The Baron is being used as a test bed to compare the performance of General Aviation Modifications Inc.’s (GAMI’s) G100UL unleaded avgas with 100LL. The stains are on the wing with the tank holding G100UL, but it has not been determined that they came from the fuel.

• READ MORE: GAMI Responds to Cirrus G100UL Service Advisory

“We have scheduled a mechanic to determine the cause of the leak coming from the left wing of the Baron, which should happen in the next few days,” AOPA senior vice president for media Kollin Stagnito told AVweb. “We are not yet sure what the substance is, nor where it is coming from.”

Word of the stains has been a hot topic on various forums, and speculation is rampant as to their cause.

• READ MORE: Unleaded Fuel Debate Heats Up in Oshkosh

GAMI chief engineer George Braly told AVweb the cause is most likely a faulty or improperly installed fuel cell bladder or patch inside the bladder. Braly said the bladders in the Baron may be more than 40 years old. He said G100UL has been tested for compatibility with the bladder material and there were no problems. He also added that fuel bladder leaks are a relatively common issue with Barons.

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

The post Stains Reported on Wing of AOPA Aircraft Fueled by GAMI G100UL appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Only six Ukrainian air force pilots have been fully trained to fly the Vipers, and Ukraine is expected to take a conservative approach to their deployment.

According to the Washington Post, the first few F-16s will likely be used in defensive roles rather than mixing it up with Russian MiGs and Sukhois. In fact, it’s still not known what operating restrictions have been imposed by the NATO countries donating the aircraft.

At first, the F-16s will operate well out of harm’s way, shooting down drones and doing other defensive tasks. Ukraine says the training process for its pilots is an issue because it takes more than six months to get them the language and technical skills they need to operate a Western aircraft using much different systems and control doctrines than the old Soviet airframes they normally fly. And since only the best Ukrainian pilots are selected for F-16 training, their commanders are loathe to lose them because of the gaps they leave in the ranks of experienced pilots.

Despite all the problems, Ukraine is still welcoming the addition of F-16s, particularly their longer-range radars and flexibility and the fear factor they will instill in opposing Russian pilots.

Becca Wasser, an analyst at the Center for a New American Security, told the Post it makes sense for the Ukrainians to integrate the F-16s slowly.

“If you have this exquisite capability, are you going to use it immediately, knowing that there’s a greater risk of it being expended or are you going to withhold it and use it so it has broader strategic value?” Wasser said.

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

The post Ukraine to Use First F-16s Cautiously appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

During the public comment period after formal presentations, Tim Roehl, president of General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI), challenged a couple of points made during the presentations of members and support staff from the End Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions. He told the crowd—smaller than in previous years—that contrary to assertions made during the formal part of the forum, GAMI’s G100UL is indeed ready for distribution and sale.

Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) initiative member Pete Bunce, president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), stood up and dismissed Roehl’s assertion.

“I totally disagree, but that’s a discussion for another day,” said Bunce.

• READ MORE: GAMI’s G100UL Unleaded Fuel Successfully Powers Historic WWII Aircraft

In earlier comments, Bunce said his organization remains adamant that any new fuel will be approved through “transparency and a peer reviewed process,” which has traditionally been done through ASTM International.

“Transparency is so absolutely vital for us,” said Bunce.

Refiner Vitol Aviation has 1.3 million gallons of G100UL in tanks in Louisiana and says it has been completely vetted as ready for sale through its supplemental type certificate (STC). GAMI and Vitol have consistently said the FAA approval of an STC covering all gasoline engines on the agency’s registry satisfies all the regulatory and safety requirements to begin retail distribution of the fuel, but there are critics who contend it needs a consensus standard determined by an independent organization like ASTM to satisfy concerns about materials compatibility.

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) president Mark Baker said his organization is using G100UL in a Beech Baron it operates and, based on the 200 hours of experience with the fuel, “GAMI is as good or better” than 100LL. He also said the process has to “move forward” to get the correct fuel.

• READ MORE: Cirrus Service Advisory Throws Fuel on G100UL Maintenance Debate

The balance of the meeting was a reiteration of the stated goals of EAGLE, which increasingly has become focused on maintaining the supply of 100LL. The existence of the commercial quantity of G100UL has prompted politicians in California and Colorado to try to ban 100LL in favor of filling airport tanks with G100UL. Legislative and legal initiatives in both states are moving through their respective processes.

Meanwhile, testing of the last remaining candidate under the congressionally mandated Piston Aviation Fuel Initiative (PAFI) is slowly progressing at the FAA’s Atlantic City, New Jersey, test facility.

About 23 percent of materials compliance testing, 25 percent of durability testing, and a few percent of several other categories have been done on Lyondell/Basell/VP Racing’s entry. It’s also been fully tested on the airframe of a Lancair Legacy and on a Continental TSIO 550K engine.

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

The post Unleaded Fuel Debate Heats Up in Oshkosh appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

After a few months of success with air force pilots and rear gunners with shotguns taking out Russian drones in a Yak-52, the Ukraine military is now training pilots and gunners to use the rag-and-tube A-22 to do the same. Previously the light sport aircraft (LSA) have been used as single-use flying bombs and have taken out some high-value targets. 

According to Forbes, Russian bloggers say it’s time to do something about the new role and its inspiration.

“The Yak-52 flew over Odessa and with high efficiency shot down our reconnaissance UAVs for a week, causing laughter in some circles,” Forbes quoted a translation of the blogs as saying. “This has not been funny to UAV operators and us for a long time.”

What, exactly, the Russians might do to counteract the low-and-slow platforms wasn’t discussed on the blog. The Yak has reportedly taken out 12 drones that cost about $100,000 each.

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

The post Drone-Downing Ukrainian Piston Planes Annoying Russians appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The South China Morning Post, an independent newspaper in Hong Kong, said the expert, a man named Tang, an executive of Beijing-based antivirus and security company Rising Information Technology, reviewed some of the documents posted on the encrypted forum Telegram by Ivan Ivanof, who claims to be a Russian military pilot.

• READ MORE: China’s Military Catching Up with Western Air Forces, DOD Says

The expert told the Morning Post the documents “appear authentic” and Ivanof, who goes by the Telegram name of Fighterbomber, claims to have 250 gigabytes more of the same.

In his post, Ivanof said he received the documents from an American company. In addition to information on the aircraft, they appear to have data on the Switchblade drone and guided missile systems.

The U.S. has not yet issued a statement on the alleged leak. Tang also told the newspaper only government and military officials can determine whether the documents have any intelligence value.

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

The post Chinese Intel Expert: Leaked F-35, F-15 Documents ‘Appear Authentic’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The student was seriously injured but survived.

The board highlighted all the precautions that flight schools and instructors should observe before sending a new pilot aloft for the first time and reminded pilots, regardless of experience, “of the importance of being vigilant upon landing to quickly detect any signs that a go-around is required, and to be able to initiate the go-around at the appropriate time.”

A video also shows just how quickly a stall/spin can develop. The report noted this airplane was only 45 feet above the ground and crashed vertically into the infield.

The student was enrolled in a first officer’s program at Orizon Aviation and had done eight touch-and-goes before the instructor got out. The student landed nosewheel first and bounced before veering off the runway.

It was at that point the student tried the go-around and barely got off the ground. An attempt to make a turn with the plane in very slow flight stalled the left wing.

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

The post Pilot’s First Solo Ends With Stall/Spin at 45 Feet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In a statement on Wednesday, the company said the delay is part of the program and not a failure.

• READ MORE: What to Know About Boeing Starliner’s First Crewed Test Flight

“It is a test flight,” the company said. “The mission is still going and it is going well.”

Boeing also said the Starliner was “performing well” and could return to earth at any time if necessary.

The Starliner docked with the ISS on June 6 and was supposed to leave a week later. But a total of five helium leaks and issues with the thrusters pushed that back. It was delayed again and Boeing and NASA have stopped giving projected dates.

• READ MORE: Boeing Starliner, Crew Will Return to Earth No Earlier Than June 26

The departure is now scheduled for sometime in July. Many news outlets have used the word “stranded” to describe the plight of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, which the company is emphatically rejecting.

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

The post Boeing Says Starliner Mission ‘Going Well’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In a statement to AVweb, GAMI said the service advisory appears to be linked to a single incident in which the sealant used in the fuel tank had unbonded in a company aircraft that had been fueled with G100UL. GAMI says there are indications the unbonded sealant had nothing to do with the fuel, but because the tank was not inspected before the unleaded fuel was introduced there’s no way to prove whether the fuel was a factor.

• READ MORE: GAMI Says It Has 1 Million Gallons of G100UL

In its service advisory, Cirrus said the materials compatibility of the fuel is “inconclusive.”

GAMI also noted that the fuel has been used in other aircraft with the same sealant with no issues.

“GAMI’s SR22 has had G100UL in the fuel tanks for most of the last 14 years. Recently, Cirrus engineers and management inspected the interior of those tanks, in person, using a borescope and found no evidence of any debonding by any of the factory applied sealant in that aircraft,” the company said in its statement.

• READ MORE: Aviation Consumer Live: G100UL Unleaded Avgas Flight Trial

GAMI is also disputing Cirrus’s claim that use of G100UL voids the warranties on engines supplied by Lycoming and Continental and used in its aircraft. The engine warranties both state that they will not cover damage from the use of “non-approved fuel,” but GAMI noted the FAA has approved G100UL for all models of Lycoming and Continental gasoline engines. 

AVweb has contacted Lycoming and Continental for clarification on warranty coverage for engines using G100UL.

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

The post GAMI Responds to Cirrus G100UL Service Advisory appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“The new Tesla Roadster can fly,” he said in a post in what seems like a response to another X post on the social platform that he also owns.

• READ MORE: SpaceX Starship Will Fly Again in 3-5 Weeks, Elon Musk Predicts

Musk first teased the concept in the ill-fated interview with former X contributor Don Lemon when he described the new Tesla as “something that’s never existed before” with “Jetsons vibes.”

As always, Musk is tight-lipped about details of the new whatever-it-is, and his reaction to his seemingly straightforward post invoked skepticism and derision. Musk announced the new model electric car in 2017, and there is still no timeline on its unveiling.

• READ MORE: Doroni Aerospace Unveils H1-X Personal ‘Flying Car’

Musk did reiterate that the new Tesla will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than a second and that it is a collaboration with SpaceX.

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

The post Elon Musk: New Tesla ‘Can Fly’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Although the description of the resulting aircraft is that they have “reduced aircrew capability,” one of the requirements for the contract is that they be able to fly takeoff to touchdown without human intervention.

• READ MORE: Merlin Developing Autonomous Flight Tech With Air Force Pilot Input

“The contract award marks a milestone in the collaboration between USSOCOM and Merlin, accelerating our ability to bring high levels of autonomy to a variety of fixed wing platforms to support the warfighter,” said Merlin CEO Matt George in a news release.

The contract is apparently designed to get these aircraft in USSOCOM’s hands as quickly as possible. Since it’s never been done before, the contract is an indefinite delivery, indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract that presumably frees the contractor to create the end product without a lot of government folks looking over their shoulders.

• READ MORE: Merlin Advances Toward Autonomous Flight Tech STC with Simulator 

“The magnitude of the contract is an important proof point that USSOCOM continues to bring innovative capabilities out of testing and into production track programs,” said George.

Merlin has a similar deal with the Air Force to automate KC-135 tankers.

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

The post Merlin to Automate U.S. Special Operations Command C-130s appeared first on FLYING Magazine.