Latest news with #DynamicAviation
Gizmodo
8 hours ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
NASA Aircraft Set to Perform Wild Low-Altitude Stunts Around These U.S. Cities
NASA is getting ready to fly two planes over mid-Atlantic states and parts of California, where they will be carrying out special maneuvers at a close distance while collecting valuable data about our changing planet. The two research aircraft, named P-3 Orion (N426NA) and a King Air B200 (N46L), are set to fly over Baltimore, Philadelphia, the Virginia cities of Hampton, Hopewell, and Richmond, in addition to the Los Angeles Basin, Salton Sea, and Central Valley, according to NASA. The flights will take place along the eastern coast between Sunday, June 22 and Thursday, June 26, and in California between Sunday, June 29 to Wednesday, July 2. It'll be a good opportunity to catch the two planes as they will fly at lower altitudes than most commercial flights, while pulling off specialized maneuvers like vertical spirals between 1,000 and 10,000 feet (304 to 3,048 meters), circling above power plants, landfills, and urban areas. The planes will also make missed approaches at local airports and low-altitude flybys along runways to collect air samples near the surface. The P-3, operated out of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, is a four-engine turboprop aircraft, carrying six science instruments. The King Air B200 is a twin-engine aircraft owned by Dynamic Aviation and contracted by NASA. The aircraft will carry out 40 hours of data collection for NASA's Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) on each U.S. coast. SARP is an eight-week summer internship program at NASA that provides undergraduate students with hands-on experience in various scientific areas. The low-altitude flights will be used to gather atmospheric data through the on board science instruments, which will be operated by the students. 'Despite SARP being a learning experience for both the students and mentors alike, our P-3 is being flown and performing maneuvers in some of most complex and restricted airspace in the country,' Brian Bernth, chief of flight operations at NASA Wallops, said in a statement. 'Tight coordination and crew resource management is needed to ensure that these flights are executed with precision but also safely.' NASA uses low altitude flights for Earth science, gathering high-resolution data that satellites can't capture at the same level of detail. These flights have typically supported research on climate change, natural disasters, and atmospheric science. The upcoming flights will take place near populated areas, so there will be plenty of chances to see the aircraft flying overhead.
Fox News
26-04-2025
- Business
- Fox News
USDA threatens to halt Mexican beef imports over flesh-eating fly crisis
In a dramatic move to protect America's cattle industry, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has warned Mexico that the U.S. will halt imports of live animals — including cattle and bison — if Mexico doesn't step up efforts to combat a dangerous pest creeping northward. In a letter sent Saturday and obtained by Fox News, Secretary Rollins put the Mexican government on notice to act immediately to fight the spread of the New World screwworm or face serious economic consequences on the border. The USDA has set a firm deadline of April 30 for Mexico to address the growing crisis, or U.S. ports of entry will slam the door on key animal commodities. "I must inform you that if these issues are not resolved by Wednesday, April 30, USDA will restrict the importation of animal commodities, which consist of live cattle, bison, and equine originating from or transporting to Mexico to protect the interest of the agriculture industry in the United States," Rollins wrote. The New World screwworm, a flesh-eating fly whose larvae can decimate livestock populations, has been spreading rapidly from Central America into southern Mexico. USDA officials have long relied on a sophisticated sterile insect technique (SIT) program — using specially equipped aircraft to release sterile flies — to keep the deadly pest in check. But that strategy is now in jeopardy. At the heart of the conflict is Dynamic Aviation, a U.S. government-contracted carrier tasked with aerial fly dispersals. According to the letter, Mexican aviation authorities are limiting Dynamic's operations to just six days a week under a temporary 60-day permit, a move the USDA says undermines the urgent, around-the-clock response needed to stop the screwworm's advance. Even more troubling, Rollins said Mexican customs officials are imposing hefty import duties on critical supplies like sterile flies, aviation parts and dispersal equipment — all fully funded by U.S. taxpayers to benefit both nations. These delays are expensive and threatening to cripple the campaign just when speed is most vital. Rollins is demanding immediate action from Mexico, including long-term operational clearance for Dynamic Aviation, full duty waivers on all emergency materials and the appointment of a senior-level liaison to fast-track solutions. Every day lost, Rollins warned, gives the screwworm a bigger foothold and risks devastating American ranchers and the broader agricultural economy. In a bid to salvage cooperation, Rollins also proposed an emergency U.S.-Mexico summit with government leaders, technical experts and operational partners to get back on track. The message from Washington is clear: Mexico must move — and fast — or face tough new trade restrictions designed to protect America's food supply and farming communities.
