A 22-year-old instructor suffered an engine out while flying with his 18-year-old student in a Jabiru J-170 at Victoria Point, Australia, two weeks ago and all ended ruggedly, but well, for the pair in a sequence that was captured by an in-cockpit video recorder. Authorities are investigating the cause of the off-airport landing while onlookers are impressed by the apparent calm displayed in the cockpit as the aircraft descended and the pair made preparations. The flight was a first for student Josh Matica who was at the controls when the aircraft's engine surged. Instructor Doug Field took over and quickly calculated that from their 1,100 foot altitude they'd be on the ground within two minutes. Read More

The U.S. government is paying $6,600 a month to keep an old turboprop it leases grounded in Georgia even though it seems doubtful the Gulfstream G-1 dubbed Aero Marti will ever fly for Uncle Sam again. “The contract now is a ‘non-fly’ [agreement],” Steve Christopher of Phoenix Air Group told the Washington Post. “That’s what the customer wants.” The customer is the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which has recognized the folly of trying to pour news from the real world into Cuba from above even though the communist country long ago learned how to keep that brand of reality from intruding on its populace.. Read More

British pilot Ken Wallis took his first solo flight in 1937, flew as a stunt pilot and doubled for Sean Connery in 1967, and passed away Sunday at the age of 97, after "a long and successful life doing what he wanted," his daughter told BBC.co.uk. Wallis flew Wellington bombers for his country in World War II, surviving a bomb bay explosion, a midair with a barrage balloon, and once returning with 115 holes in his aircraft. He spent 20 years in weapons research for the RAF and later applied his skills for the movie industry. Wallis flew roughly 44 hours and 75 flights to capture the seven-and-one-half minute gyrocopter sequence shown in the James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice. Video after the jump. Read More

In Berlin last week, Airbus took home the GreenTec award in aviation for its work in developing fuel cells for use in commercial aircraft. The annual awards are Europe’s "most important environment and business awards," Airbus said in a news release. “Fuel cells are one of the most promising 'step-change' technologies to make our aircraft even more efficient, cleaner and quieter," said Gunter Butschek, COO for Airbus. "The recognition of our fuel-cell project at the GreenTec Awards underlines the relevance of our activities." Airbus is working to not only create clean electricity with fuel cells but also to use the by-products -- water and nitrogen gas -- in various aircraft systems. The technical solution may soon be "widely adopted," one of the judges said. But at the media-friendly awards event, the recently completed e-Volo two-seat Volocopter prototype stole the show, suspended from the ceiling above the crowd. Read More

For pilots in search of fly-in destinations, three big events are coming up for the fall season, and this year all three will be held in the western part of the U.S. The Reno Air Races are, of course, always held in Nevada, and the show starts next Wednesday, Sept. 11. "Jetman" Yves Rossy will be flying above the crowd, in his second U.S. appearance following his debut at EAA AirVenture. The airshow will be missing the fast and loud military teams, like the rest of this year's shows, but the line-up includes aerobatic flyer Mike Goulian, Clay Lacy in a Lear 25, the Patriots L-39 jet team, and more. Of course the real attraction at Reno is the pylon racing, with a variety of classes from jets to biplanes to the famed Unlimited racers. Read More

As the FAA updates its written knowledge exams, bringing them into the light of the 21st Century, perhaps ADF and VOR questions will go the way of gas-operated landing lights. Embrace this age of aviation enlightenment by acing this quiz.

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Each week, we poll the savviest aviators on the World Wide Web (that's you) on a topic of interest to the flying community.

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With a massive AD against ECI cylinders in the offing, we would like to know reader experiences not just with ECI cylinders, but other brands as well. If you've got five minutes to spare, you can tell us about your satisfaction--or lack thereof--with aircraft cylinders you've been flying behind. Read More

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At least one operator in the North Sea has resumed flights with a Eurocopter Super Puma helicopter this week, the BBC reported on Tuesday, though it's a different model from the one that crashed into the sea on Aug. 23, killing four passengers. That SuperPuma was on a normal approach to landing until about three miles from the runway, according to a preliminary report from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch, "when there was a reduction in airspeed accompanied by an increased rate of descent." The helicopter was "intact and upright" when it crashed into the sea about two miles offshore. Fourteen passengers and the pilot survived. Read More

The safety of cabin crew in commercial aircraft has always been governed by the FAA, but under a new federal policy, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration now will have oversight over issues such as hazardous chemicals, exposure to blood-borne pathogens, and hearing protection. “Our cabin crewmembers contribute to the safe operation of every flight each day,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “We’re taking an important step toward establishing procedures for resolving cabin crew workplace health and safety concerns.” The FAA said it will work with OSHA to ensure that any new requirements will not adversely affect aviation safety. Read More

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Jim Thrash and Karen Carney of Oklahoma City, OK headline our latest batch of breathtaking reader-submitted photos. Read More

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