Number 68 – 29 August 2024

“You know the part in High Flight where it talks about putting out your hand to touch the face of God? Well, when we’re at speed and altitude in the SR, we have to slow down and descend in order to do that.” USAF Lt. Col. Gil Bertelson, SR-71 Blackbird pilot

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

The Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird” is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. The SR-71 has several nicknames, including “Blackbird” and “Habu”.

The SR-71 was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft during the 1960s by Lockheed’s Skunk Works division. American aerospace engineer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson was responsible for many of the aircraft’s innovative concepts. The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the Lockheed A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section in mind. Initially, a bomber variant of the A-12 was requested by Curtis LeMay, before the program was focused solely on reconnaissance. The SR-71 was longer and heavier than the A-12, allowing it to hold more fuel as well as a two-seat cockpit. The SR-71’s existence was revealed to the public in July 1964; it entered service in the United States Air Force (USAF) in January 1966. In 1989, the USAF retired the SR-71, largely for political reasons; several were briefly reactivated during the 1990s before their second retirement in 1998. NASA was the final operator of the Blackbird, using it as a research platform; it was retired again in 1999.

Mission equipment for the plane’s aerial reconnaissance role included signals intelligence sensors, side looking airborne radar, and a camera. During missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 and 85,000 ft; 26,000 m), allowing it to outrace or entirely avoid threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile. On average, each SR-71 could fly once per week due to the extended turnaround required after mission recovery. A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 were lost in accidents with none lost to enemy action.

Since its retirement, the SR-71’s role has been taken up by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); a proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, is under development by Lockheed Martin, and scheduled to fly in 2025. As of 2024, the SR-71 holds the world record, which it set in 1976, as the fastest airbreathing manned aircraft, previously held by the closely related Lockheed YF-12.

Source: Wikipedia

Thanks to everyone who sent in their answers, here are all the names who correctly identified this week’s mystery aircraft of the week.

Steve Dewsbery, Sean Richter, Pierre Brittz, Righardt du Plessis, Andrew Peace, Ari Levien, Clint Futter, Nigel Rotherham, P Rossouw, Gunter Klampfl, Colin Austen, Rex Tweedie, Jeremy Rorich, Nigel Hamilton, Brian Millett, Rennie van Zyl, Jaco van Jaarsveld, Michael Schoeman, Steve Leslie, Mike McLaughlin, Ahmed Bassa, Stuart Lane, Hilton Carroll, Joe van der Merwe, Rick Peacock-Edwards, Ivan Holshausen, Karl Jensen, Richard Willemse, Sergio Antao, Dr. Piet Steyn, Barry Eatwell, Wayne Mansfield, Kevin Farr, John Moen, Keith Chiazzari, Aiden O’ Mahony, Trevor Miller, Geoff Timms, Godfrey Franz, Selwyn Kimber, Johan Venter, Dave Lloyd, John Mccall, Tony Faulkner, Bruce Margolius

Messages received on Athol’s health

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Minister gives Air Traffic Navigation deadline to resolve flight instrument crisis causing delays at SA airports

(Report as appeared in The Citizen by Faizel Patel)

ATNS Bay indefinitely suspended procedures for all instrument-navigation flight approaches at various airports across South Africa.

Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy has given Air Traffic Navigation Services (ATNS) two weeks to resolve the navigation suspension at some South African airports. Creecy convened an urgent oversight meeting to discuss the ongoing flight delays at various airports across the country.

Suspended procedures at airports

This meeting came after ATNS  suspended procedures for all instrument-navigation flight approaches at airports in George, Kimberley, Polokwane, Mthatha and Richards Bay indefinitely on Friday.

The suspension has severely affected flights to these airports. Other airports, including OR Tambo, Cape Town, Upington and East London seem to still have at least one approved approach available.

Urgent meeting with government

Transport department spokesperson Collen Msibi said Creecy convened an urgent meeting with all transport aviation entities including ATNS. Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).

“The meeting was necessitated by the ongoing flight delays at various Airports in the Country. In the meeting, the minister emphasised the need for the ATNS to get to the root cause of this problem. While doing so, the minister emphasised that it is critical that no corners must be cut in relation to safety.

“The meeting also agreed that ATNS must, as a matter of urgency, develop a comprehensive plan for consideration and approval by the minister. The plan must be costed with realistic timeframes as well as indicate the technical capacity required to review all flight instrument procedures,” Msibi said.

Plan submission deadline

Msibi added that Air Traffic Navigation Services was instructed to submit this plan within two weeks from the date of the meeting. “Once an acceptable plan is in place, it will be shared with the aviation industry and the nation. The Minister has also taken the opportunity to apologise to the travelling public for the ongoing flight delays and gives assurance that the ATNS is working on a plan to solve the root cause of this problem without compromising safety.”

Maintenance programme at airports

Air Traffic Navigation Services explained that the ongoing crisis is mainly due to a maintenance programme for instrument flight procedures that it is conducting at the airports.

It said under the suspension, pilots may fly visual approaches in favourable weather conditions. However, at night or during cloudy, misty or rainy weather, approaches may not be permissible.

“These procedures are based on South African Civil Aviation Authority and International Civil Aviation Organisation procedures for air navigation services — aircraft operations (ICAO Pan-Ops) design criteria which change from time to time. As part of the process, the procedures are being reviewed and updated to meet the current ICAO Pan-Ops criteria and advances in technology,” Air Traffic Navigation Services. said.

Source: The Citizen

31 August
Virginia airshow – Durban
Contact E-mail: sally@creativespacemedia.co.za Tel: 011 467 3314

Brazil forms committee to oversee probe into plane crash that killed 62

A panel is expected to summon several key figures in an effort to prevent a repeat of the deadly plane crash that occurred north of São Paulo earlier this month, claiming 62 lives. Brazil’s Congress has announced the formation of a committee to oversee an investigation into the incident. Last week, Lower House Speaker Arthur Lira authorized the creation of the 37-member committee, which will monitor the inquiry conducted by Cenipa, the agency responsible for investigating aviation accidents.

The lower house is set to determine on Tuesday who will be called to testify before the panel. “Our goal is not to conduct a witch-hunt,” stated Congressman Nelsinho Padovani. “We want to propose measures to ensure such an incident does not happen again.” The tragic crash, involving an ATR 72-500 plane operated by the regional airline Voepass, occurred in the town of Vinhedo, approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of São Paulo. It is the deadliest aviation accident in Brazil in over a decade.

Padovani told Reuters that the committee is likely to summon individuals such as Voepass President Jose Luiz Felicio Filho, Cenipa head Marcelo Moreno, and Tiago Sousa Pereira, head of Brazil’s civil aviation regulator ANAC, to testify before the panel. While those invited are not obligated to appear, their testimonies are expected to be crucial to the investigation.

Cenipa is expected to release preliminary findings by September 6, but the Congressional committee will continue to hold hearings through December, with plans to issue a final report in February. The exact cause of the August 9 crash remains unclear, though videos from the scene show the plane’s burning debris scattered across the area.

Some experts have speculated that ice accumulation on the plane’s wings may have caused the pilot to lose control, a problem that has affected ATR planes in the past. “At this time, there is no additional comment we can provide as the investigation progresses,” a spokesperson for ATR said regarding the committee, adding that they are “closely monitoring the situation.” The plane was en route to São Paulo from Cascavel airport in the southern state of Paraná.

Two Delta workers killed while servicing plane at airport

Two Delta Air Lines workers tragically lost their lives, and another was seriously injured in an accident at the airline’s maintenance facility in Atlanta early Tuesday morning. The incident occurred shortly after 5:00 AM at Delta’s wheel and brake shop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The deceased were identified as 58-year-old Mirko Marweg and 37-year-old Luis Aldarondo, while the identity of the injured worker has not been released.

Delta Air Lines expressed deep sorrow over the incident, stating that the “Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of two team members and the injury of another.” The airline is working closely with local authorities and has initiated a full investigation to determine the cause of the accident, which involved the disassembly of wheel components that were not attached to an aircraft. The injured worker is currently receiving medical care as the investigation continues.

The incident has garnered the attention of both the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, who have called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and local authorities have also expressed their condolences to the families of the victims. Despite the tragedy, air traffic at Hartsfield-Jackson airport remained unaffected. Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, continues to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

Rebooking flexibility offered by Air Canada for flights around possible strike date

Air Canada is providing passengers with increased flexibility for rebooking their flights in light of a potential pilot strike next month. The airline announced that while progress has been made in ongoing negotiations, the possibility of a strike by its 5,400 pilots remains, with a potential start date as early as September 17.

The Air Line Pilots Association has not set an official strike date, but the pilots have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate should a new contract agreement fail to materialize. In response, Air Canada is offering customers with tickets for travel between September 15 and 23 the option to rebook on any other Air Canada flight with the same origin and destination up until November 30, at no additional cost.

For customers who prefer to cancel and rebook their travel after this date, Air Canada will waive the change fees, though passengers will still be responsible for any fare difference. Passengers with bookings during the affected period also have the option to cancel their flight and receive a credit for future travel. Refunds will be provided to customers with refundable tickets, but those with non-refundable tickets will not be eligible for a refund, as the flights are still scheduled to operate as planned.

This policy applies to all Air Canada-operated flights, including those by Air Canada mainline, Air Canada Rouge, Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz or PAL Airlines, and Air Canada Vacations.

FAAbulous

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that it can reduce time and costs by standardizing aviation cybersecurity requirements and reconsidering the use of “special condition” approvals. These approvals are typically issued when existing airworthiness regulations don’t fully address a designer’s proposed feature—such as an airplane with folding wingtips.

The special condition process involves collaboration between engineers, technical writers, and managers to create project-specific guidelines. For example, in the case of folding wingtips, a condition might require a system to prevent airplane takeoff if a wingtip is not correctly positioned.

In an August 21 proposal, the FAA estimated that each special condition costs an average of $13,498 and requires about 170 hours of work. By reducing project-specific special requests related to cybersecurity, the agency anticipates saving approximately $783,366 over the next decade.

The FAA also reported that it has issued 68 special conditions related to cybersecurity between 2013 and 2022.

SpaceX will return stranded astronauts next year

Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who have been stranded in space for over two months, are now scheduled to return to Earth in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX spacecraft. Originally set for an eight-day mission, the pair launched on June 5 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which encountered multiple technical issues, including helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters. Due to these complications, NASA has decided that the Starliner will return to Earth without a crew, while the astronauts will extend their stay on the International Space Station (ISS) for an additional eight months.

Boeing and SpaceX were both awarded multi-billion-dollar contracts by NASA to provide commercial spaceflight services, with Boeing’s contract valued at $4.2 billion and SpaceX’s at $2.6 billion. While SpaceX has successfully completed nine crewed missions for NASA, this was Boeing’s first attempt at a crewed mission, which has been fraught with challenges. Engineers from both Boeing and NASA have been working diligently to diagnose and resolve the issues with the Starliner, conducting tests and gathering data to ensure a safe return for the astronauts.

NASA has decided to bring the astronauts back on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, with the launch scheduled for the end of September. The vehicle, originally planned to carry four astronauts, will now have two open seats for Wilmore and Williams, allowing them to return to Earth at the end of the mission in February. Both astronauts, who have previously completed long-duration space missions, have expressed their full support for the revised plans and will continue to carry out scientific research and maintenance tasks on the ISS until their return.

SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites, but rocket’s first stage crashes on landing barge

After standing down from the piloted Polaris Dawn launch on Tuesday, SpaceX quickly refocused on launching two sets of Starlink internet satellites early Wednesday, with one launch from Florida and the other from California. However, shortly after successfully deploying the Florida Starlink satellites, the California launch was postponed. This delay was necessary to give engineers more time to review telemetry and video footage from the Florida mission, ensuring there were no issues that could impact future flights.

The Florida launch experienced a significant mishap when the Falcon 9’s first stage, after successfully delivering 21 Starlink satellites to orbit, failed to land safely on the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas.” As the booster neared the landing deck, more flames than usual were visible, and upon touchdown, a landing leg collapsed, causing the rocket to tip over the side of the barge and break apart in the Atlantic Ocean. This incident ended SpaceX’s impressive streak of 267 consecutive successful booster recoveries, which had been unbroken since February 2021.

SpaceX confirmed the mishap on social media, stating that the Falcon 9’s first stage tipped over after landing, and teams are now assessing the booster’s flight data. The booster, known as B1062, was on its 23rd mission—a record for reusability. Despite the setback, SpaceX continues its efforts to certify Falcon 9 first stages for up to 40 flights each, further pushing the boundaries of rocket reusability.

Xpeng’s in-house AI chip for EVs, robots, flying cars hits major milestone

Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) has reached a significant milestone in its technological development with the successful tape-out of its first in-house AI chip, named Turing. Announced during the launch of its new model, the Mona M03, Xpeng confirmed that the Turing chip completed tape-out on August 23, paving the way for its use in the company’s electric vehicles (EVs), robots, and flying cars. Tape-out is a crucial step in chip design, marking the transition from circuit design to a prototype chip ready for mass production, pending successful testing.

The Turing chip, designed specifically for L4 autonomous driving capabilities, boasts three times the computing power of Xpeng’s current autonomous driving chips, which are based on Nvidia’s Drive Orin X. This development makes Xpeng the second Chinese EV maker, following Nio (NYSE: NIO), to achieve progress in chip development. Nio previously announced the successful tape-out of its Shenji NX9031 chip, which is set to be used in its upcoming ET9 executive flagship sedan. Although Xpeng did not disclose detailed technical specifications of the Turing chip, it emphasized that the chip is highly customized for autonomous driving and large AI model support.

According to Mr. He, Xpeng’s CEO, the company’s decision to develop its own AI chip stems from the need to have full control over the data loop and to meet the specific requirements of autonomous driving technology. By focusing solely on the needs of its products, Xpeng aims to create a highly efficient and cost-effective chip that will serve as a strong foundation for the next generation of autonomous driving and robotics within the company. This strategic move aligns with Xpeng’s broader vision of integrating cutting-edge technology into its products, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of innovation in the rapidly evolving EV market.

The Paris Olympics Promised Flying Taxis, Why They Failed to Launch

Futuristic plans for flying taxis over Paris, initially embraced with enthusiasm, have faced significant setbacks due to public and political opposition. Critics, including environmental groups and local politicians, argued that these vehicles would only serve the wealthy, contributing to noise and visual pollution without providing substantial public benefit. The project, initially tied to the 2024 Summer Olympics, aimed to showcase these flying taxis as a revolutionary mode of transport, but the enthusiasm has waned amidst growing skepticism about their practicality and impact.

The flying taxis were promoted as a quiet, sustainable, and innovative solution for urban mobility, with plans for free flights across Paris during the Olympics. However, as the project progressed, concerns mounted over the noise levels, limited passenger capacity, and the perception that the technology was an extravagant luxury rather than a viable public transport option. The backlash led to political friction, with some Parisian officials labeling the taxis as unnecessary and environmentally harmful, further stalling the project’s momentum.

Despite the setbacks, Volocopter, the company behind the flying taxi initiative, continued to defend the concept, arguing that with time and scale, these vehicles could become affordable and practical. However, internal financial challenges, combined with the failure to secure necessary regulatory approvals, led to the scaling back of their ambitious Olympic plans. The company faced difficulties, including a supplier issue and the lack of commercial certification from European aviation authorities, casting further doubt on the project’s viability.

While the dream of flying taxis over Paris during the 2024 Olympics has been largely deferred, the concept is not entirely abandoned. The flying taxi initiative still has supporters who believe in its potential future role in urban transportation. However, the strong public opposition and the project’s current challenges highlight the significant hurdles that remain before flying taxis can become a mainstream mode of transport in cities like Paris.

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