Pulitzer Trophy Race 2025 Results

Dean Sigler Batteries, Electric Powerplants, Sky Taxis, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

For the first time in 100 years, the Pulitzer Trophy was awarded to a flight team, and for the first time to a team flying an electric aircraft. Since the Air Race itself was spread over a 50 mile course, spectators could only view the participating aircraft when they departed, passed overhead at the end of one lap of the course, and landed at the end of the race.  This is similar to a longer run for Green Flight Challenge aircraft in 2011.  Spectotors at the Pulitzer Trophy Race would have seen the aircraft a similar number of times, allowing for time to visit the static displays, which included an Opener Blackfly (now called a Pivotal Helix) and a Beta Alia. The event seen in this video was bigger than the small crowd shown, with different groups competing a worldwide series of simulated flights on personal computers.  Middle and high school students, “along with aviation-focused youth organizations,” participated, using X-Plane  …

Oregon’s Jump into Emergency Services

Dean Sigler Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Jump to the Rescue The State of Oregon might be ready to Jump into serving remote areas with a startling type of drop-in emergency vehicle.  Jump Aero’s Pulse eight-motor biplane configuration could whisk emergency medical technicians on a flight to patients who could otherwise wait for a half-hour or more before help could arrive. Joshua Kupietzky, writing in Simple Flying, cites five characteristics of the craft that merit attention.  “Quick arrival times… Serving a special niche… Battery-powered life-saving impact… Vertical takeoff… Easy to use and maintain.”  These features describe many eVTOLs (electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft, but the Pulse allows landing in the space that would otherwise be taken up by an ambulance or small fire vehicle. Carrying a trained professional EMT or firefighter to the scene along with an array of emergency gear, Pulse can have said professional giving medical care or putting out fires within minutes of setting down. Because it’s a tail-sitter, the pilot enters …

Terrafugia’s TF-2

Dean Sigler Batteries, Electric Powerplants, Hybrid Aircraft, Sky Taxis, Sustainable Aviation Leave a Comment

Terrafugia, unabashedly calling its vehicles “flying cars” in many of its public pronouncements, has floated a concept that is a serious departure from their two previous designs.  The TF-2 will be the equivalent of a shuttle bus, but with an aerial means of making a longer haul than mere in-town hops. Started by MIT graduates, many of them members of the rocketry club, Terrafugia has managed to garner an enormous number of media hits.  It even became a possible Christmas gift in the 2010 Hammacher Schlemmer Christmas catalog. It flew its Transition before the crowds at AirVenture in 2013, and was able to obtain certification as a Light Sport Aircraft since then, but with a slightly higher than original LSA weight allowance.  That seems to be moot at this point, since the FAA is going to allow LSA pilots to fly aircraft up to 3,600 pounds. Popular Science reported in 2014, “To meet highway-safety requirements, the Transition needs to be …