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We talk with the founder of Winged Vision about aerial sports broadcasting. In the news, Emirates intends to fly the A380 for the next two decades, Scaled Composites may have a Loyal Wingman contender, legislation that would eliminate the diversion of the airline ticket security fee, a 2-megawatt electric motor for aircraft propulsion, and an eVTOL company founder plans to be the first passenger on their uncrewed aircraft.
Guest
Bob Mikkelson is the president and founder of Winged Vision, a pioneering leader in aerial sports broadcasting and the largest operator of stabilized aerial camera systems for sports coverage in the country. If you’ve watched professional football, golf, and many other sports events, you’ve probably seen the work of Winged Vision.
The company was the first in the world to stabilize 40x lenses from aerial platforms in the mid-1980s and the first to fly a new generation of ENG-style telephoto lenses in the early 1990s, setting the pattern for today’s aerial camera systems.
Bob is a 2016 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductee and Emmy Award winner.
Aviation News
Emirates Set To Fly The Airbus A380 For The Next 2 Decades
Dubai-based Emirates has three more A380’s to be delivered this year. The airline’s president says the airline will continue to fly the A380 for two decades.
“Emirates will continue to be the largest operator of this spacious and modern aircraft for the next two decades, and we’re committed to ensuring that the Emirates A380 experience remains a customer favorite with ongoing investments to enhance our product and services.”
Sir Tim Clark
New Unmanned Loyal Wingman Design Based On Stealthy “Son Of Ares” Jet Emerges
Under the “Loyal Wingman” concept, networked unmanned aircraft would accompany manned fighter aircraft. The U.S. Air Force has the Skyborg program and the U.K. Royal Air Force has Project Mosquito. A number of companies are developing prototype vehicles and Scaled Composites might have a contender with the Model 437, which is derived from the Model 401 Sierra, which first flew in October 2017.
Ahead of 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks, Senators Markey and Blumenthal Announce Legislation to Bolster Funding for Aviation Security
A $5.60 Security Fee for air travelers was established in 2003 to pay for aviation security. In 2013, Congress began diverting one-third of the revenue generated by this fee to pay for unrelated programs. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have reintroduced the Funding for Aviation Screeners and Threat Elimination Restoration (FASTER) Act that would end the diversion of the Security Fee.
Wright tests its 2-megawatt electric engines for passenger planes
Startup Wright says they are “developing megawatt-class, altitude-capable electric motors for high-performance altitude and ground-based applications.” The motor has twice the power (2 MW) and specific power (10kW/kg) compared to other electric motors being tested. The company hopes to use ten motors to power Boeing and Airbus-sized planes. See Wright has Begun Testing our 2 MW Aviation-Grade Motor for Transport-Category Zero-Emissions Aircraft.
Kitty Hawk Founder Will Take First Flight in Its Air Taxi
The founder of air-taxi startup Kitty Hawk said he’ll be the first passenger in the company’s prototype. The autonomous Heaviside single-seat drone will likely fly for five minutes at about 1,000 feet above the ground.
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