Between Sept. 4 and 25, a group of American check pilots flew 42 flights between Philadelphia and Edinburgh, Scotland, using an A321neo.

American mainly uses its A320-family aircraft on routes within the U.S. and Canada, but the A321XLR, which the airline will start operating next year, has a range of up to 4,700 nautical miles, opening up new potential destinations.

For that reason, pilots must be trained in new regions, including the North Atlantic.

A group of eight check pilots flew with FAA inspectors so they could be trained and qualified to operate the A321 over the North Atlantic. The eight then trained the rest of the check pilot cohort, and now this larger group will start training American’s A320-family line pilots, initially from American’s New York pilot base.

The training the check pilots received focused on flight procedures unique to the North Atlantic, the use of radios different from those used on domestic flights, and suitable diversion airports in the region.

“These training flights were a huge success,” said Capt. Josh Hall, American’s A320 fleet captain, in a news release. “This effort sets us up nicely to begin training our line pilots to fly the A321XLR over the North Atlantic, and it was only made possible by the hard work and professionalism of our check pilots, the FAA, and our A320 flight training and fleet technical teams.”

The airline has not said which transatlantic routes the aircraft will serve, though more details will be shared “soon.”

Delivery of American’s first A321XLR is expected by the end of 2025. Initially, the aircraft will fly between New York and Los Angeles before being deployed in long-haul markets.

Credits: American Airlines

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The FAA said cousins Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington violated federal aviation regulations, which prohibit the reckless operation of an aircraft and mandates flight crew members be in the appropriate places and positions upon takeoff and landing. 

According to an investigation into the April 24 incident, Aikins and Farrington piloted two Cessna 182 model aircrafts in Eloy, roughly 65 miles southeast of Phoenix. While mid-flight, the pilots unfastened their seatbelts and attempted to perform a plane swap by skydiving from one aircraft to the other as both planes dived vertically, the FAA said. Aikins was able to complete the stunt but Farrington was unable to make it into Aikins’ aircraft, which subsequently crashed.

Aikins and Farrington are accused of operating their planes carelessly or recklessly “so as to endanger the life or property of another.”

According to Red Bull, the plane swap event was to make history as the first time two pilots took off in one plane while landing in another. The stunt, which was live-streamed on Hulu, involved “hundreds of people” and took around a year to prepare for, the company said. 

Two days ahead of the stunt, the FAA denied a petition from Aikins that would have allowed the pilots to be exempt from certain aviation rules. Regulators determined that granting an exemption “would not be in the public interest” and said the proposition would “adversely affect safety.”

Aikins, who was the project’s leader and chief pilot, admitted that he received the denied petition beforehand but that he “made the personal decision to move forward with plane swap.”

“I regret not sharing this information with my team and those who supported me,” he said on social media days after the failed stunt. “It was entirely my responsibility to operate within the regulatory framework to ensure a successful outcome.”

Aikins and Farrington, who Red Bull says have completed over 5,000 jumps together, are required to immediately turn in their commercial pilot certificates, master parachute rigger certificates and any other certificates, according to the FAA. The two are not allowed to apply for a new airman certificate and will not be eligible to have one issued for one year. 

Should the cousins not surrender their certificates immediately, they will each be ordered to pay up to $1,644 every day and face other legal enforcement action until they do, the FAA said. Aikins and Farrington are able to appeal the orders. 

Credits: CBS News

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