Airborne 07.11.17: Breitling DC-3, Bell 525 Flies Again, Pax River CH-53K
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Also: UAL v Two-Year Old, Aero-Calendar, Fatigue Regs, Upgraded Hawks, Zipline Drones, Honeywell, Alaska-Virgin America A team backed by watchmaker Breitling is working to fly a DC-3 around the world, making it the oldest airplane to complete a circumnavigation of the globe. The aircraft will be making several stops across the U.S. this summer, including Oshkosh. It recently landed in Seattle after flying over eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The tour marks the 77th anniversary of the DC-3, which arguably changed the airline industry. The airplane being flown around the world was initially delivered to American Airlines in 1940 before it was drafted into service the U.S. Army. Bell Helicopter has confirmed that the Bell 525 Relentless program has resumed flight test activity after receiving an experimental certificate renewal from the FAA. The test program was halted following a July 2016 fatal inflight breakup that resulted in the loss of the crew. The first CH-53K King Stallion to touch down at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland arrived June 30. Relocated from Sikorsky's Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, it is the first of seven aircraft expected to arrive over the next 12 months. The helicopter will undergo various flight quality, ground and avionics test events. This particular CH-53K is an Engineering Development and Manufacturing Model (EDM), specifically designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the platform throughout the testing process. The helicopter will be operated and maintained by a joint team of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21, NAVAIR and Sikorsky pilots, aircrew, engineers and maintainers. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!
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