Latest news with #STOL
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Airborne adventure
May 27—MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Airshow will take to the skies again June 21-22. "Moses Lake is rapidly becoming recognized as a significant center for aviation, and we are excited to showcase the progress in general aviation, particularly the innovative field of (short takeoff and landing) aircraft," airshow Board Chairman Carl Poteete wrote in a statement to the Columbia Basin Herald. "Our airshow provides a unique opportunity for attendees to witness the extraordinary abilities and potential of these impressive aircraft firsthand." This is the fifth year the air show has been held at Grant County International Airport. The show features a runway loaded with static displays of aircraft both military and civilian, small and large, for people to take an up-close look. There are also a range of veterans' services and other informational booths spread out on the tarmac. Meanwhile, the sky above the airport will be the venue for daredevil demonstrations and competitions. The list of performers wasn't final on Thursday, explained Marketing Coordinator Lynnsey Evans, but the show's website indicated that some of the performers who thrilled Moses Lake audiences in the past would return. Stunt pilots Yuichi Takagi, Kyle Fowler, Jon Melby and Brad Wursten are all expected to return, according to the website. The U.S. military will also be there, with the Air Force Globemaster III and Navy EA-18G Growlers demonstration teams and Wings of Blue, the Air Force parachute team. Those plans are all subject to change, Evans warned. "Things happen with weather, or the military has to go and be somewhere else at last minute," she said. Wursten's show has an extra element to it, Evans said. Anyone who purchases tickets before June 1 will be automatically entered into a drawing to win a ride in Wursten's MX aircraft MX2, a plane known for its agility and performance. Wursten began building and flying model aircraft when he was 8 years old and has logged nearly 4,000 hours in 50 different types of aircraft, he wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. Like last year, the Short Takeoff and Landing, or STOL, competition will make Moses Lake one of the stops on its tour. In a STOL competition, pilots show off their expertise in taking off and landing within a very limited space. "It's really great in back-country when they're out flying general aviation if you do a quick landing or an unexpected one," Evans said. "Short takeoff and landings are skills that any pilot should know. And out of that came a competition ... What's cool is, for anyone who doesn't know about STOL, or does know about STOL, or wants to get into aviation, they're all out there with their planes, and so it's easy to network with them, bounce ideas off them." The airshow will also host the World RC Invitational, where radio-controlled aviation enthusiasts put on a show for the fans. Everything at the Moses Lake Airshow is family-friendly, and that's by design, Evans said. "There are less and less family friendly events anymore," she said. "So we're really trying to promote that this is a family-friendly event, come on out. We'll have activities for the kids, some STEAM activities, and face painting and balloons." The board also tries to bring in as many local sponsors and food vendors as possible, Evans added. Moses Lake has a long history as an aviation hub, Evans said, and last year the show drew about 8,000 attendees. "The Moses Lake Airshow is a vital economic engine for the city and county, drawing thousands of visitors and filling our local accommodations," Poteete wrote. "We eagerly anticipate welcoming guests from both near and far — our average attendee travels over 100 miles to be here — to join us in celebrating this special fifth anniversary."
Business Standard
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India Enters AI Warfare: Aerpace Unveils Defence Drones Under aerShield
PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 15: In an era of fast-evolving conflicts and unmanned combat, drones have emerged as the decisive force in modern warfare. From targeted loitering strikes to autonomous surveillance missions across the globe, drones have redefined how nations assert dominance and secure their borders. The current war landscape demands speed, precision, and decision-making without latency--something traditional warfare systems cannot deliver. As defence strategies worldwide shift towards autonomous and intelligent aerial systems, the need of the hour is clear: AI-powered, modular drone ecosystems that can operate with minimal human intervention while adapting dynamically to battlefield scenarios. Rising to this challenge, Aerpace Industries Limited, in collaboration with Aerpace Robotics Pvt Ltd, UAV Tech Pvt Ltd, and Leospear Defence Pvt Ltd, has successfully developed and tested India's next-generation smart UAV ecosystem under the aerShield initiative. Each partner brings a core capability--AI and flight software from Aerpace Robotics, airframe and propulsion engineering from UAV Tech, and advanced munitions integration from Leospear Defence. At the heart of this ecosystem lies aerOS--an AI-based autonomous drone control platform that enables real-time flight navigation, mission execution, obstacle avoidance, and targeting with surgical precision. The system powers high-performance drones such as: -aerRecon ARM-5 (VTOL) and ARM-10 (STOL) for border surveillance -aerReaper AMMO-R7 - a kamikaze drone equipped to carry RPG-class payloads for tactical strike missions "We're not simply building drones--we're shaping a new frontier for India's defence autonomy," said Ravi Soni, Executive Director of Aerpace Industries. "aerShield is a testament to what homegrown innovation can achieve when guided by purpose and urgency. Our teams are committed to ensuring India leads, not follows, in the evolution of AI-driven defence. "With testing completed and field integrations underway, Aerpace is set to begin live demonstrations for Indian and allied defense forces. This milestone marks a decisive move toward making India a global hub for smart, indigenous drone warfare systems--redefining the rules of engagement for decades to come.
South China Morning Post
02-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
3 ways to escape the crowds in Thailand's Phang Nga
From 1,000 feet in the air I could see where the sea shallowed, allowing the white sand to shine through the water around Thailand's Panak Island, east of Phuket . That would be a good place to anchor a boat for a swim, I pointed out to the pilot. Koh Yao Yai's serpentine sand spit changes shape with every tide. Photo: Shutterstock Then, as he banked the small aircraft into a right-hand turn, I saw the serrated outline of the Phang Nga mountains poking through the haze to the north. A good place to go exploring with a 4x4 truck, we agreed. Advertisement And that was how my friend Torben Kristensen and I decided on three modes of transport as ways in which to explore this corner of southern Thailand . Each, in its own way, would allow us to escape from the crowds of tourists that claim the area's more accessible spots. By air Torben Kristensen, a newly minted private pilot, checking up the Zenith 701 STOL plane for take off. Photo: Cameron Dueck Exploring by air requires very little of me. Kristensen, a newly minted private pilot, was keen to take me up in the tiny ultralight he flies out of the Phuket Flying Club. Although the club offers joyrides to paying tourists in its four-seater Piper aircraft, the two-seater Zenith STOL CH 701 plane provides a more intense experience of Phang Nga Bay from the air. The sun beats down on the Plexiglas windscreen filling the cramped cockpit with a stifling tropical heat as we prepare for departure. Each movement we make rocks the aircraft as Kristensen completes his preflight checks. Exploring Phang Nga Bay in the STOL plane. Photo: Cameron Dueck Clearance for take-off comes over a scratchy radio transmission and we start to wobble down the grass runway. The aeroplane bumps once, twice – a little more throttle – three times, and then we climb into the air with the scream of an overworked engine.
Korea Herald
02-04-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Hanwha, General Atomics partner to tap W15tr uncrewed aircraft market
Hanwha Aerospace has partnered with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, a US-based uncrewed aircraft company, to enter the global autonomous aircraft sector and co-develop short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft, the Korean defense firm said Wednesday. Under the partnership agreement, the two sides will collaborate throughout the Gray Eagle-STOL joint project, including on design, development, production, operation and sales of the unmanned aircraft system, or UAS. The Korean and US companies said they aim to conduct the first flight of the Gray Eagle-STOL in 2027 with plans to commercialize the project in global markets such as the US, Middle East, Asia and Europe. They added that the cooperation is expected to aid the two countries' military alliance by sharing the UAS platform. According to Hanwha Aerospace, over 750 billion won ($512 million) will be required to develop STOL equipment and establish production facilities as the company looks to roll out the Gray Eagles in Korea. The Korean defense firm added that the investment could increase if the partnership with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems expanded. Hanwha Aerospace noted that the investment will help Korea's UAS industry grow and build an ecosystem with local component and material suppliers. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' demand projection, based on the countries already using the US firm's UAS, estimates that over 600 units of the Gray Eagles will be needed over the next years. This would equal approximately 15 trillion won in exports. Wednesday's partnership announcement followed the two sides' earlier collaboration in successfully demonstrating the first ship-to-land flight of General Atomics Aeronautical systems' STOL aircraft on a Korean warship at sea off the coast of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, in November last year. 'Hanwha Aerospace views unmanned systems as a strategic pillar for the future of defense,' said Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, who serves as a co-CEO of Hanwha Aerospace. 'Through our collaboration with (General Atomics Aeronautical Systems), we aim to strengthen sovereign defense capabilities, expand Korea's presence in the global (autonomous aircraft systems) market and contribute to a more robust Korea-US alliance.'
