- The RCAF CC-150 Polaris aircraft that was involved in a collision with a French air force Airbus A400M in Guam last July after the un-chocked Polaris rolled into it (see 2023-09-16 Weekly Update) will be scrapped in situ. The RCAF said this week that the over 40-year-old derivative of an Airbus A310 is not worth the cost of repairing its damaged rudder.
- The ADS-B OUT mandate for Canada’s Class C, D and E airspace has been pushed back yet again, this time to a date “…no earlier than 2028” according to the most recent Aeronautical Information Circular.
- The Canadian government confirms it is sole-sourcing the CP-140 Aurora replacement aircraft to Boeing, choosing its P-8A Poseidon to be the new RCAF Multi-Mission Aircraft. The order will be for up to 16 of the Boeing 737 derivative.
- In a November 29 update to the Transportation Safety Board’s Daily Notification Log of reportable aviation incidents and accidents, more detail about the lightning strike of a Helijet helicopter passenger flight between Vancouver and Victoria Harbours on October 24 has been provided: “The post-landing inspection revealed that 2 tail rotor blades had separated from the helicopter and there was impact damage found on the main rotor blades, the left horizontal stabilizer and the left engine cowl. The aircraft was disassembled to the degree necessary for ground transport to a hangar at Vancouver International Airport (CYVR), BC for detailed examination.”
- The U.S. regulator FAA has approved full-scale testing, including in-flight testing, of LyondellBasell Industries/VP Racing’s UL100E unleaded avgas. The FAA says this is the first unleaded avgas to pass the 150-hour durability test established by the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI), a collaborative industry/government testing program.