If you’re looking to catch up on any big news you might have missed in August, we have you covered. Here are Avionics’ 10 most popular stories from a month that saw second-quarter financials come out, merger information and a lot of movement in the unmanned space.
10. BVLOS Commercial Drone Flights Launch at Grand Sky
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson at Grand Sky. (NINE18 Photography)
Large UAS testing without the need for a chase plane could save big money for companies like General Atomics. Read all about the launch of the country’s first FAA-sanctioned beyond-visual-line-of-sight program for large commercial drones, made possible by a partnership between multiple companies and the Grand Forks Air Force Base.
9. Is this Electric VTOL Drone the Future of Aerial Infrastructure Inspection?
SkyX’s SkyTwo drone. (SkyX)
The second version of an autonomous, electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing, data gathering drone is out. See how the company behind it aims to upset the asset inspection industry.
8. U.S. Air Force to Use New Supercomputer for Neuromorphic Supercomputer for AI Research
Blue Raven. (AFRL)
IBM and the Air Force Research Laboratory are using a new supercomputer setup based on IBM/DARPA-developed neuromorphic processors to research machine learning for use in aerospace.
7. FAA: Why Most Drone Waiver Applications Crash and Burn
(FAA)
The FAA has an ongoing series of webinars to help operators comply with its Part 107 rule and submit successful waiver applications. Learn why most fail and how to increase your chances of approval.
6. Boeing AvionX to Develop Flight Controls, Navigation Technology Under New President
Brendan Curran (PRNews/Boeing)
It has been a while since Boeing announced the formation of an avionics division. This month, the company finally told the world who would run that business and where it would fall in the aerospace leader’s hierarchy.
5. Alaska Hacked Like Equifax: Industry Needs to Evolve to Prevent Repeat
The liveries of Alaska Airlines and Virgin America. (PRNewsFoto/Alaska Air Group)
Alaska Airlines was the victim of a cybersecurity breach. The head of their cybersecurity team talks about why that happened, what they learned, and what needs to change in the aviation industry to keep the same thing from happening again.
4. Meet Allegiant’s First Flight Operations Performance Engineer
(Allegiant)
Every week, we profile an engineer working in the aviation industry. On August 4, we published a conversation with Allegiant Air’s Sid Ravuru, who is helping the carrier get more out of its data.
3. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Final Report Inconclusive
(Malaysia Air)
The final report from the tragic MH370 flight was filed, but closure is still out of reach. See what conclusions the investigative team was able to draw.
2. Boeing CFO Talks Services Industry, NMA, Acquisitions
Boeing 737 MAX 7. (Boeing)
In the wake of Boeing’s second fiscal quarter, CFO Greg Smith talked about the company’s position in the industry, re-thinking strategies on plane-making, and how that informs deals such as the one with Embraer ahead of the much-anticipated new mid-market aircraft.
1. F-35: Under the Helmet of the World’s Most Advanced Fighter
A pilot’s-eye view from the F-35 HMDS. (K2 Communications Inc.)
The month’s top story was an in-depth look at the fifth-generation strike fighter’s $400,000 helmet system.