Coast Guard rescues grandfather, granddaughter in Grassy Sound, NJ

Members of Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City pose for a photo with a grandfather and granddaughter they rescued from a stranded personal water craft in Grassy Sound, New Jersey, Aug. 31, 2018. Both people were wearing life jackets when the personal water craft ran aground.

CAPE MAY, NJ — A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a grandfather and a granddaughter from a personal watercraft that ran aground in Grassy Sound, New Jersey, Thursday evening.

Watchstanders at the Sector Delaware Bay command center in Philadelphia were notified by a commercial salvage company that a 79-year-old male and his 7-year-old granddaughter aboard a 12-foot personal watercraft ran aground, and that they were unable to assist due to shallow water.

Air Station Atlantic City launched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to medevac the two people and arrived on scene approximately 30 minutes after initial notification.

After arriving on scene, the helicopter hoisted both the grandfather and the granddaughter and transported them back to Air Station Atlantic City with no reported injuries.

"It's always a great feeling to help people in need," said Lt. Spencer Grinnell, the pilot of the rescue helicopter. "This case was a great example of boaters being prepared and wearing their life jackets on the water, and it was also a great example of other boaters noticing people in distress and reporting it to the Coast Guard so we could assist."

-USCG-

Coast Guard medevacs man experiencing heart issues 50 miles off San Diego

A Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevacs a 53-year-old man aboard the 56-foot sport-fishing vessel Prowler approximately 50 miles west of San Diego, just south of San Clemente Island Aug. 30, 2018. A crewmember aboard the Prowler contacted Coast Guard Sector San Diego's Joint Harbor Operations Center watchstanders at approximately 12:30 p.m. requesting assistance for a passenger experiencing heart problems and symptoms of severe seasickness. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Kelley/ Released)

SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard medevaced a 53-year-old man approximately 50 miles west of San Diego, just south of San Clemente Island, Thursday.

A crewmember aboard the 56-foot sport-fishing vessel Prowler contacted Coast Guard Sector San Diego's Joint Harbor Operations Center watchstanders at approximately 12:30 p.m. requesting assistance for a passenger experiencing symptoms of heart trouble and severe seasickness.

A Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched to assist.

Once on scene, the Jayhawk crew lowered a rescue swimmer to provide care and assist the patient into the basket to be hoisted into the helicopter.

The crew returned with the patient to Sector San Diego shortly after 4 p.m. where awaiting emergency medical services personnel took over care of the patient and transferred him to University of California San Diego Medical Center – Hillcrest.

The man was reported to be in stable condition.

-USCG-

Hiratagakuen strengthens Japan’s aeromedical operations with Airbus fleet

Kansai-based helicopter operator Hiaratagakuen welcomed its second H145//BK117D

Tokyo, Kansai-based helicopter operator Hiaratagakuen welcomed its second H145//BK117D-2 today, following the milestone delivery of its first unit in December 2017. Currently operating 14 H135 and one H145//BK117D-2, this new H145//BK117D-2 will join Hiratagakuen’s growing fleet to support emergency medical service (EMS) missions, and serves as a passenger and material transport. The first H145//BK117D-2 has already entered service in June 2018 for aeromedical operations at the Nagasaki Medical Centre in Nagasaki Prefecture.

With Japan’s full-scale deployment of air ambulances in 2001, EMS helicopters, otherwise known as ‘Doctor Helicopters’, have taken on more prominent roles in the country, enabling rapid evacuation of casualties from affected sites, and providing critical care without delay aboard medically equipped helicopters, while in transit to the medical facility. In 2010, the Kansai government implemented region-wide EMS support network and Hiratagakuen became its main operator of these life-saving missions. Today, there are over 50 helicopters supporting emergency medical missions in 42 prefectures across Japan.

Mitsuhiro Hirata, Vice President, Aviation Operation Division of Hiratagakuen said at the delivery ceremony: “Operating in a time-sensitive EMS environment where every second matters, it is important for us to be equipped with the right helicopters for these demanding aeromedical missions. We have been well supported by a strong Airbus fleet for nearly two decades, especially with the recent introduction of the H145//BK117D-2 helicopters into our operations. We are confident that the timely addition of the second H145 helicopter will augment our aeromedical operations, as we continue to perform life-saving missions safely in the country.”

Olivier Tillier, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters Japan commented: “Airbus is happy to play a supportive role in Japan’s EMS ecosystem, especially with the first EMS-configured H145//BK117D-2 entering service into Hiratagakuen’s fleet early summer this year, joining soon by its second unit for aeromedical operations. Given its flexibility, agility and high operational efficiency, we know that our H145//BK117D-2 will continue to lend capable support to Hiratagakuen’s every EMS mission.”

The H145//BK117D-2 is developed in co-operation with Kawasaki Heavy Industries to deliver excellent performance throughout the flight envelope. It comes with the state-of-the-art Helionix avionics suite and designed-in mission capability and flexibility, especially in high and hot operating conditions. With a large cabin, a compact airframe and powerful engines, the H145//BK117D-2 is the aircraft of choice for a variety of missions including EMS, air rescue, law enforcement and aerial work. More than 1,400 H145//BK117D-2 helicopters have been delivered worldwide, achieving close to 5 million flight hours.

U.S. Navy Awards Boeing $805 million MQ-25 Contract

Boeing will provide the carrier-based unmanned aerial refuelers to extend the range of deployed fighters

Boeing’s MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueler, known as T1, is currently being tested at Boeing’s St. Louis site. T1 has completed engine runs and deck handling demonstrations designed to prove the agility and ability of the aircraft to move around within the tight confines of a carrier deck. (Photo: Eric Shindelbower, Boeing)

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 30, 2018 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] will build the U.S. Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft, the MQ-25 aerial refueler, through an $805 million contract awarded today.

Boeing was awarded the engineering and manufacturing development contract to provide four aircraft. Boeing plans to perform the MQ-25 work in St. Louis.

“As a company, we made an investment in both our team and in an unmanned aircraft system that meets the U.S. Navy’s refueling requirements,” said Leanne Caret, president and CEO, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “The fact that we’re already preparing for first flight is thanks to an outstanding team who understands the Navy and their need to have this important asset on carrier decks around the world.”

MQ-25 is designed to provide the U.S. Navy with a much-needed refueling capability. According to the U.S. Navy, the MQ-25 Stingray will allow for better use of combat strike fighters by extending the range of deployed Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler, and Lockheed Martin F-35C aircraft. MQ-25 will also seamlessly integrate with a carrier’s catapult and launch and recovery systems.

Boeing has been providing carrier aircraft to the U.S. Navy for more than 90 years.

Coast Guard searching for person in the water near Donaldsonville

MH-65 Dolphin ©USCG (archive)

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is searching for a person in the water at mile marker 183 of the Mississippi River near Donaldsonville, Louisiana, Thursday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at 9:30 a.m. from the uninspected towing vessel CSS Richmond that a crewmember fell overboard.

The person in the water is described as an African American male wearing an orange life vest.

Involved in the search are:

• Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter air crew
• Coast Guard Station New Orleans 29-foot Response Boat-Small II boatcrew
• Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Department

Anyone with information is requested to contact Sector New Orleans at (800) 874-2153.

-USCG-

‘Ocean’ satellite Sentinel-6A beginning to take shape

• - Sea levels are key indicators of climate change
• - Copernicus satellite is expected to be launched in 2020

Sentinel-6 ©M. Pikelj (Airbus)

Friedrichshafen, 30/08/2018 – The integration of Sentinel-6A, the first of two satellites to continue measuring sea levels from 2020, has reached a new milestone and its critical phase: the propulsion module has been “mated” with the main structure of the satellite at Airbus.

In a complex operation, the Airbus satellite specialists hoisted the approximately five-metre-high satellite platform with pin-point precision over the drive module, which had already been positioned. The two components were then fixed in place and assembled. Before this could happen, the propulsion module, which includes the engines, control devices and a 240-litre tank with an innovative fuel management system, had to undergo technical acceptance, since this subsystem can no longer be accessed once it has been integrated. The propulsion module now needs to be ‘hooked up’, which will then be followed by the system tests.

Two Sentinel-6 satellites for the European Copernicus Programme for environment and security, headed by the European Commission and ESA, are currently being developed under Airbus’ industrial leadership, each weighing roughly 1.5 tonnes. From November 2020, Sentinel-6A will be the first to continue collecting satellite-based measurements of the oceans’ surfaces, a task that began in 1992. Sentinel-6B is then expected to follow in 2025.

Sentinel-6 is a mission to carry out high-precision measurements of ocean surface topography. The satellite will measure its distance to the ocean surface with an accuracy of a few centimetres and, over a mission lasting up to seven years, use this data to map it, repeating the cycle every 10 days. It will document changes in sea-surface height, record and analyse variations in sea levels and observe ocean currents. Exact observations of changes in sea-surface height provide insights into global sea levels, the speed and direction of ocean currents, and ocean heat storage. The measurements made are vital for modelling the oceans and predicting rises in sea levels.

These findings enable governments and institutions to establish effective protection for coastal regions. The data is invaluable not only for disaster relief organisations, but also for authorities involved in urban planning, securing buildings or commissioning dykes.

Global sea levels are currently rising by an average of three millimetres a year as a result of global warming; this could potentially have dramatic consequences for countries with densely populated coastal areas.

Sentinel-6 ©ESA

AS365 N3+ Dauphin 2

Alrededor de unos 830 Dauphin de las series bimotores (o Dauphin 2, ya que el modelo inicial SA360 fue un helicóptero monomotor)  han sido entregados para uso civil en más de 60 países y cerca de 200 operadores. Todos ellos han acumulado más de 5,5 millones de horas de vuelo.

El AS365 N3+ es la evolución del N3 (1997) está propulsado por 2 motores Safran Arriel 2C (con sistema FADEC) que entregan un 15% más de potencia, además se le ha reforzado la MGB y mantiene su rotor semirrígido Starflex®.

Esta versión, la última del Dauphin hasta el H155, ofrece un magnífico rendimiento, mayor carga útil y menores costes de operación. No sólo puede despegar en IGE con su peso máximo y bajo temperaturas de hasta 50°C, sino que también es capaz de levantar el vuelo a nivel del mar con carga completa en condiciones de Categoría A.

Incorpora el sistema de rotor de cola Fenestron® de Airbus Helicopters, que este año se celebra el 50 aniversario del rotor encapsulado, que junto a la cabeza de su MR Starflex® disminuyen su rastro sonoro, además de proporcionar la máxima seguridad y fiabilidad. Los Dauphin N3 y N3+ son los helicópteros más silenciosos de su categoría, con una clasificación de 3,1 dB por debajo de los estándares establecidos por la Organización de Aviación Civil Internacional (OACI/ICAO).

Los operadores exigen la máxima disponibilidad de la máquina para la misión como uno de los atributos clave de este helicóptero. Gracias a los bajos costes directos de mantenimiento y su baja exigencia por hora de vuelo, el N3+ es el más rentable de su clase actualmente en el mercado.

Monta el exclusivo AFCS de 4 ejes de Airbus Helicopters, que descarga de trabajo a sus pilotos a la vez que ayuda a simplificar las misiones de búsqueda y rescate más exigentes a través de sus Modos SAR acoplados al FMS, con patrones de búsqueda prediseñados y diferentes transiciones autónomas. Además para este tipo de misión monta una grúa de rescate externa de clase 1 (con capacidad para 272 kg), faro de búsqueda, sistema IR/TV, sistema de flotación de emergencia, ADELT y todos los equipos necesarios a disposición del cliente.

Boeing, GOL Debut Airline's First 737 MAX Airplane

Leading Brazilian carrier to open new routes with new, longer-range 737 jet

GOL's second 737 MAX also arrived this month

Carrier's MAX fleet to become largest in Latin America with 135 jets, including 30 MAX 10s

SAO PAULO, Aug. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes (NYSE: GOL and B3: GOLL4) today celebrated the unveiling of the carrier's newly outfitted 737 MAX 8 during a celebration in Sao Paulo. The leading Brazilian carrier also announced plans to fly the more fuel-efficient and longer-range 737 airplane on international routes.

"Today is an exciting day for the entire GOL team, we are happy to welcome the 737 MAX 8. We can further improve our operational efficiency by flying a young, modern and safe fleet, while also lowering the cost of air travel and expanding our network to new international destinations," said Paulo Kakinoff, Chief Executive Officer of GOL.

The Brazilian airline took delivery of its first 737 MAX 8 this year and has been improving onboard products and services, such as adding wireless internet to the popular Boeing Sky Interior cabin. The airline is now outfitting its second 737 MAX airplane – which it received last week – with the same cabin amenities.

As part of its strategic fleet renewal program, GOL has placed multiple orders for the 737 MAX, including a new order last month at the Farnborough International Airshow. In all, GOL is on track to become the largest MAX operator in Latin America with a fleet of 135 MAX airplanes.

The first MAX airplanes arriving at GOL are the MAX 8 variant, which seats up to 186 passengers in GOL's configuration. The airplane will reduce GOL's fuel use and emissions by 15 percent compared to today's single-aisle airplanes, and can fly farther than its predecessor. With the additional range, GOL said it will begin regular service from Brazil's capital Brasilia and Fortalezato Miami and Orlando. GOL also plans new international routes to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, with the MAX.

Thirty of GOL's new airplanes will be for the larger MAX 10, which will enable GOL to comfortably serve more than 30 additional passengers. GOL and more than 20 customers have placed over 500 orders and commitments for the MAX 10, which will offer operators the lowest cost per seat mile of any commercial aircraft in service.  In all, the 737 MAX family has attracted more than 100 customers and nearly 4,700 orders. For more information and feature content, visit www.boeing.com/commercial/737max.

"GOL is a pioneer in bringing affordable fares to Latin America since its inception. We are honored to have such a great partner officially join the Boeing 737 MAX family and serve as one of its ambassadors in the region," said Ricardo Cavero, vice president of Commercial Sales in Latin America for The Boeing Company. "We are confident the 737 MAX will help GOL continue bringing great fares and service to its customers, especially with the new 737 MAX 10 that will arrive in the future."

GOL also uses Boeing Global Services to improve its operational efficiency through products and services such as Airplane Health Management for its 737 MAX fleet, Maintenance Performance Toolbox and the Engine Fleet Planning and Costing (EFPAC) tool.

ARMY, BELL COLLABORATE TO ADVANCE MICRO-UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- Researchers from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc., company, met in June to further advance the development of a micro unmanned aerial system or UAS. The UAS is a miniature, lightweight reconnaissance vehicle that Soldiers can carry onto the battlefield and deploy in a confined space.

Bell representatives attended ARL's open campus event in November 2016. Following a year and a half of relationship building and information sharing, signed a five-year cooperative research and development agreement, or CRADA, in March 2018.

"The CRADA lets us work together," said Dr. John Hrynuk, a mechanical engineer in ARL's Vehicle Technology Directorate. "We're trying to get data on the fundamental level, to build up a knowledge base of vehicles, because their expertise is in designing the vehicles, whereas our expertise is the fundamentals of them."

Hrynuk noted this is new way of doing business between ARL and Bell.

"We want new technology; they want new vehicles," he said. "Together, we want to enhance technologies for the Soldiers -- that's what makes it the absolute perfect collaboration."

Bell engineers, Levi Hefner and Dakota Easley recently visited ARL to use its wind tunnel to perform experiments on the micro UAS.

The visit was prompted by vehicle control challenges Bell researchers had observed in early flight testing. With the help of ARL scientists and equipment, Bell engineers were able to isolate their earlier challenges and improve the performance of the aerial vehicle.

"The wind tunnel here at ARL has been beneficial in providing data that explains why certain things are happening on the control side," Hefner said. "Now we're able to better analyze our tests to enhance the performance of our vehicles.

"So far, the joint effort to improve the UAS has been largely successful, officials said. The two parties worked effectively together by taking advantage of their respective strengths to manage different aspects of the development process.

"This collaboration is great because we're heading into a new design space with these small vehicles," Hefner said. "ARL has the resources and expertise to help us out, and together we can build a better vehicle than either of us could build alone."

Dr. Jaret C. Riddick, VTD director, said the main mission of this collaboration is to combine the resources of both establishments to develop technologies to protect Soldiers."

I am very excited about this collaboration with Bell, and to have Levi and Dakota working side-by-side with ARL researchers in our laboratories here at APG," Riddick said. "Partnering with industry early on in the discovery phase will allow us to accelerate the maturation and transition of exceptional outcomes from our basic and applied research objectives and will enable us to accelerate getting innovative technology into the hands of the warfighter faster.

"Bell's Vice President of Innovation, Scott Drennan, commented on how the use of ARL facilities and resources offers new avenues for the rapid production and advanced prototyping of next-generation vehicles.

"We were excited for the opportunity to send our professionals to ARL to work engineering problems with them, and bring those technical lessons learned back to Bell to aid the rapid development of new technologies," Drennan said. "We share a common goal of developing technologies that will move the industry forward to better support our military, and believe this successful collaboration brings us one step closer."

The work between ARL and Bell is one example of the many collaborations with industry and military. The benefit of this collaboration is to bring advanced technologies and capabilities to the warfighters of tomorrow.

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to ensure decisive overmatch for unified land operations to empower the Army, the joint warfighter and our nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.

LOCKHEED MARTIN BEGINS FINAL ASSEMBLY ON NASA'S ORION SPACESHIP THAT WILL TAKE ASTRONAUTS FURTHER THAN EVER BEFORE

Core of World's Only Exploration-Class Spaceship Delivered to Cape Canaveral

DENVER, Aug. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Technicians have completed construction on the spacecraft capsule structure that will return astronauts to the Moon, and have successfully shipped the capsule to Florida for final assembly into a full spacecraft. The capsule structure, or pressure vessel, for NASA's Orion Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2) spacecraft was welded together over the last seven months by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) technicians and engineers at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans.

Orion is the world's only exploration-class spaceship, and the EM-2 mission will be its first flight with astronauts on board, taking them farther into the solar system than ever before.

"It's great to see the EM-2 capsule arrive just as we are completing the final assembly of the EM-1 crew module," said Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin vice president and program manager for Orion. "We've learned a lot building the previous pressure vessels and spacecraft and the EM-2 spacecraft will be the most capable, cost-effective and efficient one we've built."

Orion's pressure vessel is made from seven large, machined aluminum alloy pieces that are welded together to produce a strong, light-weight, air-tight capsule. It was designed specifically to withstand the harsh and demanding environment of deep space travel while keeping the crew safe and productive.

"We're all taking extra care with this build and assembly, knowing that this spaceship is going to take astronauts back to the Moon for the first time in four decades," said Matt Wallo, senior manager of Lockheed Martin Orion Production at Michoud. "It's amazing to think that, one day soon, the crew will watch the sun rise over the lunar horizon through the windows of this pressure vessel. We're all humbled and proud to be doing our part for the future of exploration."

The capsule was shipped over the road from New Orleans to the Kennedy Space Center, arriving on Friday, Aug. 24. Now in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, Lockheed Martin technicians will immediately start assembly and integration on the EM-2 crew module.

Coast Guard medevacs man from tanker 290 miles southwest of Point Loma

A Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew medevacs a 48-year-old man from the tanker vessel Chembulk New York approximately 290 miles southwest of Point Loma, San Diego Aug. 28, 2018. The man was experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Coast Guard Sector San Diego/released)

SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard medevaced a 48-year-old man from a tanker ship approximately 290 miles southwest of Point Loma, San Diego, Tuesday.

The crew of the 525-foot tanker vessel, Chembulk New York, contacted Coast Guard Sector San Diego's Joint Harbor Operations Center watchstanders at approximately 4:15 p.m. Monday, requesting assistance for a crew member experiencing symptoms of a heart attack.

At the time of the report, the vessel was approximately 370 miles southwest of San Diego. The vessel adjusted course toward San Diego to facilitate a medevac.

A Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched at approximately 10:45 p.m. Monday to assist. Due to the distance from shore, a Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento C-27 Spartan crew also launched to provide radio coverage.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Jayhawk crew arrived on scene and hoisted the man into the helicopter.

The crew arrived at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla at approximately 3:30 a.m., and transferred the patient to the hospital's care.

The man was reported to be in stable condition.

-USCG-

Airbus Perlan Mission II soars to over 62,000 feet, setting second altitude world record and crossing Armstrong Line

Airbus Perlan Mission II soars to over 62,000 feet, setting second altitude world record and crossing Armstrong Line

Airbus Perlan Mission II, the world’s first initiative to pilot an engineless aircraft to the edge of space, made history again yesterday in El Calafate, Argentina, by soaring in the stratosphere to a pressure altitude of over 62,000 feet (60,669 feet GPS altitude). This set a new gliding altitude world record, pending official validation.

The pressurized Perlan 2 glider, which is designed to soar up to 90,000 feet, passed the Armstrong Line, the point in the atmosphere above which an unprotected human’s blood will boil if an aircraft loses pressurization.

This marks a second glider altitude world record for Jim Payne and Morgan Sandercock, the same two Perlan Project pilots who soared the Perlan 2 to 52,221 feet GPS altitude on Sept. 3, 2017, in the same remote region of Argentine Patagonia. The 2017 record broke a previous record that was set in 2006, in the unpressurized Perlan 1, by Perlan Project founder Einar Enevoldson and Steve Fossett.

“This is a tremendous moment for all the volunteers and sponsors of Airbus Perlan Mission II who have been so dedicated to making our nonprofit aerospace initiative a reality,” said Ed Warnock, CEA of The Perlan Project.  “Our victory today, and whatever other milestones we achieve this year, are a testament to a pioneering spirit of exploration that runs through everyone on the project and through the organizations that support us.”

“Innovation is a buzzword in aerospace today, but Perlan truly embodies the kind of bold thinking and creativity that are core Airbus values,” said Tom Enders, Airbus CEO. “Perlan Project is achieving the seemingly impossible, and our support for this endeavor sends a message to our employees, suppliers and competitors that we will not settle for being anything less than extraordinary.”  

Another first-of-its kind achievement this year for the Perlan Project was the use of a special high-altitude tow plane rather than a conventional glider tow plane. During yesterday’s flight, Perlan 2 was towed to the base of the stratosphere by a Grob Egrett G520 turboprop, a high-altitude reconnaissance plane that was modified for the task earlier this summer. Operated by AV Experts, LLC, and flown by chief pilot Arne Vasenden, the Egrett released Perlan 2 at around 42,000 feet, the approximate service ceiling of an Airbus A380.

To soar into the highest areas of Earth’s atmosphere, Perlan 2 pilots catch a ride on stratospheric mountain waves, a weather phenomenon created when rising air currents behind mountain ranges are significantly strengthened by the polar vortex. The phenomenon occurs only for a brief period each year in just a few places on earth. Nestled within the Andes Mountains in Argentina, the area around El Calafate is one of those rare locations where these rising air currents can reach to 100,000 feet or more.       

Built in Oregon and home-based in Minden, Nevada, the Perlan 2 glider incorporates a number of unique innovations to enable its ambitious mission:

• - A carbon-fiber capsule with a unique high-efficiency, passive cabin pressurization system that eliminates the need for heavy, power-hungry compressors.
• - A unique closed-loop rebreather system, in which the only oxygen used is what the crew metabolizes. It is the lightest and most efficient system for a sealed cabin, and its design has applications for other high-altitude aircraft.
• - An onboard “wave visualization system” that graphically displays areas of rising and sinking air in cockpits. For commercial flights, following lines of rising air would allow faster climbs and save fuel, while also helping aircraft avoid dangerous phenomena such as wind shear and severe downdrafts.

Unlike powered research aircraft, Perlan 2 does not affect the temperature or chemistry of the air around it, making it an ideal platform to study the atmosphere. The experiments carried aloft in its instrument bay are yielding new discoveries related to high-altitude flight, weather and climate change.

This season, Perlan 2 is flying with experiments developed by The Perlan Project’s science and research committee, as well as projects created in collaboration with organizations and schools in the U.S. and Argentina. Perlan 2 research projects currently include:

 - An experiment measuring radiation effects at high altitudes, designed by students from Cazenovia Central School & Ashford School in Connecticut. This project is in coordination with Teachers in Space, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization that stimulates student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics;
 - A flight data recorder, developed by Argentina’s Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas para la Defensa (CITEDEF);
 - A second flight data recorder, designed by students at Argentina’s La Universidad Tecnológica Nacional (UTN);
 - A space weather (radiation) instrument;
 - An experiment titled “Marshmallows in Space,” developed by the Oregon Museum of Science & Discovery to teach the scientific process to preschoolers.
 - Two new environmental sensors, developed by The Perlan Project.

The Perlan 2 will continue to pursue higher altitude flights and conduct research in the stratosphere as weather and winds permit through the middle of September.

Tune in to live flights of the Perlan 2 on the Airbus Perlan Mission II Virtual Cockpit at http://bit.ly/VirtualPerlan2. Stay updated on flight schedules by following The Perlan Project on Twitter @PerlanProject and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/perlanproject.
For more information about Airbus Perlan Mission II, please go to www.perlanproject.org.

Coast Guard medevacs man 230 miles off NJ

MH-65 Dolphin ©USCG (archive)

CAPE MAY, NJ — A Coast Guard helicopter crew medevaced a man from a cruise ship approximately 230 miles east of Cape May, New Jersey, Monday afternoon.

Watchstanders at the 5th District command center were notified Monday morning of the cruise ship Celebrity Summit who had reported that a 61-year-old male crewmember was suffering from symptoms of a heart attack and needed medical assistance. The watchstanders directed the ship to change course towards shore to conduct a medevac.

Air Station Atlantic City launched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to medevac the man. Air Station Elizabeth City launched an HC-130 Hercules crew to provide support to the helicopter due to distance offshore.

After arriving on scene, the helicopter landed on the cruise ship helicopter pad and recovered both the crewmember and a nurse.

They were transported to the Atlanticare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for additional care.

HC-130 Hercules ©USCG (archive)

-USCG-

Coast Guard medevacs woman from vessel over 40 miles off West Coast

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew hoists a 32-year-old woman from the Bell M. Shimada over 40 miles northwest of Grays Harbor, Wash., Aug. 26, 2018. 

The woman had reportedly suffered a seizure and a temporarily loss of consciousness while aboard the 196-foot National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel. 

U.S. Coast Guard video courtesy Sector Columbia River.

ASTORIA, Ore. — A Coast Guard air crew medically evacuated a 32-year-old woman from a vessel over 40 miles northwest of Grays Harbor, Wash., Sunday evening after she reportedly suffered a seizure.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River safely transferred the woman to waiting emergency medical service personnel, who then transported her to Columbia Memorial Hospital for further care.

At 10:23 p.m. a watchstander at Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor in Westport was contacted by a crew member aboard the Bell M. Shimada who reported a woman aboard had sat down on the deck due to being dizzy, suffered a seizure and then temporarily lost consciousness.

The watchstander notified command center personnel at Sector Columbia River, who in a conference call with the duty flight surgeon and captain of the vessel, determined a helicopter hoist was best due to safety concerns and medical needs. A surface transfer would have required the woman climb down a 6-foot ladder alone and, due to the potential seizure, needed to be seen by a neurologist with the next six hours.

Once on scene, the helicopter crew deployed their rescue swimmer, who secured the woman in a stokes litter on deck before the air crew hoisted her from the vessel.

The Bell M. Shimada is a 196-foot Oscar Dyson-class fisheries research vessel operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration out of Newport.

-USCG-