Accidents, Drones, NASA Aircraft and More

The NTSB says general aviations loss-of-control accident rate is too high, and held a day-long Humans and Hardware forum on the issue in October, in Washington, D.C. As the FAA worked last year to develop new rules governing the use of small drones in the National Airspace System, a Google executive said the company plans to launch commercial drone home deliveries in 2017. NBAA called its 2015 convention, held in November in Las Vegas, enormously successful on a business and community level. A group of NASA engineers and private-sector partners working in California is creating an X-Plane demonstrator, based on a Tecnam 2006T, that they hope will prove the efficiency of using an array of small electric-powered propellers for general aviation aircraft. The nonprofit group working to get the B-29 Doc back in the air exceeded their Kickstarter goal, raising $159,151 from 1,007 backers, and said they now have the funds they need to complete the flight-test program. And Jet Pack Aviation, of Australia, introduced its lightweight jetpack with a flyby of the Statue of Liberty.

Editorial Staff

Friday, January 08, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB is actively addressing the high rate of general aviation loss-of-control accidents through forums focused on human, hardware, and training improvements.
Google plans to launch commercial drone home deliveries in 2017 and is discussing with the FAA the creation of a dedicated air traffic control system and airspace for drones.
NASA is developing a manned X-Plane demonstrator to prove the efficiency of distributed-electric propulsion, aiming for up to five times greater efficiency than conventional systems.
The NBAA 2015 convention was highly successful, showcasing new business jets and engines, indicating strong industry activity.

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NTSB Targets Loss-of-Control Accidents

The NTSB says general aviation’s loss-of-control accident rate is too high, and held a day-long “Humans and Hardware” forum on the issue in October, in Washington, D.C. “Every GA pilot gets training in loss-of-control events, such as aerodynamic stalls,” said NTSB member Earl Weener. “Yet about 40 percent of GA fatal accidents involve loss of control. We want to know what can be done to better address this stubbornly recurrent safety challenge.” The forum explored human performance and medical issues, potential training improvements, and technological enhancements that can reduce accidents. For videos of the panels search YouTube for “NTSB Humans and Hardware.”

Google Expects Drone Deliveries Next Year

As the FAA worked last year to develop new rules governing the use of small drones in the National Airspace System, a Google executive said the company plans to launch commercial drone home deliveries in 2017. David Vos, who leads Project Wing for Google’s parent, Alphabet, said the company is in discussions with the FAA to set up an air traffic control system for drones that would use cellular and Internet technology to separate drone traffic from other aircraft, at altitudes below 500 feet. Vos said Google would like to see Class G airspace carved out for drones, which would allow unmanned flight above populated areas. The drones would use ADS-B to avoid helicopters and other aircraft in that airspace.