a contract to produce six remanufactured MH-47G Block II aircraft. The new and improved Block II gives special operations the most capable #Chinook in the world.

More: https://t.co/JP1KvX8RKl pic.twitter.com/hvylFJM4XT

— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) December 11, 2023

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The companies said the deal, struck at the Dubai Airshow, is a significant addition to BAA’s training fleet. With the new aircraft, BAA will be able to offer students increased capacity and a more streamlined flight training process. 

• READ MORE: ATP Inks Deal for 40 Cessna Skyhawks

The Cessna Skyhawk, designed and built by Textron Aviation, is recognized as a top trainer and represents the most popular single-engine aircraft in history with more than 45,000 delivered around the world since its first flight in 1955. 

“For over six decades, the Cessna Skyhawk has inspired the next generation of pilots and served as the world’s leading flight trainer,” said Chris Crow, vice president of piston sales for Textron. “We are delighted to continue the relationship with BAA Training to provide their students access to the most produced single-engine aircraft globally.”

The latest Skyhawk is known for stable flight characteristics and advanced avionics, along with dispatch reliability that makes it a particularly effective and dependable training platform. The new airplanes to be delivered to BAA feature the 180 hp Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine, Garmin G1000 NXi avionics with wireless connectivity,  standard angle-of-attack display, and McCauley fixed-pitch aluminum propeller. 

• READ MORE: Textron To Deliver 15 Cessna Skyhawks to Epic Flight Academy

“BAA Training has set an ambitious milestone to achieve a capacity of up to 1,000 students per year, necessitating a significant expansion of our fleet,” said Marijus Ravoitis, CEO of BAA Training. “We are glad to finalize this order, as the addition of 48 Cessna Skyhawks will bolster our resources, enabling us to accommodate the growing demand for training and further solidify our position in the industry.”   

BAA Training offers comprehensive aviation training solutions for aspiring commercial pilots, from initial training to type ratings. The company has operations in several locations, including Spain, Lithuania, France, and Vietnam.

The post BAA Training Agrees to Buy 48 Cessna Skyhawks from Textron Aviation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The NASA-developed Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) is a mirrorless, hand-held camera built from off-the-shelf cameras and modified for the unique operational conditions of space. 

“Mirrorless cameras provide excellent image quality in low light situations, making [them] well suited to the challenging, high-contrast environment of the moon,” ESA said..

NASA engineers added a blanket to protect the HULC from dust and add protection from temperatures that range from minus-200 to 120 degrees Celsius (minus 328 to 248 degrees Fahrenheit). Also added were large, ergonomic buttons to make it easier to operate with bulky gloves. 

• READ MORE: Artemis III Astronauts Set to Moonwalk Wearing Prada

“The lunar camera will be one of many tools they will need to handle on the moon, so it should be easy to use,” said Jeremy Myers, NASA’s lead engineer for the HULC camera. “The human factor is a big deal for us, because you want the camera to be intuitive and not taxing on the crew.”

Astronauts participating in ESA’s Pangaea training course in Lanzarote, Spain, recently had the opportunity to use the HULC. The Pangaea course offers an opportunity to learn field geology and astrobiology in an environment considered a geological analogue for future exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

During the course, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet used the camera in broad daylight, as well as in dark, volcanic caves in order to simulate the extremes of conditions expected.

“The engineers have done a really good job reconfiguring the buttons and arranging them in a simple yet reliable protection for the camera,” Pesquet said.

Pesquet has conducted two missions to the International Space Station (ISS), where he took more than 380,000 photos, according to ESA.

“I spent a lot of time learning what you can do with the cameras available in orbit,” Pesquet said. “It is not just point and shoot. On the moon, just pressing the buttons in auto mode won’t be good enough.”

• READ MORE: NASA Artemis II’s Orion Crew, Service Modules Joined

The Artemis III mission planned for 2025 is set to send astronauts in search of water ice evidence at the lunar south pole near permanently shadowed craters.

“Conditions for photography will be tricky in many ways, from operating the camera with the gloves on to very low light levels and big contrast between bright and dark sources,” Pesquet said.

Development on the HULC interface and its housing continues to evolve, with one version expected to be used at ISS for additional testing in the near future, ESA said.

“We will continue modifying the camera as we move toward the Artemis III lunar landing,” said Myers. “I am positive that we will end up with the best product—a camera that will capture moon pictures for humankind, used by crews from many countries and for many years to come.”

Watch: The Moon Camera

The post Astronauts Test Artemis Moon Camera appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The advanced  multimission helicopters, featuring advanced missions systems and sensors for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, represent a significant upgrade for the Spanish Navy Armada’s maritime capability, according to the aircraft manufacturer.

“The new MH-60R will upgrade mission systems and sensors of the SH-60B fleet, elevating the Armada to the highest level of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability,” Hamid Salim, vice president of Sikorsky Maritime Systems, said in a statement.  “We expect a smooth transition from the SH-60B to the MH-60R.”

The buy advances the Armada’s ongoing fleet modernization. Last year, the Spanish Navy retired the last 18 of its Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopters. 

The Armada fleet also includes a dozen SH-60B Seahawk helicopters and eight SH-60F Seahawks that had been retired by the U.S. Navy.

The post Spanish Navy Signs Deal for 8 MH-60R Seahawk Helicopters appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Now totaling 90 units delivered in Europe, the Bell 429 has hit the mark with corporate VIP customers, including operations in the French Riviera and the French Alps by Helisecurite, Wucher Helicopter in Austria, Starspeed in London, Greece, and Cyprus, and in Switzerland by HeliAlps, Airport Helicopter, Air Zermatt, and Centaurium Aviation.

“Those seeking an aircraft that offers class-leading transport, speed, smoothness, and superior passenger experience needn’t look any further than the Bell 429,” said Alberto Delgado, CEO of World Aviation. “We’re thrilled to be facilitating the purchase of the first Bell 429 in Spain and we’re confident that both passengers and pilots will be delighted by the premium experience this aircraft delivers.” World Aviation was founded in 2014 and provides pilot training, maintenance, and engineering services in addition to transportation.

“The Bell 429 is continuing to showcase its breadth of abilities for our European customers—from mountain rescue in the Swiss Alps to law enforcement in Sweden and soon passenger transport in the Costa del Sol,” said Patrick Moulay, senior vice president of International Sales for Bell. “The combination of twin engines, IFR capability, and Bell’s BasiX-Pro integrated avionics means the 429 is able to fly in more locations and in a wide range of weather conditions, making it a highly versatile aircraft for the corporate VIP mission in Europe.”

The Bell 429

The 429 model is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PW-207D1/D2 engines, electronically controlled, and cruises in level flight at speeds up to 155 knots. It will carry one pilot plus up to seven passengers, or operate to a range of up to 411 nm or a total endurance of 4.5 hours.

The flight deck features:

• Single-pilot IFR capability (with a dual-pilot option)
• Automatic flight control system (AFCS) featuring redundant digital flight control computers (FCCS) and providing 3-axis or 4-axis capability
• Engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS)
• Other aircraft systems interfaces, warnings, cautions, aural alerts, and automated performance features are provided through the remotely located aircraft data interface unit (ADIU)
• Bell’s patented power situation indicator (PSI) gauge
• Communication, navigation and surveillance system: Garmin GTN-750/650 NAV/COM/WAAS GPS

The post Bell 429 Notches Another Corporate VIP Sale From World Aviation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The fleet expansion comprises an effort to improve the quality of training while simultaneously limiting the cost to students and preserving the natural environment.

“Sustainability is a journey, not a destination,” said Tecnam’s managing director Giovanni Pascale Langer. “This means that we are continuously conceptualizing and developing greener solutions—ones that offer superior performance and lower carbon emissions and thus, by consequence, the most interesting profitability.”

According to Tecnam, flight schools operating their single- and twin-engine fleets can eliminate as much as 10 tons of CO2 emissions for every student that graduates with a commercial pilot license under EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency)—a 60 percent reduction compared to fleets using 100LL fuel for a typical 155 flight training hours per student.

The P-Mentor is the latest design from Tecnam. The IFR-capable single-engine airplanes are designed to give a sustainable option for student pilots up through and including their instrument rating. 

The P-Mentor is equipped with: 

• IFR
• PBN
• RNAV
• Variable pitch
• Autopilot
• Simulated retractable gear control
• BRS

The aircraft is powered by the fuel-efficient Rotax 912iSc coupled with an MT constant speed propeller.

“Tecnam’s P-Mentor will allow us to significantly reduce our carbon footprint in IFR training with the added benefit of state-of-the-art instrumentation that will help us propel, even further, into our sustainable double-digit growth,” FlyBy CEO Alex Alvarez said in a statement.

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