Photo courtesy Michigan Department of Transportation.
A sightseeing plane, a de Havilland Beaver, crashed at Misty Fiords National Monument, resulting in the tragic deaths of the pilot and all five passengers on board. The passengers were from a cruise ship that docked in Ketchikan. The visibility was rather low at the time of the crash. The NTSB is currently conducting an investigation.
EAA has released the final figures for Oshkosh AirVenture 2021, and it seems to have been a close call to achieving a record-breaking year. There were an astonishing 608,000 visitors, over 10,000 fly-in airplanes, and an unprecedented number of warbirds and vintage planes as well.
Microsoft has announced the availability of Flight Simulator 2020 for the Xbox (and we are definitely eager to get our hands on one). Thanks to the Xbox’s dedicated architecture and subscription model, users are likely to have an easier time achieving excellent performance from the simulator at a more favorable cost, as gaming experts claim.
In Hartford, Wisconsin, last week, a Piper Cub crashed during a training flight, claiming the life of the instructor, Kylie Murray, a student at Auburn University in Alabama and a CFI at the flight school that was operating the J-3. A second occupant of the plane sustained serious injuries. The NTSB is investigating the incident. A family friend is organizing a fundraising campaign to establish a scholarship in Kylie’s name within Women in Aviation. You can contribute here.
The Michigan Department of Transportation announced that the Michigan National Guard was landing its aircraft on a state highway (specifically Michigan M-32) west of Alpena, Michigan. Some of the planes pictured included a C-146 (Dornier Do-328) and an A-10 Warthog.
Pilot Jessica Cox has teamed up with Van’s Aircraft to create an RV-10 that Cox, who has no arms, can fly. Cox currently operates an Ercoupe, so this new one is expected to be significantly faster.
The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) has launched a cross-country (not transcontinental) race for electric aircraft. The race, starting from Omaha, Nebraska, and ending in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, will cover a distance of 1,000 nautical miles. The winner, based on the cumulative flying (and not charging) time, will be awarded the Pulitzer Trophy, which the NAA presented in the early days of powered flight. The race will take place from May 16, 2022, and must be completed by May 19. There is currently no word on whether there will be any prize money.
In Oregon, a Super Cub taking off from a gravel bar on the Willamette River struck a kayaker, who was seriously injured. The PA-18, which was equipped with large tires, was being flown by an experienced pilot who reportedly had landed on that gravel bar numerous times before. The pilot returned to assist the kayaker and is cooperating with the investigation, according to reports.
