Briefing: June 2018

The success of big annual air shows like Sun n Fun depends at least partly on the weather, and this years Lakeland, Florida, event lucked out with plenty of sunshine after a wet opening day. Sun n Fun president Lites Leenhouts said this years show had higher attendance, more revenue, and increased vendor satisfaction compared to years past. The Thunderbirds, a fan favorite, had to cancel just days before the show after a pilot died during a practice flight. The career fair continues to grow, with interest from both job hunters and companies in search of new hires. Bose introduced a new in-ear pilot headset, Garmin brought upgraded weather and traffic receivers, and the air show welcomed viewers worldwide via a new Internet live stream.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A U.S. airline passenger fatality occurred for the first time since 2009 due to an engine failure on a Southwest flight, prompting the FAA to issue new inspection directives.
The prestigious Collier Trophy was awarded to Cirrus for its Vision Jet, recognizing it as the world's first single-engine general aviation personal jet with a whole-airframe parachute system.
Electric aircraft advancements, including new hybrid and fuel-cell-powered designs, were a major highlight at the Aero aviation trade fair in Germany.
NASA has partnered with Lockheed Martin to build a quiet supersonic X-plane aimed at reducing sonic booms to a "thump," with the goal of enabling a resurgence of civil supersonic flight.

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A Busy, Sunny Sun ‘n Fun

The success of big annual air shows like Sun ‘n Fun depends at least partly on the weather, and this year’s Lakeland, Florida, event lucked out with plenty of sunshine after a wet opening day. Sun ‘n Fun president Lites Leenhouts said this year’s show had higher attendance, more revenue, and increased vendor satisfaction compared to years past. The Thunderbirds, a fan favorite, had to cancel just days before the show after a pilot died during a practice flight. The career fair continues to grow, with interest from both job hunters and companies in search of new hires. Bose introduced a new in-ear pilot headset, Garmin brought upgraded weather and traffic receivers, and the air show welcomed viewers worldwide via a new Internet live stream.

Airline Passenger Dies, First Since 2009

No passenger has died in an airline accident in the U.S. since the Colgan Air crash in 2009 — until this April, when an engine blew apart on a Southwest 737, breaking a window and killing Jennifer Riordan, 43, from New Mexico. The FAA followed up quickly with an Airworthiness Directive calling for enhanced inspections of similar CFM engines, requiring ultrasonic, rather than just visual, inspection of the fan blades. The crew won widespread appreciation for a cool and efficient response to the event, which included a rapid depressurization of the cabin at 32,000 feet. The jet, en route from New York to Dallas, was diverted to Philadelphia and landed safely.