Airbus’ H135 For Next US Navy Trainer?
Not sure how viable this is with current funding climate. Also full touchdown autorotations are a cultural norm of Navy advanced helicopter training and stated as a Navy requirment. Not saying the Navy will die on this sword — the Army had no problem giving up full touchdown autos when they went to the H145/UH-72. Never say never. In the end, will NAVAIR and CNATRA have the appetite to operate a two-engine training aircraft and accept the added cost of operations without a corresponding increase in aviator production?
“ChuckCVG,” in a comment on rotorandwing.com
Uber’s Air Taxis
If I were ever to even consider getting into a flying taxi, it would never be in one that is in any way, shape or form associated with Uber in any way whatsoever. I think it’s quite obvious that all this flying taxi crap is Uber’s desperate attempt to keep its name in the press in a less negative way than it’s usually in the news. Sure, we’ll have flying taxis one day, maybe 20 or 30 years from now, long after Uber has crashed and burned trying to get those flying taxis off the ground. These clowns can’t get self-driving cars on the ground to work without killing people and they wanna do it in the air in five years. What a joke! I can pretty much guarantee you that Uber will crash early on if they do ever get these things off the ground, and it will ground all flying taxis and set flying taxis back another 10 years. The government should allow any other company, whether they know anything about taxis or aviation or not, to start a fleet of flying taxis before they allow Uber anywhere near them.
“Jr.,” in a comment on rotorandwing.com
Downwash Likely Culprit In Fatal V-22 Crash Off Australia
Bell convinced the U.S. Marine Corps that hovering with one engine over the catwalk or over the side was of no consequence and that upwash into the rotor can be overcome. All lies. The V-22 was a POS from the start, which is why Bell hired so many former Marines to dog the pentagon from day one.
“Ernul,” in a comment on rotorandwing.com
Settling in a vortex ring state and other similar accident descriptions have been used to excuse the lethal flying characteristics of the Osprey since its earliest days. It’s not a “malfunction,” it’s a “feature.”
Except it kills people.
It is unconscionable that the Marines haven’t trained against this machine’s proclivity to drop from the sky at the last minute, whether alone or in the company of other Ospreys. They won’t just toss out the whole program — apparently they’ve designed too many missions around its capabilities (or, more properly, around its promises) — but they owe it to our Marines to at least train them to fly it, design flaws and all.
Tim Kern,
Anderson, Indiana
Possible Charges From AW609 Crash
Being that it is Italy, such a thing was inevitable (re earthquake scientists). This gem from the article — “Carry out an exhaustive evaluation of flight safety aspects.” That’s why it was a test flight! To think any fault was intentional/negligent is flat stupid.
Dan Passaro, @danpass
