In Flight USA October 2024

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Calendar of Events

To list your group’s event on a space available basis, please send your event notice with date, time, place w/city and state, contact name, and phone number to: Calendar, In Flight USA, P.O. Box 5402, San Mateo, Calif. 94402, or email 3rdavenue@embarqmail.com.

Note: Calendar includes only information available by our press date, Friday, Oct. 4.Confirm the status before attending.

OCTOBER

1 Chino, CA:Kilroy Coffee Klatch, 9 a.m. to noon, Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-7576.

3 Santa Rosa, CA:Hot Dog Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Pacific Coast Air Museum, Sonoma County Airport, (707) 575-7900, pacificcoastairmuseum.org.

4—6 Huntington Beach, CA:Pacific Airshow, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., over Huntington Beach, pacificairshowusa.com. Reno, NV:Reno Airshow, Reno SteadAirport, (775) 972-6663, airrace.org. Dallas, TX:CAF Aviation Discovery Fest, Fri. 9 a.m./Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m., Dallas Executve Arport, aviationdiscoveryfest.org. Ranger, TX:Ranger Old School Fly-In & Airshow, gate 9 a.m., Ranger Municipal Airport, rangerairfield.org.

5 Tyler, TX:Rose City AirFest, gates 10 a.m., Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, (903) 566-1010, campvtyler.org. Georgetown, DE:Wings & Wheels-A Georgetown Fall Festival, Delaware Coastal Airport, (302) 856-1544, wings-wheels.com. Madisonville, KY:Wings over Western Kentucky, 10 a.m., Madisonville Regional Airport, (270) 821-3453, wingsoverwesternkentucky.com.

Chino, CA: Hangar Talk/Flying Demo, 10:30 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-3722, planesoffame.org. Vacaville, CA:CupofJoe, 9 to 11 a.m., Rowland Freedom Center, (707)449-3402,rowlandfreedomcenter.org.

Hollister, CA:Antique Aircraft Display & Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Frazier Lake Airpark, (408) 835-1694, frazierlake.com.

5—6 Virginia Beach, VA:Warbirds over the Beach, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Virginia Beach Airport, (757) 721-7767, militaryaviatiomuseum.org.

9 San Carlos, CA:Aeroclub of No. California Crystal Eagle Award & Scholarship Banquet, 6 p.m., Hiller Air Museum, San Carlos Airport, (650) 654-0200.

11—12 North Little Rock, AR:North Little Rock Air Show, time TBA, North Little Rock Airport, nlrairshow.com.

11—13 San Francisco, CA:Fleet Week Air Show, Waterfront, fleetweeksf.org.

Topeka, KS:Thunder over the Heartland Airshow, gates Fri. & Sat. noon/ Sun. 9 a.m., Forbes Field, (785) 783-0117, thunderovertheheartland.com. Thomasville, GA:Thomasville Fly-In, all day, Thomasville Airport, thomasvilleaviationclub. com.

12 Easton, MD:Easton Airport Day, gate 9:15 a.m., Easton Airport, eastonairport.com.

Sedona, AZ:Wings & Wheels, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sedona Airport, (928) 440-2508,sedonaairport.org.

Brandy Station VA:Culpeper Air Fest, gates 9 a.m., Culpeper Regional Airport, culpeperairfest.com. Corsicana, TX:Corsicana Airshow, C. David Campbell Field, coyotesquadron.org.

Apple Valley, CA:Apple Valley Airshow, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Apple Valley Airport, applevalleyairshow.com.

12—13 Hampton Beach, NH:The Great American Experience. CANCELED ElPaso, TX:Amigo Airsho, gates 9 a.m., Biggs Army Airfield, Ft. Bliss, (915) 910-6849, amigoairsho.com.

Half Moon Bay, CA:Fly-In Pumpkins & Pancakes, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Pilot Light Café, Eddie Andreini Airfield, (650) 358-9908.

14 Edinburgh, UK:In’tl. Summit on Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, 9:30 a.m., isame2024spectrum@gmailcom.

18—19 DeLand, FL:DeLand Aero Showcase, DeLand Municipal Airport, (386)345-AERO, aeroshowcase.com.

19 Atwater, CA:Castle AirFest & Family Fun Day, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Castle Airport, (209) 385-7686, flycastleairport.com. Riverside, CA:Aircraft Display Day Fly-In, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Flabob Airport, (951) 683-2309, flabob.org. Hayward, CA:Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hayward Executive Airport, (510) 280-4111.

Santa Rosa, CA: Open Cockpit Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pacific Coast Air Museum, Sonoma County Airport, (707) 575-7900, pacificcoasterairmuseum.org.

Petaluma, CA: Petaluma Display Days, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Petaluma Municipal Airport, (707) 778-4404.

19—20 LasCruces, NM:Las Cruces Air & Space Expo, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Las Cruces Int’l. Airport, (575) 541-2167, visit las Cruces.com.

Rome, GA:Wings over North Georgia. CANCELED

Jacksonville, FL:NAS JAX Air Show, gates 9 a.m. NAS Jacksonville, nasjaxairshow.com.

20 San Diego, CA:Historic Aircraft Display, noon to 2 p.m., MontgomeryGibbs Field, (619) 301-2530.

FEATURED

GROWTHIN GENERAL AVIATIONONTHE CUSPOF SILICON VALLEY,

AN INTERVIEWWITH FIVE RIVERS AVIATION’S PETE SANDHU

ByAnnamarieBuonocore

As In Flight USA has previously covered,theLivermoreAirportis abundant with growth, and the opportunity set has never looked better. This month, we are excited to talk about the astounding growth of a business at Livermore called Five Rivers Aviation. Five Rivers is a family-run FBO that is makingadifferenceinaviation,technology, alternative fuels, and emergency response. We had the opportunity to sit downwithowner,PeteSandhu,todiscuss hisideasandfutureplansforthesmallbut mighty Livermore Airport. It has been a pleasuretogrowwithLivermorefromthe timeitwasasmallcity-runterminaltothe current Five Rivers powerhouse it has become.Thisairport’sgrowthiscertainly an asset to Silicon Valley and the greater SanJoaquinValley.

InFlightUSA: Howandwhendid yougetstartedhereatLivermore?

Pete Sandhu: I think you would havetohavetheflyingbuginyoutostart a business like this. When I was a kid, I alwayswantedtobeapilot.Aftercollege,

FiveRiversAviationisafamily-ownedand-operatedFBOmakinganimpactonaviationthroughtechnology,alternativefuelsandemergencyresponse.

I started a career as a software engineer, but I spent all my meager earnings learninghowtofly.Afteracareerintechnology with aviation as a hobby, I started a career in aviation with technology as a hobby.Eventually,Irespondedtoasolicitation from the City of Livermore for someonetodevelopaprivateFBO.Forthe

(CourtesyFiveRiversAviation)

previous 50 years, the City had provided all the ground support at the airport. In 2015, we built an FBO and hangar complex along with a fuel farm and acquired alltheequipmenttogetintotheFBObusiness.We opened in 2016. Since then, we have been leasing hangar space, selling fuel,offeringservicestothosewhoflyinto

WE’REOPEN

theairport,andmanagingaircraft.Getting started wasn’t easy. It was exhausting at times. I didn’t sleep for the first several monthsthatwewereinbusiness.Butnow thingshavetakenoff,andweareproudto service many jets in major corporations throughout Silicon Valley. We are a fullservice FBO focused on the growth of generalandprivateaviation.

IFUSA: Whatareyourfutureplans fortheairport?

PS: There are tremendous growth opportunities at the Livermore Airport. For long-term sustainability, it’s importanttotailorthatgrowthinwaysthatare compatible and beneficial to the surroundingcommunities.Developingaviationresourcesthatconflictwiththecommunitymayeraseyearsofbuilt-uppolitical capital and goodwill that has been fosteredbyallofthegreatthingsthatwe doforthecommunityattheairport.

Over the past few years, we have assembledacollectionofstartupaviation companies, college workforce development programs, and public safety agencies to set up operations at the airport.

ContinuedonPage20

The Rowland Freedom Center is open every day*, from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, featuring avariety of aviation and military displays, honoring those who defend our freedom.

*Dueto excessive heat (and no air conditioning),wemay close early on certain days.

Suggest 64$5, Over6

TheRo day*,fr avariet honorin excessi tioning) reedomCenter ev wlandF AM–4:00P rom10:00 viation displa tyof a hodefendo ngthose w eheat(and condi oexcessiv ),wemaycloseearlyo ery risopen PM,featuring tarydisplays, ourfreedom. noaircondioncertaindays. RowlandFreed Airport 300County

Rowland Freedom Center 300CountyAirport Rd. Ste. C4

Vacaville, CA 95688

Phone: (707)449-3402

Admission ted ActiveD Kids4-17 ree 5and F on–y, p y Vacaville (707 e,CA95688

SuggestedAdmission Donation – Adults 1864$5,Kids 4-17 $3, Active Duty, Veterans, Over 65 and Under 3 Free

FEATURED STORY

FIVE RIVERS: GROWTH IN GA ON THE CUSP OF SILICON VALLEY

An Interview with Pete Sandhu

ByAnnamarieBuonocore Page4

CAFHIGH SKY WING AIRSHO 2024

StoryandPhotos ByNickViggiano Page16

Collaborations ProtectTwo Colorado Airports JonathanWelsh,AOPA ..............................................................8

Biz Aviation Lauds Formation of Senate Sustainable Aviation Caucus........................................................................................9

FAA Reaches ATC Hiring Goal....................................................11

California Coalition Protects AvGas Access LillianGeil,AOPA ......................................................................13

AOPA Names Darren Pleasance as New President and CEO..18

GAMA Releases 2nd Quarter Shipments and BillingsReport 19

Pipistrel’sVelis ElectroTakes Flight at Santa Monica Airport 20

ERAU Eagles Use Drones to Support STEM,Wildlife, Environment ............................................................................25

Landing Fees Assessed by ADS-B Opposed by AOPA............26

Feds Announce $2 Billion in Grants for Airport Improvements ..29

NBAA Joins CallTo Preserve FlightTraining Benefits forVets..37

National Hall of Fame Honors Seven Distinguished Pioneers ....40

AOPA Editorial:A Big Deal:One Man’s Story Exemplifies AOPA’s Great Notion

ByMarkBaker,AOPAPresidentandCEO ........................8

Editorial:DystopianTechnocracy ByEdDowns ................................................................10

Pilot’sTour,Talking About Gratitude

ByMichaelNichols ........................................................14

Editorial:Boeing,A Fall From Grace BySaadMasood ..........................................................21

SKYRYSE:The End All,Be All – AircraftVehicle Envelope Protection System PaulT.Glessner,M.S. ..22

The Story of Pioneer Aviation Ruth Bancroft Law Oliver (Part 1) ByDavidLangley ..................................28

70Years of Flight:The C-130s Legacy,Future ByPatrickSullivan,78thAirBaseWingPublicAffairs ........45

DEPARTMENTS

The Ups and DOWNS of FLight Training

OByEdDowns

REPEATINGTHE PAST

nce again, the past is repeating itself.Let’sseeiftherearesome lessons to be learned. The year was1958andthiswriterhadjusttransitionedfromthebelovedAeronca7ACin whichIwastrainingtoaCessna140(it had an electric starter!). Having convinced the FAA examiner (no DPE’s backthen)thatIwouldnotkillhiminthe C-140, I passed my Private Pilot check ride. Flight maneuvers included spins back then, as well as pilotage and dead reckoning (DR) navigation, supplemented by this plane’s low frequency nav radio, using a four-course radio range. Yup, a truly well-equipped plane. But moretechnologyawaitedthisshinynew aviator, as my flight school had just acquired a brand new Cessna 172, fully equipped with “gyros” and one of those newfangled “omni” things. Wishing to flexmynewaviatormuscles,Iofferedto flytwoadultbuddies(oldguys,onewas nearly30)frommyVanNuyshomebase toLasVegasforanaviation-relatedevent being sponsored by the Hacienda Hotel. They promised to share the outlandish rentalcostof$15perhour.Althoughtoo youngtobeallowedinthecasino,the$1 “all you can eat” buffet was worth the trip.Thiswouldbeagreatadventure. omni” was far too complicated for human use, the trip was planned using goodoldpilotageandDR.But,asabackup,Ihadjustpurchasedthemostmodern gadget available, a multi-band portable radiothatreceivedaviationlowfrequency nav aids.While not supporting headsets,thesix“D”cellbatterieswouldprovidetherangeandvolumeneededtohold thismonsteruptomyeartohearthe“A” and “N” Morse code. The darned thing weighed a ton, probably needing to be figuredintoweightandbalancecomputations! Finally, a “real” cross-country flight,givingthisyoungpilotthefeeling thatIhadactuallytraveledsomeplaceas aPIC.Thebuffetwasallitwascracked uptobeandIdidmanagetoslipanickel intoaslotmachine,heighteningmysense of personal “macho.” All went well on the return trip until the final hour of the flight home late in the day.Alow cloud layer had moved in just north of Van Nuys,andtheonlyoptionwouldbetofly on top of the clouds (so much for pilotage)usingmy“portable”radiotolisten for guidance that would get me past theunderlyingclouddecktofindahole toletdownthrough.Finallylocatingthat

hole,aspiraldescentsavedthedayandI gavemysix“D”cellsavoteofthanksas theybreathedtheirlastgaspofelectrical power.Ivowedtoneverflywithoutthat radio again or maybe learn how to worktheomni?

Let’s flash forward some 65-plus years and enter one of my most recent Private,CommercialorInstrumentclasses.Youwillseethestudentsarenow,suddenly,sittingupright,witheyesandfacial expressions that relay a hint of horror, coupled with a pleading hope that “this can’t be true.” You see, I have just brought up a slide of a VOR CDI with words like, “course selector, left/right needle and to/from flag.” Now, hugging their GPS tablets and fondly stroking their ForeFlight electronic flight bags as if looking for comfort, one of my “victims”willpointoutthattheVORisobsolete,beingreplacedbyGPSandthatany normalpersonwilljustusetheirtabletfor navigationshouldtheybesounfortunate tobeflyinga“steamgauge”airplane.My trip,wonderingwhyanyonewouldconsider replacing the four-course radio range. The classroom’s sense of fear is heightenedtotrueterrorwhenIgrabmy nearby Airman Certification Standard (ACS)andreadthesectionswhichclearly point out the need to talk about and demonstrate “ground based navigation systems.”Yup,Ilovethosemoments.

Okay, maybe the preceding is a bit dramatic, but the vast majority of pilots thisoldCFItrainstrulybelievetheVOR isathingofthepast,nottobebothered with.Regrettably,theyarejustrepeating whattheyhavebeentoldbytheirpersonal flight instructors… who are dead wrong.Tobesure,GPSbasedtechnology is remarkable and, to paraphrase CharltonHeston,(moviestarandformer president of the NRA) when challenged regarding federal confiscation of firearms,“YouwillhavetoprymyGPS frommycolddeadhands.”Yes,Ilovethe newtechnologybutagreewiththeFAA’s concernsaboutitsreliabilityandinherent “delicacy”givenaworldfullofbadguys whomaywishtointerfere,blockorspoof GPS navigation capabilities. The AIM hasquiteanicechapteronthesubjectof GPS reliability. GPS satellites are sensitive to solar activity (as is our electrical grid)andissuesinvolvingsolarradiation. OurownmilitaryconductsfrequentGPS interferencetestingthataffectsthousands ContinuedonPage9

CalendarofEvents

ContinuedfromPage3

26 Fredericksburg, VA:Harvest Festival Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Shannon Airport, (540) 373-4431, shannonezf.com.

Pinehurst, NC:Festival d’Avion, gates 10 a.m., Moore County Airport, festivaldavion.com.

Riverside, CA: Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, Riverside Municipal Airport, (951) 312-4832.

Novato, CA: Planes & Coffee, SkyShare Terminal, Gnoss Field, (415) 897-2403,skyshare.com.

26—27 Atlanta, GA:Air Dot Show Tour Atlanta, Falcon Field, Peachtree City, airshowatlanta.com.

Houston, TX:CAF Wings over Houston, gates 8 a.m., Ellington Field, (713)266-4492,wingsoverhouston.com.

NOVEMBER

1—2 Pensacola, FL:NAS Pensacola Open House/Blue Angels Homecoming, gats 8 a.m., Sherman Field, naspensacolaairshow.org.

2 Cullman, AL:Cullman Veteran’s Day Celebration, 9 a.m. to sunset, Cullman Regional Airport, cullmanveteransday.com.

Chino, CA:Hangar Talk/Flying Demo, 10:30 a.m., Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-3722, planesoffame.org.

Vacaville, CA:CupofJoe, 9 to 11 a.m., Rowland Freedom Center, (707)449-3402,rowlandfreedomcenter.org.

Hollister, CA:Antique Aircraft Display & Fly-In, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Frazier Lake Airpark, (408) 835-1694, frazierlake.com.

2—3 Fort Worth, TX:Alliance Air Show. CANCELED Punta Gorda, FL:Florida Int’l. Air Show, gates 9 a.m., Charlottee County Airport, hotline (833) 743-3427, floridaairshow.com.

4—6 Vancouver, Canada:Int’l. Conference on Graphene & 2 D Materials, 9:30 a.m., icg2dm-2024@pagesconferences.com.

5 Chino, CA:Kilroy Coffee Klatch, 9 a.m. to noon, Planes of Fame Air Museum, (909) 597-7576.

6 Washington, DC:NAA Fall Awards Dinner, 6 p.m., National Mall Hilton, naa.aero.

8—10 Stuart, FL:Stuart Air Show, gates Fri. 4:30 p.m./Sat & Sun. 9 a.m., Witham Field, (772) 781-4882, stuartairshow.com.

9 Safford, AZ:Safford Air Show, gates 9 a.m., Safford Regional Airport, (928)432-4235,flysafford.com.

9—10 Monroe, NC:Warbirds over Monroe Air Show, 9 a.m to 5p.m., Charlotte-Monroe Airport, warbirdsovermonroe.com.

12—13 Toronto, Canada:Energy and Mines Summit, 8 a.m. to 5 pm., Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel, toronto.energyandmines.com.

16 Los Angeles, CA:American Heroes Air Show, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Hansen Dam Recreation Area, Lakeview Terrace, (818) 631-8132, heroes-airshow.com. Riverside, CA:Aircraft Display Day Fly-In, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Flabob Airport, (951) 683-2309, flabob.org. Hayward, CA:Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hayward Executive Airport, (510) 280-4111.

16—17 Rockport, TX:Warbirds over South Texas, gates 7 a.m., Aransas County Airport, (361) 790-0141 (airport office).

17 San Diego, CA:Historic Aircraft Display, noon to 2 p.m., MontgomeryGibbs Field, (619) 301-2530.

23 Riverside, CA: Aircraft Display Day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m, Riverside Municipal Airport, (951) 312-4832.

30 New Bern, NC:Downtown New Bern Airshow, 4:30 p.m. (weather permitting), Union Point Park, (252) 636-4000, newbernnc.gov. Novato, CA: Planes & Coffee, SkyShare Terminal, Gnoss Field, (415) 897-2403,skyshare.com.

ABIG DEAL:HOW ONE MAN’S S TORY EXEMPLIFIES AOPA’S GREAT NOTION

ByMarkBaker AOPAPresidentandCEO

In October 1951, a young congressman from Illinois embarked on an around-the-world flight in a singleengine Beechcraft Bonanza. He wanted totalkwithpeopleindifferentcountries abouttheirfeelingsamidtheturmoilofa worldstillrecoveringfromwar.

U.S. Rep. Peter F. Mack of Springfield,Illinois,wasjust34yearsold andhadlimitedexperienceinflyingacross oceans and continents, but he was a passionate aviator and wanted to answer a challenge from a friend: talk to ordinary people, find out what was concerning them. His friend said, “the top brass only talktothetopbrassofothercountries;they never get down to the level of the people themselves.Whydon’tyouflytosomeof thesecountriesandtalktothepeople?”

AWorldWarIIflightinstructor,Mack accepted the challenge and accomplished his goal in 113 days. The trip severely taxed him physically and emotionally. He learned a lot about himself, aviation, and

hisfellowmanfromtheexperience.

IreadaboutthismanandhisextraordinaryflightintheSmithsonianmagazine recentlyandthestoryofthisyoungaviator resonated with me. Mack’s flight and the conclusionthat,becausehedidnotcapitalizeonitforpoliticalgain,hewas“aworkhorse, not a show horse.” For me, that phrase exemplifies general aviation and the work of your association. Why? Becauseamidallthediscourseanddrama, generalaviationgoesaboutitsbusiness— AOPAdoes its work quietly and efficiently. The recent victory of the FAA reauthorization bill, in which GA has its firstdedicatedtitle,basicallyasubsection of the main purpose of the bill, illustrates how GA transcends partisan politics. Aviation is unifying; all political leanings recognizeitsimportancetoourcountry,to ourpeople,tooureconomy.

AccordingtotheSmithsonianstory, after the flight, Mack didn’t make a big deal out of it, writing only two stories about the flight, giving a few talks, and downplaying his challenges during the longflight.Heflew33,000milesandvis-

ited45citiesin35countries.Ihadnever heard the story before, and it made me think of your association.AtAOPA, we don’tspendalotoftimebraggingabout what we do and what we accomplish, becausewearetoobusydoingit!Mack’s flightwasabigdeal,andwhatwedofor aviationisabigdeal,too.

General aviation can be a unifying force.AsMacklearnedonhisflight,andas I learn from traveling to meet members across the country, aviation serves everyone.When I travel to general aviation airports large and small, I meet real people who may be very different from me, but whoarealsoverymuchthesame.Whilewe may have local skirmishes, for example, whereairportsfacechallenges,byandlarge we are able to bring everyone together to support aviation and what it brings to our country.I’dliketoborrowthewordsofthe authoroftheSmithsonianpiece,andwhat hesaidaboutthatyoungcongressman.It’s howIthinkaboutGAandtheworkwedo: “His…queststandsforasimplebutpowerfulnotion:thepotentialeachpersonhasto maketheworldabetterplace.”

Each of us has the opportunity and potentialtopromote,defend,andprotect our freedom to fly. Never underestimate the power of your passion to create change. In this highly charged political atmosphere, help me and your association keep general aviation viable and a placewhereweareallequalinthesky. By the way, the author of the Smithsonian story about Mack is Paul Glenshaw, who co-wrote the documentary The Lafayette Escadrille, the story of Americanpilotswhovolunteeredtoflyand fightfortheFrenchinWorldWarI.Mack’s Bonanza, which he called Friendship Flame: The Abraham Lincoln Goodwill Tour, is on display at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Remember Lincoln, too, came from Springfield, Illinois. There are remarkable storiesandremarkablepeopleeverywhere. Blueskies! mark@aopa.org

Mark Baker is a commercial pilot with single- and multiengine land and seaplaneratingsandarotorcraftrating.

COLLABORATIONS PROTECT T WO COLORADO AIRPORTS

Closure,EncroachmentThreatsTurnedBack

ByJonathanWelsh AOPA

Airport stakeholders, AOPA members, and the wider aviation community recently chalked up victories in their effortstodefendtwoColoradoairports.

Onedisputeinvolvedtwo2024ballot initiatives seeking to close Boulder MunicipalAirportsothelandcouldberedeveloped for affordable housing. The Save BoulderAirportorganizationwasformedto countertheballotinitiativesputforwardby theAirportNeighborhoodCampaign.

The Airport Neighborhood Campaign had collected signatures to place twopetitions,“RepurposeOurRunways” and “Runways to Neighborhoods,” on theNov.5ballot.Thefightovertheairport took an unexpected turn in June, when the city of Boulder filed a lawsuit against the FAA seeking clarification fromtheagencyregardinghowlongthe cityisobligatedtomaintaintheairportin return for federal Airport Improvement Program grants used to purchase airport landinthepast.Oneresultofthelawsuit was the adoption of a wait-and-see attitudebymanypartiesopposedtotheairport, according to the Airport

Neighborhood Campaign, which has sincewithdrawnitspetitions.

“Sincethelitigationfiling,Boulderites acrossthepoliticalspectrumhaveexpressed adesiretowaitforresolutionoftheBoulder v.FAAlitigationbeforeweighinginonthe futureoftheairportsite,”thegroupsaidina statementonitswebsite.“Accordingtothe CityAttorney,federalcourtsarescheduling new cases for about two years out. This meanstheBoulderv.FAAcasewillnotconcludebeforetheelection.”

TheBoulderairport’sbattlehasbeen unfolding for years and includes a letter to the city from John P. Bauer, manager of the FAA’s Denver Airports District Office, indicating that the city cannot closetheairport–ever, “Since1982,the Cityhasenteredintoagreementswiththe FAAfor the acceptance of Federal funds for airport development projects and land acquisitionundertheAirportImprovement Program. In accepting over $12.7 million inAIPfunds,theCityhasagreedtospecificFederalobligations,includingacommitmenttokeeptheAirportopen,”Bauersaid intheletter.“SincetheCityacquiredland withAIPfunds,thisobligationrunsinperpetuity.”Closingtheairportwouldrequire FAAconsent,whichisrareinsuchcases,

Bauersaid.“Weencourageyoutoreview your Federal obligations before taking steps that are counter to your contractual obligationswiththeFAA,”headded.

Whilethoseseekingtoclosetheairporthaverelentedfornow,theysaythey will continue to pursue their goals over thelongterm.

“Given that airport closure and repurposing is a long-term project –potentiallythroughMay,2040–Boulder hastimetomakethisdecisionasacommunity,thegroupsaidinitsstatement.

In a second case involving Vance BrandAirportinLongmont,adeveloper had proposed building a mixed-use residentialandbusinessprojectneartheairport.Criticssaidtheplannedcommunity, called ModernWest 2, would be too denseandtooclosetotheairport.

Thedevelopersaidtheprojectcomplies with the city’s Envision Longmont strategic plan, which has been in effect since 2016 and promotes higher density housing and sustainable land use. Longmont’s planning and zoning commissionvotedtorecommendapprovalof ModernWest2duringapublicmeetingin June;howeverintheearlymorninghours ofAug.28,thecitycouncilvotedunani-

TheCityCouncilinLongmont,Colorado, voted Aug. 28 to scuttle a development project that would have encroached on Vance Brand Airport, a win for airport advocates who opposed the development. (CourtesyAOPA,viaGoogleEarthImage)

mously against the project after hearing oppositionfrombothairportstakeholders andLongmontresidents.

Bothofthesecasesdemonstratethe power of airport advocacy. AOPA brought 85 years of aviation and airport advocacyexperiencetoassistwiththese efforts ending up with two well-organized,well-messaged,andultimatelysuccessfuladvocacycampaigns.AOPAconsidersbothpotentialairportclosuresand airport encroachment existential threats to aviation overall, and the vigorous defenseofairportswillalwaysbeamong the organization’s top priorities. Learn moreataopa.org.

BUSINESS AVIATION LEADERS L AUD FORMATIONOF SENATE SUSTAINABLE

AVIATION C AUCUS

CLIMBING.FAST.,anadvocacyinitiativefocusedonadvancingbusinessaviation’s bold commitment to achieve netzero carbon emissions by 2050, on Sept. 26welcomedtheformationofthebipartisanSenateSustainableAviationCaucus.

The caucus has been founded by Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Boozman (RAR)andAmyKlobuchar(D-MN).Sens. MoranandDuckworthwillserveascaucuschairs.

“CLIMBING. FAST. applauds Senators Moran, Duckworth, Boozman andKlobucharforformingthisimportant caucus in support of the sector’s goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions. We appreciate their bipartisan leadership on

FlightTraining

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of square miles and many airports. Remember,lossofGPSalsomeansloss ofADS-B.Evensatellitepositioningcan cause short-term loss of reliable GPS operations.Addedtoallofthisisthat,in compliance with FAR’s, a “handheld” GPS(likeatablet)maynotbeusedasa requirednavigationdeviceforIFRoperations. It may be used for “situational awareness,”butnotasaprimarynavigationtool.

As is now being covered in Flight Instructor Revalidation Clinics (FIRCS), the FAA has implemented a new program, the Minimum Operational Network(MON)structureofVORnavigationstations.ExistingVOR’sarebeing upgraded to significantly improve range and accuracy, using Doppler based technology. In other words, switching from amplitudemodulationtofrequencymodulation… AM to FM. Most readers are familiar with car radios, which lose “AM” radio stations quickly, but can hang on to “FM” stations much longer. TheupdatedVOR’sdonothavetheline of sight limitations with which we are now familiar. Yes, VOR’s are being decommissioned. There were more than 1,000VOR’sin2020,anumberthatwill bereducedtojustunder600by2030.But the remaining VOR’s are specifically positionedtosupportourairwaysystem. GroundbasedVOR/ILSandLOCinstruments are being retained. Now, stand brave as you read the following words, but you might actually have to shoot a VORapproachtoacircletoland,mean-

AbipartisanSenateSustainableAviation CaucuswasformedonSept.26focused on advancing business aviation’s commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissionsby2050.

(CourtesyCLIMBING.FAST.)

policies to foster aviation sustainability innovation,onthegroundandintheair,” thecampaign’sorganizationpartnerssaid

ContinuedonPage12

ing you actually “hand fly” the airplane with the little “steering wheel or lever” thinginfrontofyou.Youcan’t“pushbutton”yourwaythroughthatkindofflying. The VOR’s that are being decommissioned are typically those that no longer serve airways or are primarily dedicated to instrument approaches, referred to as TerminalVOR’s.

So, what’s the conclusion? First, do notheadforacheckridewithoutagood operating knowledge of VOR (ground basednavigation)use.Second,intoday’s worldofuncertainties,bereadytotransition toVOR at any time.Third, did you know the advanced GPS/Flat Panel displaythatmayhavecomewithyourplane, orbeenretrofitted,typicallyhaveanintegral dualVOR? Finally, once you rediscover your VOR, be sure it is accurate andworking.Youareallowedtoconduct a test of your VOR at one of many airports listed, by state, in the FAA“Chart Supplement,”alittlegreenbookyoucan buy online for your region. It is also in your ForeFlight subscription. In fact, suchchecksarerequiredevery30daysif flyingyourplaneIFR,evenifusingonly GPSservices.Besuretokeeparecordof suchchecksonboardyourplane.

Gosh, I wonder what happened to thatoldmultibandradiothatservedmeso welloverahalfcenturyago?Iknowthat somewhereoutinthevastnessisalonely four-course radio range longing to be usedjustonemoretimebeforeitsvacuumtubesflickerintothatfinaldarkness.

DYSTOPIAN TECHNOCRACY

63).” Baker noted, “Third parties are findingotherusesforthedata:Forexample, an increasing number of airports, including many that are grant-obligated, are using or plan to useADS-B data to identify aircraft so that airports can charge pilots landing or use fees.” In FlightUSA certainlyapplaudsthestrong stand being taken by AOPA. But given thespecificCongressionalprohibitionsto such use of technology dedicated to the NationalAirspace System, one is left to wonder… just who are these unelected Dystopian Technocrats who have the powertoignore,evenviolate,federallaw thatclearlyseekstoencourageparticipationintechnologiesdesignedtoimprove safetywithoutthefearthatsuchdatawill be made available to third parties as a revenue producing tool or punishments methodology?

ow,nowthat’sonewaytostart aneditorialopinion!Useatitle thateventhiswriterhadtolook up…andIdid.Inresearchingthetopicto follow, this writer prowled the web for some thoughts or philosophy that might cover what is planned to be implemented at some airports. The actions being proposedgofarbeyondanyreasonableuseof the technology that we aviators use and dependuponforeverydayflying.Herewe go, let’s run a definition of “Dystopian Technocracy.” The short version is, “A world governed by technocrats that rule throughwhatwasonceacommonlyused andbeneficialtechnology.”Didthathelp? Let’s go just one word at a time, starting with “Dystopian.” … “Astate or society wherethereisgreatsufferingorinjustice.” Prettynegativestuff,eh?Now,let’slookat “Technocrat” “Bureaucrats who perceive themselves as technical experts and rule through the abuse of technology, forming an overall government process referredtoasTechnocracy.”Beginningto see where this is going? In today’s world of communication and social technology, we are constantly being bludgeoned by information sources and access platforms thatinvadeoureverydayliveswitheverything from unwanted advertising in our cellphonestoacompletewarpageoffacts throughnewsservices.Orwell’s 1984 and classic doomsday movies like Fahrenheit 451 and Logan’s Run may have correctly defined a future that is rapidly approaching.Butwhatdoesthishavetodowithone jumping into their trusty Cessna 172 and headingoutforthat$200hamburger?

Sadly,these“Technocrats”areoften your neighbors and local business owners,frequentlywithinterestinrealestate orpropertymanagement,perhapshaving theirsightsonmovingupalocalpolitical ladder.Itmightevenbetheguywiththat cool new airplane in the hangar next to you.Countyandcityairportcommittees, boards of directors, commissions and associations are typically formed for the benefit of those who use an airport and often do their best to enhance airport usabilityandfacilities,bothtonewaviators seeking a place for their plane, and theoldtimersthatmighthavebeenatan airport for years. But such airport management structures can succumb to the darkside,lookingforrevenueproducing tricks or ways to capitalize on airport propertyforprofit,oftenbycommission members,themselves,throughrestricting accessorclosingtheairport.

AOPA (and other alphabet groups) areonceagaintakingupafightthatmany do not know needs to be fought. It has cometotheattentionofAOPA,andothersnowflyingintocertainFloridabased airports, that aircraftADS-B out signals are being tracked for the purpose of assessinglandingfees.Aspointedoutby AOPAPresidentandCEO,MarkBaker, in a strongly worded letter to the FAA, “The fact thatADS-B data is being utilizedasarevenue-generatingmechanism issimplywrongandhasthepotentialto createsafetyissuesduetoareductionin pilot training and operational pilot currency.” Baker continued, “While most aircraft are now equipped to transmit ADS-B information, this practice could discouragethosewhohavenotyetdone so.” Mr. Baker also pointed out that, “Morerecently,CongressexpresslyprohibitedtheFAAfromusingADS-Bdata toinvestigatetheactionsofairmeninthe 2024 FAAReauthorizationAct (PL118-

Evenworse,arethosecommitteesor commissions committed to current “woke”philosophiesorengagedin“saving the planet” agendas. Some airport management structures start off with good intentions, but like those readers who have lived in a community with a homeowner’sassociation,thingscan“go south”intheblinkofaneye.Whileyour condominium community might seem ideal when first moving in, those of us who have lived in such communities oftenspeakofgrowingrulesandrestrictions, such as not washing your car in yourdrivewayordisplayinganAmerican Flagonthe4thofJuly.Howisitthatwe, theonesthatpayforhangarsortiedowns, or perhaps pay monthly homeowners fees, allow this to happen? Regrettably,

ContinuedonPage12

FAA HITS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER HIRING GOAL

On Sept. 23, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it exceededitsgoalofhiring1,800airtraffic controllers in 2024, with a final total of 1,811forFiscalYear2024.Asthelargest number of hires in nearly a decade, this marks important progress in the FAA’s worktoreversethedecades-longairtraffic controllerstaffingleveldecline.

“Ourdedicatedairtrafficcontrollers keep the flying public safe every day,” said FAAAdministrator MikeWhitaker. “I’mthrilledtoannouncethatwehitthis majorhiringmilestoneandhavesomany talentedprofessionalsenteringourtrainingprogram.It’satestamenttothehard work of everyone involved and part of our ongoing work to rebuild the controllerworkforce.”

The FAA currently has more than 14,000 air traffic controllers. With this year’saddition,therearenowaround3,400 controllers in various stages of training, rangingfrominitialinstructionattheFAA AcademyinOklahomaCitytospecialized airspacetrainingforpositionsatoneofthe FAA’shundredsofairtrafficfacilities.

To help the agency meet its hiring goal,theFAAcontinuouslyrecruitscontrollers with prior air traffic experience fromthemilitaryandprivateindustry.

The the FAA’s Air Traffic Controller Fall 2024 application window will open Oct. 11 through Nov. 4, 2024. Visit faa.gov/be-atc for details. (Courtesy FAA)

AspartoftheFAA’songoingefforts toincreasethepipelineofairtrafficcontrollers,theagencywillholdanewapplicationperiodstartingOct.11,2024.The October extended hiring window will allowformoretimeforfuturecontrollers to submit their applications and prepare forafutureintheagency.

Whitaker added, “Being recruiterin-chiefisoneofthemostimportantroles IplayattheFAA.Wewillnotrestonthe success of this hiring push – we are already thinking about how to meet our goals next year and into the future. By starting early and casting a wide net for applications, we will continue to make progressonthiscriticalwork.”

The job:Air traffic control is one of the most specialized and skilled professionsinthefederalgovernment.Airtraffic controllers work in towers at airports and radar rooms at FAAfacilities nationwide. Their job is to separate planes, navigate

them through weather and ensure that everyonegetstotheirdestinationssafely. Upnext:Aftersuccessfullycompleting training at the FAA Academy,

traineeswillbeplacedinaradarfacility or air traffic tower. Employees should expect to work day, evening and night shifts,alongwithweekendsandholidays depending on assigned schedules. Agency staffing needs will determine facilityassignment,andtraineesmustbe willingtoworkanywhereintheU.S. Applicantsmust:

• BeaU.S.citizen

• BeabletospeakEnglishclearly

Continued on Page 13

Founder ..................................................................................................................Ciro Buonocore

Publisher/Editor................................................................................................Victoria Buonocore

Buonocore

Dobbins,Steve Pastis

Pathak,PaulT.Glessner

Contributors............................................S.Mark Rhodes,Larry Nazimek,Lea Buonocore

Faber,Eric McCarthy,EdWischmeyer,Denise DeGregoire,Ed Downs

Gersbach

In Flight USA is published each month by In Flight Publishing. It is circulated throughout the continental UnitedStates.Businessmatters,advertisingandeditorialconcernsshouldbeaddressedto InFlightUSA,P.O.Box 5402, San Mateo, Calif. 94402 or by calling (650) 358-9908–fax (650) 358-9254. Copyright © 2008 In Flight Publishing.

In Flight USA is not responsible for any action taken by any person as a result of reading any part of any issue.Thepiecesarewrittenforinformation,entertainmentandsuggestion– notrecommendation.Thepursuitof flight or any action reflected by this paper is the responsibility of the individual and not of this paper, its staff or contributors.Opinionsexpressedarethoseoftheindividualauthor,andnotnecessarilythoseof InFlightUSA

Alleditorialandadvertisingmatterinthiseditioniscopyrighted.Reproductioninanywayisstrictlyprohibitedwithoutwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.

InFlightUSA isnotliableorinanywayresponsiblefortheconditionorairworthinessofanyaircraftadvertisedforsaleinanyedition.Bylawtheairworthinessofanyaircraftsoldistheresponsiblityofthesellerandbuyer.

WHERE AVIATION COMES

Editorial

Continued from Page 10

that answer is simple. We simply do not show up for public meetings regarding bad ideas and restrictions. Someone needs to show up to strongly object to dystopian nonsense, with well-thoughtout opinions and/or alternatives. Our absence empowers such unelected bureaucratic structures, allowing the human nature side of our somewhat flawed species to kick in and wield the power granted by silence.

This writer worked in a senior position with a major airline and managed that airline’s relationship with both the Federal government and local, unelected, bureaucracies. Federal agencies were often relatively easy to work with, as they knew what the rules of the game were. Not so with local, unelected bureaucracies. Many important issues to be managed at the local level are often dealt with in open public meetings, but the public, even local airport tenants or businesses, would fail to show up. By not participating, the citizens of America are permitting a powerful administrative state, such as those existing in failed socialist governments, to grow in size. Elected officials are disempowered and citizens simply shrug their shoulders and say, “it is what it is.”

So, how about using navigation and safety systems to collect fees? The problem is obvious. Not being stupid, many aircraft owners will simply look at the safety technology, already expensive, and use this most recent threat as a reason not to employ it. Such individuals will simply not use the airports utilizing such methods. While this writer sees the logic of such choices, they certainly do not add to the safety of flying. Keep in mind, filing and flying an IFR flight plan does not require an airplane to

be ADS-B equipped. ADS-B requirements are based upon the airspace in which you are flying, like Class A, B, and C, not the kind of flight plan you have filed. Does that sound like all safety tools are being utilized? While many readers are flying in airspace that requires ADS-B, this writer has spent many hours flying the hundreds of thousands of square miles of airspace in rural America where ADS-B is not required. But let’s consider even darker applications of misappropriated technology. Having successfully adapted ADS-B as a collection tool, perhaps our Dystopian Technocrats can identify other ways of using ADS-B for profit. How about charging those “rich” pilots for the use of our airport’s instrument approach, perhaps connected to the final approach fix, or a key waypoint. By doing that, “we get some money even if the arriving planes have to make a missed approach. After all, they intended to land and owe us something.”

Once a precedence is set, it is impossible to curtail the expansion of that precedence. We, as participants in the National Airspace System must personally attend “airport meetings” and oppose rules and regulations cast down upon us by unelected individuals who might, in fact, be striving to close the airport or restrict access for reasons of personal profit or expansion of political power. This writer has learned, the hard way, that when given an inch, an adversary will take a mile.

Let’s not negotiate America’s National Airspace System away to unelected bureaucrats that are often serving their personal needs, not ours. Negotiation is not an option. We aviators tend to live in a world of compromise.

Continued on Page 13

Sustainable Aviation Caucus

Continued from Page 9

in a joint statement.

The formation of the new Senate caucus comes as the industry works to expand access to sustainable aviation fuel, promote innovation and certify emerging technologies to reduce emissions.

The House established a similar caucus in June, also welcomed by CLIMBING. FAST. stakeholders. Together, the two caucuses underscore the value of government-industry partnerships and a shared commitment to sustainability.

The CLIMBING. FAST. advocacy campaign, an international initiative supported by 13 leading aviation organizations, educates policymakers and opinion leaders about business aviation’s many societal benefits, including its leadership role in sustainability, underscored by a

sharp focus on achieving net-zero carbon emissions from flight in the years to come.

CLIMBING. FAST. organization partners include the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Aircraft Electronics Association, Alpha Eta Rho Aviation fraternity, European Business Aviation Association, Experimental Aircraft Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, International Aircraft Dealers Association, International Business Aviation Council, National Aircraft Finance Association, National Air Transportation Association, National Business Aviation Association, Vertical Aviation International and Women in Corporate Aviation.

Learn more about CLIMBING. FAST. At https://climbingfast.com/.

C ALIFORNIA COALITION PROTECTS AVGAS ACCESS

By Lillian Geil AOPA

Collaboration between aviation associations and California public officials eliminated the possibility of prematurely removing piston engine aviation fuel used by most small aircraft before an unleaded replacement fuel is available at airports.

Negotiations over the continued availability of avgas in California have been ongoing for months, as aviation advocacy groups and public officials worked together to amend proposed state legislation to meet an industry-government goal of ensuring a safe and smart transition to an unleaded future for aviation.

In its original form, S.B.1193, introduced by Sen. Caroline Menjivar (DPacoima), would have prematurely banned the sale of 100LL at California airports in 2026, effectively grounding most, if not all, of the general aviation fleet in California and hindering arrivals from out of state due to a lack of available fuel.

In a coordinated effort, AOPA, the Association of California Airports, the Experimental Aircraft Association, the National Business Aviation Association, NATA (formerly the National Air Transportation Association), Vertical Aviation International, and the California Pilots Association, worked with lawmakers to bring the bill into compliance with the 2024 FAA reauthorization, and also add protections for GA airports to ensure they are not in conflict with federal requirements.

“Our nation’s aviation system is a

S.B.1193 would have prematurely banned the sale of 100LL at California airports in 2026, however, it has been amended to ensure a safe transition to an unleaded future, pending California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.

(Courtesy David Tulis, AOPA)

national system, and it can’t function safely under a patchwork approach. I can’t thank Senator Menjivar enough for working with the industry on this important matter,” said AOPA Western Pacific Regional Manager Jared Yoshiki.

Menjivar has committed to continue to work on this issue should further accommodations be necessary, and further acknowledged the concerns raised by rural communities to ensure they are not penalized for being lower on the supply chain priority list.

“Our goal is to help ensure a transition to unleaded fuel is made as soon as possible and no later than 2030. The Federal Aviation Administration has approved such a fuel and others are being evaluated,” said Yoshiki. “By working together, industry and government, I feel we can get there in a safe and smart way.”

The measure now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Air Traffic Controller

Continued from Page 11

• Be younger than 31-years-old before the closing date of the application period (with limited exceptions)

• Have at least one year of work experience or a combination of work and education.

• Pass a medical examination, security investigation and FAA air traffic preemployment skills assessment

Continued from Page 12

Perhaps it is a tradeoff between range and payload, maybe a diversion to an alternate airport. Even the FAR’s make it clear that one must always have “an alternate course of action.” Negotiations and compromise are the respected skills of indi-

For more info: Interested applicants can learn more about eligibility requirements and application instructions go to https://www.faa.gov/be-atc. If interested, you are encouraged to set up an account on USA Jobs (https://www.usajobs.gov/) in advance and be sure to include all required documents.

Learn more at faa.gov and directly at faa.gov/be-atc.

viduals who seek solutions to complex issues, but not when dealing with “Dystopian Technocrats.” Stand up defiantly when attending airport commission meetings and do not allow the bullies of bureaucracy to mess with our National Airspace System.

By Michael Nichols

As soon as the plane took off from Kuwait, my eyes closed. Nearly impossible to stay awake during the 20-hour flight, I was lucky to be awake before the plane even took off. If I did stay awake during takeoff, I woke up with a can of Pepsi in my hand hours later.

At the time, I did not think about it; shutting my eyes, sleeping until we landed in Shannon, Ireland. The only reason I woke up is we had to leave the plane while it refueled. Otherwise, it is safe to assume I would have slept all the way to Fort Drum. While waiting in the Shannon

PILOT’S TOUR

Airport, the responsibility the pilot and the flight crew had did not dawn on me. The only thought going through my mind was returning to Fort Drum.

The military contracts airlines to fly service members to deployment areas. The only civilians on board the flight are the brave flight crew. Without these brave flight crews, we could not perform our duty. This is a greater responsibility than getting us to our destination. Our lives were in their hands.

Several years passed before I came to the realization that the reason why I slept was that my tour had ended. The pilot’s tour began. The responsibility placed on

his shoulders of getting us safely back to Fort Drum was in his hands. Turbulent weather, potential electrical failure, nor the unknown challenges of the sky stood in their way. Nothing of the dangers of flying for 20 hours stood in their way.

This was hardly the first time I put my life in the hands of a pilot. During my deployments to Iraq, even Kosovo, we performed countless helicopter insertions, always under hazardous conditions. The level of calm pilots possess has never ceased to amaze me. Undeterred, they flew and landed helicopters under the worst possible conditions. Like their civilian counterparts, they ensured we arrived at our destination.

Military personnel, like author Michael Nichols, are often transported by contracted commercial airlines to and from war-torn countries, in this case from Kuwait to Fort Drum, New York.

(Courtesy Army.mil)

home during deployment leave, as well.

Looking back, they are the reason I could sleep peacefully on the long flights. There was never a doubt in my mind that we would not reach our destination. Never once did I have a doubt they would bring us home. This was a responsibility taken off our shoulders as soon as the door to the plane closed.

As I mentioned in “One Veteran’s Gratitude,” (In Flight USA, Oct. 2024; www.inflightusa.com) I received countless handshakes and hugs. I wonder how many the flight crew received. Did they receive any recognition? The contracted airlines were responsible for bringing us

Did the countless passengers in the airport realize what a true hero the pilot was? I would like to take this moment to thank them; you will always have my gratitude. I have admired pilots my entire life. My grandfather was a pilot during WWII. As a Hump Pilot stationed in India, he flew over Burma and the Himalayas.

I have flown several times since I left the military. Every time I passed by a pilot or flight crew, I wondered what happened to the brave flight crews that brought me safely home. Could one of the pilots I passed by be one of them? This question remains with me every time I fly.

By Nick Viggiano

The Commemorative Air Force’s 2024 High Sky Wing Airsho on the weekend of Sept. 7-8 was performed in perfect West Texas weather. Temperatures in the Midland Odessa area at that time of year can easily reach and go above 100 degrees. But the weekend of the airshow experienced temps in the upper 80s and lower 90s for all three days.

Yes, three days, because on Friday the Wing puts on a show for Special Needs adults and children. This is an outstanding way that the Wing gives back to the Midland, Texas community. Guests were treated to view the show from VIP tents at show center.

The World War II and Civil War reenactors moved their wares from the reenactment area to show center so that the special needs crowd could get a good view the civil war cannon and a World War II jeep and truck.

The show was held at the Midland International Air & Space Port, which services commercial airlines. This can create some downtime during the airshow, but the work of Airboss Kellie Hudson helped the flow of the show with minimal stoppages.

Saturday and Sunday, the great weather helped the spectators enjoy a fabulous airshow.

The show started on both days with a trainer parade that included PT-26, BT13, Pilatus P-3 among other trainers.

The show schedule varied from Saturday to Sunday due to various factors, but after the trainer parade, there was the opening ceremony with the national anthem and the CAF Blastards/Explosive Ordnance Detachment firing off some red, white and blue pyrotechnics.

The list of performers included aerobatic performances by Mike “SPANKY” Gallaway in his Extra 300 SL; Steven Covington in his highly modified Pitts s2s named the Raptor; and the NextGen Eagles, the world’s only Christen Eagle Aerobatic Team, performed by Leland Kracher and Tom Braymer. Also, highlighting the show was the debut of the Miles Turner Airshows, with Miles Turner performing in his RV-4.

Aaron Taylor worked double duty performing in his T-6 Twisted Texan and

CAF HIGH SKY WING AIRSHO 2024

his Boeing Super Steerman.

Now this would not have been a Commemorative Air Force airshow if we didn’t have World War II aircraft!

The show had the Tora, Tora, Tora, Kate Torpedo Bomber and the P-40 do their part to recreate Pearl Harbor, followed up with the PBJ standing in for a B-25 recreating Jimmy Doolittle’s Raid on Tokyo.

Of course, the reenactments would have been great, but it was spectacular because of the superb work of the CAF Blastards/Explosive Ordnance Detachment. It is a real crowd pleaser to see these World War II aircraft flying by fireballs and executing strafing runs – all courtesy of the hard work, training and safety practices that the CAF Blastards/Explosive Ordnance Detachment is committed to.

Now we come to the finale of the airshow. The main attraction for the CAF’s 2024 High Sky Wing Airshow was the USAF’s A-10 Thunderbolt, or more affectionately known as the Warthog. Maj. Lindsay “MAD” Johnson had the honor flying the A-10 Black Mamba This will be Black Mamba’s final show, for on the Monday after the show she will be flown to her final resting place at the Bone Yard in the desert.

Just before the A-10 Demo, Charlie “Tuna” Hainline took to the air in the P51 Mustang Double Trouble Two, to do his aerobatic routine, which was superb. He then exited the aerobatic box and waited for Maj. Lindsay to take to the sky to perform The United States Air Forces Heritage Flight. It was great to see these two combat aircraft from different eras flying together.

As many may know this was the last year for the United States Air Force’s A10 demonstration team. It is with a heavy heart that the A-10 will no longer grace the skies at airshows.

Maj. Lindsay “MAD” Johnson did an outstanding job putting Black Mamba through its paces. The crowd was thrilled by the dance of the A-10 around the aerobatic box with coordination of explosions and simulated strafing runs, again performed by the Blastards pyro team!

The coup de grace of the airshow final was when Major Johnson performed a mock bombing run and the

P-51 and A-10: USAF Heritage Flight @ the CAF High Sky Wing Airsho. Charlie "Tuna" Hainline In the P-51 "Double Trouble Two" and Maj. Lindsay "MAD" Johnson flying the A-10 "Black Mamba" (Nick Viggiano)

blasters set off a crowd pleasing 500-foot wall of flame. It was a spectacular ending to the airshow.

Not enough could be said for everyone that was involved to put on this airshow! Many hours of hard work and planning go to airshows.

The CAF High Sky Wing has been around since 1991 and operates the Midland Army Airfield Museum at the Midland International Air & Space Port with more than 20 aircraft on campus year-round.

The work of the staff of the High Sky Wing is immeasurable. It seemed to me that there is no hierarchy in the staff where everyone pitches in and puts on multiple-roll hats!

The hard work that David Linebarger and his pyro team, The Blastards, put in is unbelievable. They were blessed with comfortable temperatures this weekend. However sometimes they are out working and preparing the pyro field and temperatures over 100 degrees!

Of course, you have the pilots, who spent their money, hours of hard work studying and training in these airplanes to be able to put on a safe and exciting show.

And probably the most underrated people besides volunteers are the crew chiefs of these performers. At several airshows, I’ve seen, Jeremy Myers, the crew chief for the NextGen Eagles works his tail off. And that was what was visible to me, not seeing all the work he puts in dur-

ing the week between the air shows!

So, when you attend an airshow, try to remember and appreciate all the hard work that is needed to produce an airshow!

I will be there next year and hope to see you, some old friends and make new friends at the 2025 Sky High Airsho.

TBM flying by the pyro explosion. (Nick Viggiano)

Super Stearman: Aaron Taylor. (Nick Viggiano)

Christen Eagles: NextGen Eagles, the world's only Christen Eagle Aerobatic Team, performed by Leland Kracher and Tom Braymer. (Nick Viggiano)

SNJ #24: Joe Gamertsfelder. (Nick Viggiano)

AOPA NAMES DARREN PLEASANCE AS NEW PRESIDENTAND CEO BEGINNING JAN . 1, 2025

AOPA has named Darren Pleasance to serve as its new president and chief executive officer. Pleasance, who will join AOPA on Jan. 1, 2025, brings a wealth of aviation and business experience to the role.

“I'm honored with the opportunity I'm being given to help steward AOPA forward into the future, and I'm inspired by the role AOPA will continue to play in protecting our freedom to fly,” said

Pleasance, whose aviation journey began when he was just a teenager, first when he got involved in flying model aircraft and later doing chores around the airport in exchange for flying lessons.

Pleasance has since gone on to fly more than 8,000 hours in more than 50 different types of aircraft ranging from simple trainers to business jets to vintage warbirds, including a P-51 Mustang. Early in his career he flew as a corporate

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Avionics Quick Reference

Darren Pleasance has been named to serve as AOPA’s new president and CEO, beginning Jan. 1, 2025. (Courtesy AOPA)

formed to accelerate the success of mission-critical aspects of Cisco's business transformation. Prior to joining Cisco, he led global customer acquisitions for Google and served as a partner in consulting firm McKinsey & Co.'s high tech sector and marketing and sales practice. Throughout his business career, Pleasance has remained active in aviation, serving for many years on the board of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).

Pleasance often cites aviation as a source of inspiration and joy. Recognizing that many of the successful and wealthy people he has known and worked with were unhappy, Pleasance authored a well-regarded book, True North: A Handbook for Inspired Living, which leads readers through a practical guide to finding fulfillment.

Pleasance succeeds Mark Baker, who has served more than 11 years in the top spot at AOPA. Baker announced his intention to retire earlier this year, but committed to remain in the job and assist in the search until the right leader could be found.

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Bendix/King KLN 89

Bendix/King KLN 90B

Bendix/King KLN 94

Garmin GMX 200

Garmin GPS 400

Garmin GNS 430

Garmin GNS 480

Garmin GNS 530

Garmin GTN 750/650

Garmin GX Series

Garmin MX 20

Garmin 300XL/250XL

AnywhereMap ATC

AvMap EKP IV / IV Pro

AvMap EKP V (coming soon)

AvMap Geopilot II / II Plus

Bendix/King AV8OR

Bendix/King AV8OR Ace

Garmin GPSMAP 96

Garmin GPSMAP 195

Garmin GPSMAP 196

Garmin GPSMAP 295

Garmin GPSMAP 296

Garmin GPSMAP 396

Garmin GPSMAP 495

Garmin GPSMAP 496

Garmin GPSMAP 696/695

Garmin Aera Series

Lowrance Airmap 2000C/1000

Lowrance Airmap 500/600C

“I’m confident that Darren is the right person to lead AOPA into its next chapter,” said Baker. “He is a pilot’s pilot with a genuine passion for flying. He combines that excitement about aviation with leadership experience at some of this country’s top consulting and tech firms, giving him the right balance of business skills and kinship with our members.”

AOPA’s Board of Trustees conducted a wide-ranging search to find the right leader for the organization.

“We could not be more gratified about Darren taking the left seat at AOPA,” said Bill Trimble, chairman of the Board. “After completing an extensive national search,

MANY MORE MODELS COMING SOON!

GAMA RELEASES SECOND QUARTER 2024 AIRCRAFT SHIPMENT AND BILLING REPORT

On Sept. 9, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) published the Second Quarter 2024 General Aviation Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report. The general aviation aircraft manufacturing industry’s results for the first six months of 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, show increased deliveries across the piston airplane, business jet and piston helicopter segments along with an increase in the overall value of aircraft shipments.

“Through the first half of 2024, we continue to see robust demand for new aircraft, as indicated by the impressive backlogs and plans for facility expansion by many of our OEMs. Our constraints continue to be ongoing supply chain and workforce recapitalization issues, which are routinely compounded by unacceptable turn times in terms of responsiveness and lack of decision making by the FAA specialists on such things as issue papers, certification plans and regular correspondence. Our industry is the incubator of safety enhancing and aviation sustain-

Six Month Aircraft Shipment and Billing

continued vitality of our industry and to facilitate all the great innovations that are taking place, it is imperative that we tackle these ongoing challenges,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA President and CEO.

Aircraft shipments through the second quarter of 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, saw piston airplanes increase 7.3 percent with 761 units, turboprops decrease 3.4 percent with 280 units, and business jets increase 8.8 percent to 322 units. The value of airplane deliveries through the second quarter of 2024 was $11.3 billion, an increase of 24.2 percent.

GAMA’s complete 2024 second quarter report can be found at gama.aero.

ability technology, which in-turn serves as a catalyst for economic growth and exemplary employment for millions around the globe. It is vital that our regulators continue to improve effectiveness and efficiency of certification and validation processes, appropriately apply the safety continuum across the spectrum of general aviation products and respond to applicants in a timely manner. For the

Darren Pleasance

Continued from Page 18

we met with many terrific candidates, but all agreed that Darren brings a wealth of experience coupled with a joy of flying that will be critical for leading AOPA's mission going forward. We are so grateful for Mark's hard work over the past 11 years and look forward to Darren's leadership at this important time for General Aviation.”

National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen welcomed Pleasance as president and CEO of AOPA. “Over a course of decades, NBAA and AOPA have developed an extremely strong working relationship based on promoting the freedom to fly,” Bolen said. “Over that time, AOPA has been led by presidents who have combined a deep passion for aviation with a strong business acumen and an ability to leverage AOPA’s membership into laws and regulations that benefit aviators everywhere.

“Naming Darren as the next AOPA president is clearly consistent with the kind of committed, powerful leadership for which AOPA is known and we look forward to working with him closely in the years ahead,” Bolen added.

National Air Transportation Association (NATA) President and CEO

Curt Castagna also welcomed Pleasance, saying, “Darren Pleasance’s appointment as AOPA’s next president and CEO comes at a pivotal time when his deep aviation experience and ability to inspire future aviation professionals will greatly benefit our industry. NATA is excited for this next chapter under Pleasance’s leadership as a partner in advocating for general aviation and strengthening relationships between pilots and the aviation business community. Together, we can continue to advance key priorities to preserve critical airspace for all aviators, usher in an unleaded future for general aviation, address airport infrastructure needs, and communicate the immense value of our industry to communities across the nation.”

Pleasance holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

“I'm grateful for the privilege I'm being given to lead this incredible organization that has had such a positive impact on my life and the lives of all of us who love aviation,” said Pleasance.

To learn more, visit the AOPA website, aopa.org.

Helicopter shipments through the second quarter of 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, saw piston helicopter deliveries increase 2.7 percent with 115 units, and turbine helicopter deliveries decrease 7.7 percent with 313 units. The value of helicopter deliveries was $1.7 billion.

To learn more, visit the GAMA website a gama.aero.

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Castle Air Museum, adjacent to Castle Airport (MER) is in its 41st year of operation, and has become the West Coast’s largest static display of vintage military aircraft dating back from the late 1930’s. With over 80 aircraft in the collection and more due soon, such as the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk and FA-18 Blue Angel Aircraft, the Museum is situated on 31 acres, 25 of which are currently occupied by aircraft. The most comprehensive collection of WWII Bombers, from the Douglas B-18 Bolo to the mammoth Convair RB-36 Peacemaker, B-52D Stratofortress

view aircraft from the Lockheed F-80 to the General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon.

The Museum is located at 5050 Santa Fe Dr., Atwater, CA 95301, and open daily 9 am to 4 pm, with last admission to the Aircraft Exhibit Grounds at 3:15 daily.

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For more information, please call 209-723-2178 or visit www.castleairmuseum.org.

AH-1W Cobra Boeing B-52D

SH-60B Seahawk FA-18 Blue Angel 2 F-15A and F-16A

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Cover Story: Five Rivers Aviation

Continued from Page 4

Each brings huge benefits to the community. We have research jobs for new and innovative emission-free and silent aviation. We have job training in aviation fields that allow kids that grow up here to be able to afford to live here. We have medical, fire, police, and rescue equipment from local, regional, state, and federal agencies coming to Livermore.

We’re also building facilities for our local large employers to facilitate their ability to run their businesses as well as attract other employers to our region. The valuable aviation assets that they stage at our airport contribute generously to our local property tax revenues for our schools and municipal resources without adding new expenses.

IFUSA: What are your opinions on the state of aviation fuels?

PS: It is unfortunate that many government leaders use lead as a reason to attack general aviation airports. Even airports that have no leaded fuels, like ReidHillview are under continued attack. Clearly, the issue is not the use of the fuels. We’ve introduced lead-free aviation fuels to Livermore as well. Additionally, some of these new companies that are moving to Livermore are developing silent, emissions free, electric aircraft. We’re developing battery charging stations and hydrogen refueling capabilities in Livermore to support these battery and fuel cell electric aircraft. There is even a plan to produce the hydrogen from renewable energy and wastewater from our treatment plant. We would actually be making clean aviation fuel for silent aircraft right here on the airport property.

IFUSA: How are you making the airport more of a community asset?

PS: General aviation airports have always been a community asset. They help attract and retain our most valued employers. Public safety agencies like the

Sheriff’s department and the East Bay Regional Parks District have had an enormous impact on the safety of our valley. They’ve rescued hikers missing for over three days. This summer, the Parks District’s helicopters have put out nearly all the fires that started in the valley before they became larger fires. The two agencies have been cross training their air unit staff and now our local police chief wants to train his officers to be Technical Flight Officers. These air assets have been force multipliers for their respective agencies. The flight crews are getting emergency medical training and they are pursuing lifesaving equipment for rescues and emergency medical transport. Our area lacks nearby trauma centers and heavy daily traffic ties up the only two ambulances that can transport trauma patients to hospitals outside of our valley. By staging helicopters here, we can transport those patients to lifesaving care within a few minutes while at the same time, keeping those ambulances available in our neighborhoods. Frequently, we also facilitate organ transplant transportation in Livermore. Transplant flights typically happen in the middle of the night and use jet aircraft to whisk organs with very limited shelf lives to and from patients.

IFUSA: What do you like most about running an FBO?

PS: I love doing what I do. We offer a comfortable place for pilots and passengers of planes and jets. Running the airport is an important leadership position in the community. I spend a lot of time presenting to business, environmental, youth, and community groups. We love being part of life-saving missions, whether its fires or organ donations. Five Rivers has brought a lot of business to the Livermore Airport, and we look forward to continuing this growth.

IFUSA: How is aviation becoming

more environmentally sustainable?

PS: With hydrogen and electric aircraft, aviation is becoming very sustainable, as I said in the previous question. We have ZeroAvia here at the airport, and they are producing hydrogen fuel cell electric aircraft. We also have plans to make our own hydrogen fuel with water from wastewater that would otherwise be discharged into the bay. We will soon become a port for air taxis, which are like flying Uber cars. Those are fully electric and can make commuting far more sustainable, especially in places like Silicon Valley where traffic is so problematic.

IFUSA: How is aviation becoming more cost effective?

PS: It is true that many people complain about the high costs associated with flight training and aviation. We’re looking to address it in the short term with programs from our community college. As flying taxis become more prevalent, operational costs are going to go way down. It will cost about as much as an Uber or Lyft ride to use one of these air taxis. With low operational costs and increased automation, it will become easier to become a pilot. Air taxis are creating a more affordable pathway to aviation for both pilots and passengers.

IFUSA: Do you have anything else you would like to add?

PS: The introduction Urban Air Mobility with battery electric aircraft will transform airports going forward. Not only are they pollution free and quiet, but they offer relatively inexpensive transportation to a wide demographic. More people in the community will find utility from their local airport because they are taking advantage of these remarkably fast and convenient aircraft to zip them to work or to catch a flight on a large legacy airline jet. These flights will cost about as much as an Uber or Lyft ride, but it

Rivers Aviation is a comfortable place for pilots and passengers of planes and jets… plenty of leg room from these comfy airline seats in the lobby

(Courtesy Five Rivers Aviation)

Since opening in 2016, Five Rivers Aviation has been leasing hangar space, selling fuel and offering services to those who fly into the Livermore Airport, as well as managing aircraft.

(Courtesy Five Rivers Aviation)

will take just a few minutes instead of one to two hours. Those neighborhoods that seek to close small airports are shortsighted and may regret it later.

IFUSA: Thank you!

PIPISTREL’S VELIS ELECTRO TAKES FLIGHTAT SANTA MONICA AIRPORTTO SUPPORT TRAININGTHE NEXT GENERATIONOF AVIATION PROFESSIONALS

Pipistrel, a Textron Inc. company, on Sept. 24 announced that the Eco-Aviation Foundation International, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to promoting clean and quiet aviation worldwide, has taken delivery of the first Velis Electro to be used for flight training purposes under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness exemption. The purchase makes the Velis Electro the first FAAexempt light sport electric aircraft at the Santa Monica Airport in California.

The Pipistrel Velis Electro is quiet, producing noise levels of only 60 deci-

bels, low cost and user-friendly, making it an ideal solution for flight training with zero carbon emissions. The Foundation is expecting the arrival of its second Velis Electro in November.

In addition to facilitating the purchase of the Velis Electro, the Eco-Aviation Foundation is launching an Eco Flight Ground School, as well as an associated scholarship initiative in collaboration with local youth-focused community centers. These scholarships will fully fund Private Pilot ground school courses, including the complete FAA-approved curriculum and

training on electric aircraft technologies. Additionally, scholarship recipients will have the cost of their FAA written test at a local testing center covered.

The Velis Electro aligns with the Foundation’s mission to promote electric aviation and to provide eco-friendly flight training, with a focus on young adults in underserved communities. The Eco Flight Ground School scholarships, in partnership with community youth organizations, open up a wide array of career opportunities in aviation and aerospace for students.

Continued on Page 21

Eco-Aviation Foundation International took delivery on Sept. 24 of the first Pipistrel Velis Electro to be used for flight training purposes under an FAA airworthiness exemption at the Santa Monica Airport in California. (Courtesy Pipistrel)

Five

area.

By Saad Masood

QEDITORIAL: BOEING – A FALL FROM GRACE

uarter 1 2024: Jan 5, rear door plug violently expels from an Alaska Airlines plane with 171 passengers and six crew members aboard. Jan 8, airlines find more loose parts while a lawsuit alleges “excessive amount of defects” at key Boeing supplier. Jan 16, apparent Boeing insider blames company for door plug issue. Feb 6, an NTSB preliminary report says missing bolts were probable cause. Feb 21, head of 737 MAX program departs in shakeup. March 4, FAA audit slams Boeing. March 9, a Boeing whistleblower is found dead.

This harrowing sequence of events could easily be that of a Hollywood survival flick but for Boeing, alas it isn’t! All this, after five years of Boeing losing two brand new 737 Max planes in almost identical accidents that cost 346 lives. Throughout this time, regulators have been pushing Boeing for “systemic change” to rebuild confidence in its planes, but these efforts have been hamstrung by missing documents, alleged lack of transparency, supposed confusing safety procedures and inherent inertia.

The bottom line? For Boeing – the 737 MAX, once hailed as a technological marvel, became a symbol of corporate misconduct, policy failures and regulatory issues! Where did it all go wrong? Consider.

Perhaps the greatest policy failing was to propagate a culture of speed over safety at Boeing. While it is true that a profit-oriented organization will always chase the money, it is expected to do so not at the cost of diligence – especially by the likes of global behemoths such as Boeing! The company was facing immense competitive pressure from its European rival Airbus and thus squeezed its Go-ToMarket (GTM) timelines to get ahead of the competition and made decisions that may have compromised safety. This was evident in the findings of an expert panel reviewing Boeing’s safety management processes where it observed a “discon-

Continued from Page 20

“This aircraft is not just a symbol of innovation and the future of clean aviation, but a functional tool to empower the next generation of aviation professionals,” said Scott Burgess, President of Eco-Aviation Foundation International. “While we’re proud to launch these efforts in Santa Monica, we anticipate that flight schools everywhere will embrace this opportunity to engage in

nect” between senior management and employees on safety culture. It not only found “a lack of awareness of safety-related metrics at all levels of the organization” but also cited an “inadequate and confusing implementation of the components of a positive safety culture.”

Maybe the root of this issue can be traced back to the merger of Boeing with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Before that, and even since its inception in 1916, Boeing was an engineering-focused firm specializing in design, manufacture and sale of aircraft. After the merger, strategic conflicts arose between Boeing’s engineering slant and McDonell Douglas’ finance and marketing bent. This resulted in a change of priorities and a shift from engineering to finance. Business performance metrics such as ROI, cost efficiency, and GTM began to take precedence over engineering diligence, effective production process designs, and efficient supplier management. This paradigm shift unfortunately significantly influenced the development approach for the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner.

Moreover, in order to gain momentum, Boeing also embarked on a policy of reuse with a strategy called “derivative design.” This meant that the 737 MAX could be produced as a direct upgrade to the existing 737 model. The benefit? Avoid the lengthy and costly process of developing a new aircraft from scratch. Though, this also introduced significant technical challenges, chief amongst them was the integration of new, more powerful engines that required changes to the aircraft’s design to prevent stalling.

The FAA itself has not covered itself in glory during this sad saga. There has been clamour about conflict of interest involving both parties, Boeing and the FAA. And it isn’t without merit! In one case, the agency delegated much of the certification process to Boeing itself, leaving the notions of independence and objectivity in the dust. Also, the agency failed to sufficiently comprehend the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmen-

similar efforts. The Foundation plans to help facilitate many of these initiatives.”

In addition to the Eco Flight Ground School and flight training, “discovery flights” in the Velis Electro will provide hands-on, educational experiences for students and others in the community. These flights are designed to inspire and educate community members about the possibilities within the aviation sector, particularly those who may not have previously con-

tation System (MCAS) and its potential risks, in most cases relying very heavily on data provided by the manufacturer. Critics correctly argue that the FAA was just too closely aligned with Boeing, a phenomenon known as “regulatory capture,” to carry out proper oversight.

The MCAS, developed to address the stalling issue and automatically pitch the nose of the aircraft down in certain flight conditions, was intended to be a safety feature but was later discovered to be invokable by faulty sensor data, leading to unintended and potentially catastrophic consequences. For Boeing’s part, it presented the MCAS as a small functionality while in reality, it was anything but!

In today’s corporate environment “speak up” culture is flourishing where all employees are encouraged to spot and report unethical behavior. It seems that in the instance of Boeing, it may not have been the case. Over the last three years, around 32 whistleblowers have come forth to highlight irregularities and even unethical behavior albeit mainly unsubstantiated. These focus on three areas: One, faulty or non-conforming parts used in aircrafts particularly in 737 MAX; Two, concerns about substandard design and their potential safety implications, especially in the 787 Dreamliner; Three, insufficient quality control processes and procedures which led to production of defective airplanes. In return, the whistleblowers have been subjected to firings, demotions, hostile work environment, protracted legal battles and in some tragic circumstances, death – raising concerns about potential foul play.

Since this sordid tale was unearthed, Boeing has attempted to clean up its act. Top leadership and management structure has been reorganized to signal the intent towards change and better oversight and accountability. There is a renewed focus on safety and quality control along with implementing new procedures and training programs. Boeing has reached settlements with regulators such as the FAA to

sidered it as a viable career path.

“We are proud to see the Pipistrel Velis Electro being used to train students, preparing them for the future of aviation,” said Tricia Steel, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for Textron eAviation Inc. “This Eco-Aviation Foundation International’s initiative not only equips future aviators with experience on next-generation power systems, but also plays a crucial role in creating

Delta Air Lines is among several commercial airlines that use Boeing 737 MAX Jets. (Courtesy Boeing)

address issues, particularly related to the 737 MAX. Large agreements have been made to pay billions of dollars as compensation to the families of victims. Significant changes to aircraft design have been made, including updates to software and hardware. “Speak up” culture is encouraged at all levels.

These are great initiatives but Boeing still has a long way to go for changes to stick; policy decisions have to be reevaluated and reinforced starting with a shift back to being engineered centric rather than being finance led. Once this policy takes hold, four underlying strategies can ensure longevity of this approach: One – enhanced safety and quality control entailing rigorous testing, independent oversight and supplier accountability; Two – improved governance including increased transparency, compensation aligned to safety metrics and board composition skewed towards engineering and compliance; Three –investment in R&D while taking a longterm perspective and putting innovation at the heart of the safety culture; Four –enhanced regulatory framework, which focuses on strict adherence to all governing requirements, proactive engagement with watch dogs, and continual improvement in corporate culture. Boeing needs to play the long game. After all, perception is reality and for Boeing, whatever the reality may be, its tarnished perception will take time to recover.

cleaner and quieter communities. This purchase underscores another step forward in the continued adoption of sustainable solutions worldwide.”

Earlier this year, the FAA granted a light-sport aircraft (LSA) airworthiness exemption for the Pipistrel Velis Electro, enabling flight training in an electric aircraft within the United States.

For more information, visit: www.pipistrel-aircraft.com.

Pipistrel’s Velis Electro

SKYRYSE: THE END ALL, BE ALL - AIRCRAFT VEHICLE

ENVELOPE PROTECTION SYSTEM

By Paul T. Glessner, M.S.

Imet with SKYRYSE’s Ray Wert, Director of Communications, and Cal Cruickshank, Aircraft Sales representative, at their EAA AirVenture booth this past month. I was captivated by founder Mark Groden’s mantra to “eliminate GA fatalities to zero.” Make air vehicles (airplanes, helicopters, etc.) robustly safe to fly. Imagine. That is a simple but significant vision to accomplish.

SKYRYSE, to me, went after the harder of the two, rotary versus fixed wing, by taking their seven years of research developing their SkyOS triple redundant, fly-by-wire flight control system’s control laws and hardware and applying it to an IFR capable Robinson R-66 helicopter. While I did not sit down and go over any equations with the onsite engineers, let the flying, err, simulation lead my personal vote as to their level of quality. I was excited to uncover their efforts in my simulator session.

Cal escorted me into the enclosed modular simulator room and gave me some general background of their SkyOS. While I am a fixed wing commercially certificated pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings and a GIV SIC on my certificate, I am far from the helicopter professional. That said, I understand the basics having taken a V/STOL class with Dr. Eisenhuth at Penn State University, two internships at Boeing-Vertol Helicopters, and flight tested the military version of Sikorsky’s

S-92 for the Canadian Military called the Cyclone CH-148 at Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach Flight Testing Facility back in 2009-10.

No one was approved to take pictures or recordings in the sim room. That being said, I was unable to record my sim session that lasted 30 minutes but let me try and describe the cockpit. It is a typical side-by-side, two seat layout up front and where the collective/throttle and rudder pedals would normally reside, left side of the seat and in front of one’s feet, respectively, were all combined and located in a single stick or inceptor located in center console; pilot’s left. Now, that single stick would rotate in place, left and right for yaw/directional control, and bend, fore and aft, and left and right, to tilt the rotor’s disk as desired like a cyclic. The combined throttle and collective was commanded by one’s left thumb on the forward/aft moving ‘thumb lever’ atop of the stick (see the associated picture). It will do all the blending for you regarding throttle and collective blade angle.

Now the pilots’ instrumentation are touchscreens located at the forward end of the console as depicted in the accompanying picture – Primary Flight Display (PFD) top and the Multi-Function Display (MFD) bottom. The PFD depicts typical parameters such as bank, heading, altitude, airspeed, and critical engine parameters, etc. The MFD displays an incredible amount of the vehicle’s system information: all engine parameters, circuit breakers besides synthetic vision with terrain

AIRMAN RESCUES 79-YEAR

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Troy May, 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron heavy aircraft integrated avionics specialist, carried Ursula Bannister, a 79-year-old Tacoma resident on his back while Layton Allen and others follow and assist Bannister on the High Rock trail near Ashford, Washington, Aug. 28, 2024.

Members of the group found

clearance, flight plans, auto-flight features or their autopilot, dedicated emergency page, airport diagrams, etc. The system has a full authority engine start algorithm making that part of the ‘pre-flight,’ of sorts, a non-event. I was able to easily lift off and set power, speed, bank and directional orientation with the incredible single inceptor. We covered automated auto-rotations, auto set-down and takeoff, traffic pattern work, pedal turns using a single control stick, no anti-torque pedals, and dynamic envelope protection, especially the ubiquitous VRS (Vortex Ring State) and its prevention whereby the SkyOS will keep the craft below 30kts and a descent rate of only 300fpm thus adequately protecting one from VRS! Great. Hover assist mode, it will not let you smack into the ground while exploiting its Auto Set Down mode. Precision mode allows one to fly the vehicle manually like a regular helicopter for unique landings on slopes and such.

The only drawback that stood out to me was how my right hand, while seated

in the right pilot seat, had to be brought across my body to touch the MFD on console to pilot’s left to change the various SkyOS modes. I found that having to pull my body forward then ‘luckily’ touch a small area of the screen to make any mode change was – inefficient to me. Add turbulence and it will be pretty dicey to pick what one desires at the first attempt thus I suggested that the right-hand armrest could/should have a solid, non-moving HOTAS (Hand On Throttle And Stick) of sorts. Atop of it would be a coolie hat that is also a push button for cursor control, as well. There, one can drive a cursor exactly where one desires, saving the body motion and hopefully reducing missing a display button during any turbulent flight. Perhaps, of course, integrate dedicated mode pushbuttons for perhaps taking the cursor to the mode area you desire on the screen – all from the right hand. Default to using one’s right hand for mission expediency and success as in most aircraft; right now, it just sits there to bring your coffee to your mouth.

I was impressed how the simulated helicopter would hover effortlessly. Cal asked me to try and ‘slam’ the helo into the ground from our hover and the helo knew its height per dual radar altimeters and touched down with a more than reasonable descent rate onto its skids. Bottom line, SkyOS keeps you in a safe envelope at all times by continuously processing pilot inputs, environmental conditions, aircraft status, and flight parameters including in the event of engine loss with fully automated autorotation. One can see a very good representation of a handful of sim rides with great audible system insight at https:// www.skyryse.com/resources/skyrysecompletes-over-100-demos-wraps-firstairventure besides SKYRYSE’s informative and transparent website. I thank SKYRYSE for the enlightening opportunity. I am a proponent.

-OLD

Bannister with a broken and dislocated ankle while hiking so May and Allen decided they would carry Bannister 1.6 miles down the steep trail, help her into a car, and drive her to a hospital instead of letting her wait hours for a rescue team.

WOMAN DURING HIKING ACCIDENT

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Troy May carried an injuried hiker on his back,

SKYRYSE EAA AirVenture Booth OSH24. (Paul T. Glessner, M.S.)

SKYRYSE EAA AirVenture Booth OSH24 (Paul T. Glessner, M.S.)

SKYRYSE Simulation Set-Up. (Courtesy of SKYRYSE)

Center Console Inceptor with Thumb Lever. (Courtesy of SKYRYSE)

rescuing her after a fall.

(U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)

• 2xRotax100HP –Twin-Engine Safety

• Performance-Based Navigation – State-of-the-Art Avionics: Twin-Screen G1000 Nxi IFR

• 9 Gal/Hr

• Complex raining Solution

EMBRY-RIDDLE EAGLES USE DRONES TO SUPPORT STEMEDUCATION, WILDLIFE,

AND ENVIRONMENT

BySarahBarczyk Embry-RiddleAeronuaticalUniversity

For the past six years, Dr. Nickolas “Dan” Macchiarella has often been found at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne,Florida.AprofessoratEmbry Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus in the CollegeofAviation,heismorethanjustan enthusiastofthezooanditsinhabitants.He andhisstudents–TylerDeal,SeanNolan, Nicholas Buckalew and David Zink – are providing critical data in support of the environment,aswellaseducatingthezoo’s guestsinsupportofCOASTech–aconsortium between the Brevard Zoo, academia and corporations – to conduct both researchonandeducationaboutthecoastal environmentsofFlorida.

According to Macchiarella, whose expertise focuses on the application of sensors on uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, “One of the best aspectsofourworkwithCOASTechand the Brevard Zoo is that our students are thepilots:collecting,processingandprovidingdatatootherteammembers.They gain real-world knowledge while doing meaningfulwork.”

Formerly known as the Turtle Tech Project, COASTech is highlighted during Science Sundays, an initiative that took place throughout the summer months of JulyandAugust.Theeventisdesignedto blend education and entertainment in an effort to foster a love of science among guests of all ages. During Science Sundays,childrenandguestsareinvitedto participate in hands-on activities led by expertssuchasMacchiarellaandDr.John Robbins,chairoftheAeronauticalScience Department in Embry Riddle’s Daytona BeachCampusCollegeofAviation,along withadedicatedgroupofstudents.

Brian Ogle, Ed.D., director of Conservation Learning and Audience Impact at the Brevard Zoo, shared his excitement about the summer events to engagezooguestsinSTEMlearningduringtheirvisits.

“It has been a privilege to collaborate with our STEM partners in applied researchandSTEMeducationopportunities,” he said. “Partners like Embry Riddle make it possible to provide realworld learning moments at the zoo. We look forward to creating even more unique opportunities in collaboration withourSTEMpartnersinthefuture.”

“Working on projects with

Dr.DanMacchiarellaandEmbry Riddle studentTylerDealgreetguestsatScience SundayattheBrevardZoo.

(DanMacchiarella)

COASTech and the Brevard Zoo has beenpivotalinshapingmyeducationand future career plans,” added Nicholas Buckalew, a master’s student in Embry Riddle’s Uncrewed and Autonomous Systems program and a UAS payload specialist. “These hands-on experiences have provided valuable insights into the intersection of technology, conservation andcommunityengagement.”

Fellow COASTech participant David Zink, a senior majoring in UAS, sharedthattheabilitytoexplorethevariousapplicationsofUAS,especiallyones that help environmental conservation, makeshisdegreeprogramtrulyunique.

“It’salsoquiterewardingtoseethe joyonpeople’sfaceswhentheyseethese aircraft in action, knowing we’re using thistechnologytohelptheenvironment,” Zinksaid.

Macchiarella and his students dedicate much of their time and work to the Indian River Lagoon basin, flying uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) carrying visible light and multispectral cameras. “As we monitor the basin, we also useartificialintelligence(AI)technology tosearchimagesforthesubjectsofinterest–forexample,seaturtles.”

AccordingtoTylerDeal,aCollegeof Aviation senior majoring in UAS, “COASTechhasbeenagreatprojectthat allowsmetousewhatIhavelearnedinmy degreeprograminawaythatbenefitsthe environment. It has provided me with many opportunities for community outreachandhasledtootherenvironmentally focused projects around Cape Canaveral. TheexperiencehasevenprovidedopportunitiesasfarawayasArgentina.”

Macchiarella,whoisamemberofthe Indian River Lagoon Council STEM Advisory Committee, along with his student team, participates in two additional projects in support of the environment in

ContinuedonPage26

AOPASEEKSTO LIMIT AIRCRAFT TRACKINGFOR AIRPORT FEES

ByJimMoore AOPA

Theuseofaircrafttrackingdatato createvirtualtollboothsonairport runways was never the intent of aircraft awareness technology required on airplanes to enhance safety for pilots andassistairtrafficcontrollers.

AOPAPresident Mark Baker urged theFAAtohaltthird-partyuseofaircraft trackingdataforpurposesthatarecounter to assurances given by the agency— and more recently reaffirmed by Congress—thatthetrackingdata(known as Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast,orADS-B)wouldbeusedfor thelimitedpurposeofincreasingsafety.

In a Sept.12 letter to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker, Baker voiced concern that third parties have beguncollectingADS-Bdatatobeused by public airports to levy fees on pilots,

AtarecentpublicmeetingonthetopicoflandingfeesDeLand’sAirportManagerJohn Eiffconfirmedtheintentofthefeeistodetertraffic. (CourtesyDeLandAirport)

andaskedWhitakerto“workwithAOPA toensurethesepracticesareprohibited.”

Bakernotedthatwhilemostgeneral aviation aircraft have been equipped to transmitADS-Bdata,theuseofthatdata toimposenewfeeswilldiscourageowners who have not yet equipped their aircraftfromdoingso.AOPAsupportedthe ADS-B mandate, which took effect in 2020, based on the understanding it wouldbeusedonlytohelpairtrafficcontrollers keep aircraft safely separated. Pilots (including a majority of AOPA’s 300,000 members) have collectively spentmorethan$1billionequippingair-

craftwithADS-Btransmitters.

“Weagreedtosupportthemandate,in large part, because of assurances received thatADS-Bwastobeusedsolelytomodernizeandimproveairtrafficsafety,”Baker wrote.“Unfortunately,thirdpartiescontinue touseADS-Bdataforpurposesotherthan whattheequipagemandatewasintended.”

AOPA recently urged officials responsible for several publicairports in Florida, all of which have received substantial federal grants for airport improvementsinthepastdecade,tohalt proposals to automate the collection of feesbasedonADS-Bdata.

“Moreover, we have received reports that federal agencies and others are using ADS-B data to track aircraft. Thisbringsupahostofissuesincluding invasion of privacy,” Baker wrote. He notedthatthe2024FAAReauthorization law specifically prohibits the FAAfrom using ADS-B data to initiate investigations of pilots. “This language was specificallytargetedtopreventtheuseof ADS-B data for other than its intended purpose and the overall message from Congress is clear. We will continue to pursuethisissueandlookforwardtothe FAAassistinginourefforts.”

Editor’s Note: The urgency in efforts to haltthird-partyuseofADS-Bstemsfrom asituationatFloridaairportswherethe companyVirtowerhasbeencontractedto collect aircraft movement data. See the story below and learn more at AOPA’s website,aopa.org.

FLORIDA CITIES,COUNTY PREPARETO IMPOSE NEW FEESON AIRPORT USERS

Airports located in one of the nation’s busiest flight training corridors are preparing to impose more fees that will,ifimplemented,haveseriousconsequencesonflighttraining,flightschools, andlocalpilots.

The landing fees, made possible by newly available automation of satellite datacollectionandinvoicing,arescheduledtobeginbeingassessedonOct.1as localofficialsracetotakeadvantageofa newlyavailableopportunity.

Thestatecontractedthisyearwitha Florida company calledVirtower to collect aircraft movement data at airports statewide. In February 2023, Virtower announced a “global strategic partnership” with Vector Airport Systems. Vector can use theVirtower data to provide automated invoicing services to countyandmunicipalairportsthatassess landingfees,andVectorhasbeenactivelypitchingitsservicestotheairports.

ContinuedfromPage25

centralFlorida.OneofthoseprojectsisfundedbyaNationalScienceFoundationgrantin conjunctionwithStetsonUniversityandthe CityofCapeCanaveral,wheretheteamhas establishedaerialmonitoringattheVeterans MemorialParktoidentifygreenstormwaterinfrastructure-basedinterventionsforclimate andwaterqualitymitigation.

The other, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Sea Grant in conjunctionwithStetsonUniversity,supports the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council’s Regional Resiliency

John Eiff, DeLand Airport Manager, explained the intent of landing fees is to detertraffic:“Ifwedonotimposelanding fees,airplanesthatareusingtheotherairports(inthearea)andpayinglandingfees, they will choose to come to DeLand and saturateourpatterntoanunsafelevel.For ustoaddalandingfeeiskindofprotection againstthis.”

In2020,theFAAmandatedADS-B installation on general aviation aircraft

ContinuedonPage34

ActionPlan,emphasizingtheimportance ofgreeninfrastructureinmitigatingflood risks and protecting water quality in the IndianRiverLagoonwatershed.

“Not only are we able to contribute positively to the land and the environment through our love of aviation and UAVs, [but] I’m able to work directly with the next generation in the workforce, and the upcoming generation of students, to inspire them to make the planetahealthyandsustainableplacefor generationstocome,”Macchiarellasaid. Itdoesn’tgetanybetterthanthat.

PartOneofaThreePartSeries:

THE S TORYOF PIONEER AVIATOR RUTH BANCROFT L AW OLIVER

ByDavidLangley

Ask average Americans why Florida’sspringtrainingbaseball seasoniscalled“TheGrapefruit League,” and they might reply, “Well, Florida grows the most grapefruits, right?”Infact,Californiagrowsthemost grapefruit, the Sunshine State comes in second, while Texas comes in third. So while Florida does grow a lot of citrus fruits, there may a more credible reason fortheterm“GrapefruitLeague.”

The Society forAmerican Baseball Research (known mainly for its SABR playerstatistics)reportsthatonthemorning of March 13, 1915, pioneer aviator Ruth Law Oliver (she flew under her maidennameofRuthLaw)flewoverthe Brooklyn Dodgers practice field in DaytonaBeach,Fla.Shedidsoinorder to drop a baseball to Wilbert Robinson, the52-year-oldmanageroftheteamand a former catcher. (The Dodgers were famous for staging stunts during the springseason).JustbeforeLawboarded herairplane,sherealizedthatshehadforgottentobringabaseballtotheairfield. Seeing her predicament, one of her ground crew gave her a grapefruit from his lunch to substitute for the missing ball.Oliverdroppedthefruitfromroughly 500 feet, Robinson tried to catch the speeding orb, but it missed his catcher’s mitt. He fell to the ground, while juice splattered all over his body. Dazed and confused, he cried out that he was covered in his own blood and might be bleeding to death! Dodgers players rushedovertohim,realizedhismistake,

and started roaring with laughter.1 A March 17 newspaper article speculated that Robinson would despise grapefruit foraconsiderabletimethereafter.2

News of Law’s flights on earlier days with the Dodgers, of the grapefruit incident, and of Robinson’s disdain for thefruitappearedinthelocalnewspaper, soreportsoftheincidentspreadthroughout spring training teams. By the 1920s thetrainingseasoncommonlywascalled “The Grapefruit League.” While other storiesexisttoexplaintheFloridaspring training’smoniker,theRuthLawversion has become the consensus explanation and–asnotedinafootnoteabove–has theblessingofMajorLeagueBaseball’s officialwebsite.

Ruth Law was born on March 21, 1887 in Lynn, Mass., a Boston suburb. According to Findagrave.com, her parents were Frederick H. Law and Sara Bancroft Breed Law. Her brother was RodmanLaw,trickparachutistanddaredevil performer. (He was, for example, the first man to parachute out of a U.S. Armyairplane.)RodmandiedinOctober of1919,avictimofthedreadeddisease, tuberculosis.

The National Air and Space Museum reports that, in June of 1912, Law started taking flight lessons at the Burgess Flying Schoolineastern Mass.3 Duringthenextmonth,onJuly1,1912, Harriet Quimby – the first American woman to earn a pilot’s license – fell to her death over Dorchester Bay near BostonduringtheBostonAviationMeet of that year. In a 1960 Columbia Universityinterview,Lawstatedthatshe

had attended the event and had seen the crash.However,thetragedydidnotdeter her from pursuing a flying career. She believedthatQuimby’sfallwasduetoa dangerous machine, not poor flying skills.Thus,atthattimeLawpreferreda WrightFlyerBwithtwoseats;Lawtold theinterviewer:

“[Quimby] was flying a Bleriot monoplane,andatthattimeothersinthe business thought that monoplanes were pretty risky. I had considered the purchase of a Wright biplane, because after study it seemed to me that they’d had the greatest success So the fact that she had been killed in a monoplane didn’t scareme.Ifigureditwasthemonoplane’s fault,nothers.Shewasawonderfulflier.”4

In that same year, Law’s husband Charles had bought the Flyer from none otherthanOrvilleWrighthimself.Despite being willing to sell the aircraft, Wright refused to train Law at his Dayton flying school.Inher1960interview,shesummarized Wright’s mixed attitude as follows: “Orville Wright said that reluctantly he wouldsell[myhusband]theplane,buthe wouldn’tberesponsiblefortryingtoteach awomantofly....”5 InNovember,however,Lawreceivedherpilot’slicenseafter hertrainingelsewhere.

Law started exhibition flying in 1913.TheJacksonvilleHistoricalSociety reports, for example, that she raced against an automobile driven by John Smith.LubinStudios–asilentfilmstudio in the Florida city – filmed the race andcalledtheflier“Florida’sfirstfemale pilot.”6 TheUPIArchivesreportsthat,on Sept. 3, 1914, she set an altitude record

with two persons on board of 800 feet and remained aloft for ten minutes.7 On Dec. 16, 1915, again in Florida, she became the secondAmerican woman to perform an inside loop-the-loop. (Katherine Stinson, Law’s chief female competitorinthe1910s,hadloopedfirst onJune15inChicago).

The UPI archives again report that on May 27, 1916, Law set a women’s altitude record of 11,200 feet at SheepsheadBayRacetrackinBrooklyn, NY.(Thistrackoftenhostedfamousrace cardriversandaviators;butinDecember 1919, the track was sold to real estate developers who eventually turned the areaintotracthomes.)Onthesameday, Swedish-born aviation pioneer Victor Carlström also tried to set an altitude record but reached only 9,000 feet.8 Law’srecordlastedforafewyears.

Editor’sNote: Thisisthefirstofathreepart-seriesonpioneeraviatorRuthLaw Oliver.InFlightUSAwillpublishthesecond part of the series in November and thefinalinstallmentinDecember.

1 (Semchuck,n.d.,par.7);(Clair2020,par.7)

2 (“NoMoreGrapefruitforManager Robinson,”1915,4)

3 (CochraneandRamirez2021,par.1)

4 (Oliver1960,12,13)

5 (Oliver1960,17)

6 (Powell2016,par.3)

7 (“RuthLawLandsonGovernor’sIsland AfterFlightfromChicago,”2024.par.9)

8 (“RuthLawLandsonGovernor’sIsland AfterFlightfromChicago,”2024,par.8)

WILLIAM GIANNETTI HONOREDWITHTHE PRESTIGIOUS WRIGHT BROTHERS MASTER PILOT AWARD

Flightstar announced on Sept. 23 that William Giannetti, co-founder and PresidentofFlightstar,hasbeenawarded theWrightBrothersMasterPilotAward. This distinction recognizes pilots who have demonstrated exemplary aviation expertise and safety practices for 50 yearsormore.

Giannetti’s career in aviation is nothing short of extraordinary. Beginning his journey in 1974, he has accumulated more than 20,000 total flight hours, completed several hundred North Atlantic crossings, and is typerated in 12 different aircraft. In 1978, Giannetti co-founded Flightstar, where heremainsPresidentandactivelyfliesas

a Captain. Under his leadership, Flightstarhasgrownintoarespectedaviation industry entity known for its commitmenttosafetyandexcellence.

The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award is the highest honor the Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) gives to pilots who have demonstrated professionalism,skill,andaviationexpertiseby maintaining safe operations for 50 or more years. Named in honor of Orville andWilburWright,thepioneersofpowered flight, this award celebrates Giannetti’s remarkable contributions to theaviationindustry.

“We are incredibly proud of Mr. Giannetti’s achievement,” said Daren

Goembel, Chief Pilot at Flightstar. “His contributions to aviation safety and his commitmenttoexcellenceareremarkable. This award is a testament to his lifelong dedicationtoaviation,andwearehonored tocelebratethismilestonewithhim.”

Throughout his distinguished career, Giannetti has logged numerous flight hours,mentoredaspiringpilots,andplayed a vital role in advancing many aviators’ careers. His passion for flight and adherence to the highest standards have made himarespectedfigureintheindustry.

The presentation of the Wright BrothersMasterPilotAwardtoGiannetti took place on Sept. 20 at Flightstar in Champaign, Illinois. The event was

William Giannetti, co-founder and PresidentofFlightstar,washonoredwith the prestigious Wright Brothers Master PilotAwardonSept.20. (CourtesyFlightstar)

attended by aviation community members, friends, and colleagues who have beenapartofhisremarkablejourney.

ContinuedonPage36

BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES MORETHAN $2BILLION IN GRANTSTO IMPROVE AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSSTHE U.S.

On Sept. 6, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration(FAA)announced$1.9billion for 519 grants in 48 states, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, in its fifth announcement under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). An additional $269 million was alsoannouncedinFY2023Supplemental DiscretionaryGrantstofund62projectsat 56 U.S. airports. This competitive grant program under the Airport Improvement Programassistsairportownersandoperatorsinthedevelopmentandimprovement ofournation’sairportsystem.

“TheBiden-HarrisAdministrationis funding projects across the country that are making airports safer and more efficient for the passengers who travel throughthemandfortheairportandairline employees who work tirelessly behindthescenestomakethesecomplex systems run as smoothly as possible,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “The grants we’re announcing today will improve airfield operationsfordozensofairportsandhelp ensure the U.S. retains its global leader-

The FAA has granted $24.4 million to ColumbusAirportinGeorgia:Thisgrant fundsthereconstructionofRunway6/24 toimprovesafety. (CourtesyFAA)

shipinaviation.”

This fifth round of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants, the largestannouncementinprogramhistory, fundsavarietyofprojectsincludingairport safety and sustainability improvementsandairportnoisereductioninairports of all sizes and across all parts of thecountry.Forthefirsttime,thegrants include funding for the testing of technologiestoreduce,mitigate,andremove contaminants caused by Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) and other perand polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), alsoknownas“foreverchemicals”which

ContinuedonPage35

FAAGrantsFundsToAirportsToRemove‘ForeverChemicals’

FAA, for the first time, is granting fundingforthetestingoftechnologiesto reduce, mitigate, and remove contaminants caused byAqueous Film Forming Foam(AFFF)andotherper-andpolyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals” which can contaminate air, water, and soil, and are harmfultohumanhealth.

Sofar,threegrantshavebeenawarded: San Luis Obispo County Airport in California ($3.5 million), Nantucket MemorialAirportinMassachusetts($1.2 million)andPellstonRegionalAirportin Michigan($700,000).

The Cal Fire S-2T air tankers set the standard for initial attack to deliver fireretardantonwildlandfires. These air tankers are strategically located throughoutCaliforniaandcanrespond tothemostremoteStateResponsibility Areas (SRA) within approximately 20 minutes. (CourtesyCalFire)

Meanwhile, NATAis reporting that Part139airportsinCaliforniamusthave completed the phase-out of PFAS chemicals from Class B firefighting foam by Sept.13,2024,understatelegislationSB-1044“Firefightingequipmentandfoam: PFAS chemicals.”As part of the phase-out, Part 139 airport operators had been grantedanextensionallowingthemtocontinueusingPFAS-containingfoamsfor oneyear.TheSept.13deadlinemarkedtheendofthetransitionperiodfollowing theFAA'sapprovalofF3foamsandtheeliminationofthefederalrequirementto use foams containing PFAS chemicals. Learn more at NATA’s website, nata.aero.FAAGrantsFundsToAirportsToRemove‘ForeverChemicals’

OODIES

Oneofthetrulygreatthingsaboutbeinganaviationbuffisthenumberof“GoodiesandGadgets”availabletoplay with.Here InFlightUSA hascollectedafewnewonesworthyofyourconsideration.

AND AND

ADGETS

AircraftSpruce&SpecialtyCo.hasbeenthesupplierthataircraftbuilders,owners,pilots,andaviationbusinesseshavedependedonsince1965.Theycarryawide selectionofaircraftparts,buildingmaterials,avionics,andpilotsupplies,allofwhichareofferedontheirwebsite(www.aircraftspruce.com)andinthefamousAircraftSprucecatalog,nowover1,000-pagesavailablefordownloadorforfreeinprint.YoucandependonAircraftSpruceforpromptshippingandcompetitivepricingonallorders.

HAPPY AUTUMNFROM AIRCRAFT SPRUCE

As the weather starts to cool, flyingseasoncanbeatitsbest.This is a good time to take a look at avionicsandpilotsuppliestobesurethe season is met with safety, convenience andalltheenjoymentflyinghastooffer. TakealookatsomeofAircraftSpruce’s newproductsandproductsthatofferconvenience in maintaining the best flying experienceintermsoftoolsandsupplies. And from Aircraft Spruce, have a great flyingadventurethisfall.

RPXTechnologiesDrybot

AutomatedEngineDehydrator KitWithAccessories

Cheaper thananoverhaul! The D r y B o t engine dehydratoristotallyautomatedandcanbeleft unattended. It’s designed to maintain internalenginehumiditybelowthecritical relative humidity at which corrosion occursonsteelsurfacessuchascamsand lifters. Armed with 12 sensors, the DryBot continually monitors for system and setup faults to ensure system performance.“Greenlight,you’regood!”

provides easy access to multiple compartments,apaddedheadsetsection,adedicatediPadpocket,andamplestorageforcords, backupbatteries,andADS-Breceivers.

While maintaining a similar silhouette to the original Lift Flight Bag, the newLiftfeaturesupdatedmaterialchoicesandstylingtogiveitasleeklook.Like a modern muscle car, this new bag includesthelatesttechnologybutwitha fewdesigncuesfromtheoriginal.

The new Lift Flight Bag has room forallyourgearbutwon’tgetintheway –it’stheultimatecompanionfortoday’s GA and professional pilots alike. Each bagsellsfor$99.95.

AeroledsSunSpot36-400075w Par36LandingLight–FAAPMAforCertifiedAircraft

andsafefromcontamination.

• Workson98percentofbottles

• Clean-nodrippingmess

• Efficient-quickpouring

• U.S.&InternationalPatents

• Protectstheenvironment

• Tube-flexibleconvenient

• NOTforGasoline/Fuel Eachunitsellsfor$19.50.

GrexMicroSprayGunSet

ent models with either a 0.2mmm, 0.3mm,0.5mmor0.7mmnozzlesize.

Otherthanfeedtype,featuresofthe Tritium.TGandTritium.TSarethesame. Whichonetochooseisreallyamatterof preference.Thenozzlesizeonanyofthe Tritium airbrushes can be changed with optional conversion kits. Find all the details on the Aircraft Spruce website, www.aircraftspruce.com.

Thekitscomeswithanoptionforan Adapter A, B or C. Each unit sells for $1,145.SeeAircraftSprucefordetails.

FlightOutfittersLift2.0Flight Bag

Form meets functionwiththisversatile, easy-to-carry flight bag – the one that put Flight Outfittersonthemap!

Flight Outfitters has taken all the key features pilots loved about the original Lift Bag and updated thestylingandfabric.

The Lift Flight Bag’s compact size remainsperfectforthemodern-daypilot.It

The SunSpot 36-4000 Series 75W offersthesametrustedSunSpotreliability that pilots worldwide have come to expect, but tops the charts with the highest candela in the industry for a PAR 36 LED landing light. At just 75W this new line boasts an outstanding 200,000+ candela! With a 15°x15° bright white beam angle that greatly improves visibility both on the ground andintheairfromupto30milesaway. TheSunSpot36replacementLED’sutilizetheexistingPAR36mountandelectricalconnectionsforeaseofinstallation. (-Hversionsrequireanadditionalwire.)

These are the Tritium.TS and Tritium.TGatheart,andbundledwithall the essential accessories to make it work and play like a mini spray gun. Alongwiththeheavy duty, ready for anything case, the MF.TS and MF.TG are ready for almost anything you throw its way.Reachintothetightestareasforthat perfect finish job. Precision spraying, spotrepairsandtouch-upsarequickand easy with minimal overspray. This gun evenevolveswithyourneedswithplenty ofaccessoriesandattachmentstoaccommodateallyourapplications.

Grex Tritium airbrushes represents the company’s premium line of double action pistol style trigger airbrushes. Theirintuitiveeasy-to-usedesignappeals to beginners, yet their fine detail control and comfortable operation makes them appealtoprofessionals,aswell.

TheGrexMicroSprayGunSetsells for$298.

TempestPlatinumElectronic FluidPumps

Selectfrom14Vor28Vandthere is an integrated pulse option, starting at $349each.

Screw-OnFunnel

Safeformostfluids,thefunneleasily attaches to various sized containers and empties faster than standard fluid funnels.Theunique“loop”designkeeps residualfluidsintheloopwithoutleaking

Grex Tritium airbrushes are a comprehensivelinethatcanaccommodateto your airbrushing preferences ¬– top or side gravity, left or right hand, big or small reservoir, fine or wide spraying. These are feature packed airbrushes and you’ll find the same reliable, high performancequalityyou’vecometoexpect fromanyGrexproduct.

GrexTritiumairbrushescomeintwo forms-Tritium.TG,atopgravityversion and Tritium.TS, a side gravity version. Each version is available in three differ-

Tempest Platinum Electronic Fluid Pumps – from the brand you trust for qualityandinnovation.Thesenewpumps have been designed from the groundupandwill replace many of theFacetGold-Flo fluid pumps that are no longer available to the aviation market.

The Tempest Platinum electronic fluidpumpsareFAA/PMAcertifiedand designed with the modern 14 to 28 volt system in mind. These pumps use an internalhigh-flowfilterelementthatcan be easilyreplacedwhenspecifiedbyaircraftmaintenancemanuals.

The Tempest fluid pumps range in pricefrom$650to$657.CheckAircraft Spruce’swebsite(aircarftspruce.com)for details.

Roundingout2024,Lookforthe AircraftSpruceboothatthe followingevents:

• NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) convention in Las Vegas, Nev.,onOct.22-24.

• NAAA Ag Aviation Expo in Fort Worth,TexasonNov.18-21.

MICHAEL GOULIAN BECOMES OFFICIAL INTEGRAL RBRAND AMBASSADORINTHE U.S.

As part of its development in the USA,AuraAero,Frenchaircraftmanufacturer and pioneer in low-carbon aviation, and Mike Goulian, renowned American professionalaerobaticpilot,havesigneda formal agreement making Michael the official ambassador in NorthAmerica for theIntegralR,AuraAero’stwo-seateraerobaticandsportaircraft.Thefirstdeliveries of the Integral R are expected by the endofthisyearinEurope,withU.S.deliveriesanticipatedin2025.

Michael Goulian, from Plymouth, Massachusetts, is an American national aerobatic champion, professional airshow performer, former Red Bull Air Race World Series pilot, where he competed underthenumber99,andbusinessman.

Michael learned to fly at the age of 16,performinginhisfirstairshowafew years later, before taking part in his first RedBullAirRacein2006.Withacrisp, athletic style of flying that makes him a favorite of fans worldwide, he has won numerous aviation awards for aerobatic competitions,aviationindustrycontributionsandairracingachievements.

In addition to his team Goulian

Aerosports, a professional airshow team thatperformsatshowsthroughoutNorth America, Michael is co-owner of a successful Cirrus Training Center in the Boston metropolitan area and is also a DesignatedFAAPilotExaminer.

Michael is an aviation author and spendstimeadvocatingforgeneralaviation with leaders in the industry, to improve safety and promote aviation to all ages, inspiring future generations to embraceflying.

The Integral family is a family of new generation two-seater aircraft with an aerobatics capacity, availablein three versions: Integral R (tailwheel landing gear configuration), Integral S (tricycle landinggearconfiguration),andIntegral E(electricaircraftwithtailwheelortricyclelandinggear).

JérémyCaussade,Presidentandcofounder of Aura Aero, comments: “We arethrilledtowelcomeMikeonboard,to raiseAuraAero’sprofileintheUSA.His extensive knowledge and flying talent have made him a beloved figure on the airshowcircuit.Weareconfidentthathis expertisewillbeinvaluableindelivering

anaircraftthatisperfectlysuitedforthe Americanmarket,wherewealreadyhave promisinginterest.”

Mike Goulian adds: “There is an openingintheairplanemarketforamodern and beautiful entry-level aerobatic sport aircraft. The Integral R fills that voidperfectly!Welookforwardtoflying and training in the Integral R, inspiring ourpilotstotaketheirinterestinaerobaticstothenextlevel.”

AboutAuraAero:

A pioneer in low-carbon aviation, Aura Aero is committed to serve mankind by designing and manufacturing aircraft that accelerate air transport decarbonization. By combining the best intheaeronauticalindustrywithstate-ofthe-art digital technologies, Aura Aero produces new generation aircraft with unrivaled efficiency: Integral, the twoseater training aircraft with aerobatic capabilities, and ERA, the 19-seater hybrid-electricregionalaircraft.

Foundedin2018,AuraAeroisheadquartered at Toulouse-Francazal airport

Mike Goulian, renowned American professional aerobatic pilot, andAuraAero of France, have signed a formal agreementmakingMichaeltheofficialambassador in North America for the Integral R,AuraAero’s two-seater aerobatic and sportaircraft. (CourtesyAuraAero)

inFranceandemploysnearly250people. Having obtained design and production agreements, the company confirms its statusasafullyrecognizedaircraftmanufacturer.

Learnmoreat:aura-aero.comoron social media: Facebook: @auraaero, Instagram: @aura_aero, LinkedIn: AURA AERO, X: @aero_aura, YouTube:@auraaero.

BRITTEN-N ORMAN ANNOUNCES UNLEADED FUEL MODIFICATION FOR PISTON ENGINE ISLANDERS

Britten-Norman is taking the next step on its journey towards sustainable aviation with the introduction of the Unleaded Fuel Modification for its BN2B-26 piston engine (Lycoming O540-E4C5)Islanderaircraft.

The three Lycoming-approved unleadedfuelspecificationsbeingincludedinthismodificationareASTMD7547 (UL 91 & UL 94), DEF-STAN 91-090 (UL91),andHJELMCO(91/96UL).

Inadditiontoreducingtheirenvironmental impact, operators of Islander aircraft who switch to unleaded fuels can potentiallyenjoyseveralbenefits,according to company officials. These include costsavingsonrefueling,reducedmaintenanceexpenses,accesstoawiderrange offueloptions,extendedservicingintervals,andenhancedsafetythroughtheuse ofunleadedfuels.

ThedecisionbytheFederalAviation Administration(FAA)tophaseoutleaded AVGAShasfurtherunderlinedtheimportanceoftransitioningtounleadedfuels.

The certification of these new fuel types for the Britten-Norman Islander

Britten-Norman, manufacturer one of the most successful aircraft in British aviation history,hasannounceditsadvancementtowardsustainableaviationwiththeintroductionoftheUnleadedFuelModificationforitsBN2B-26pistonengine(LycomingO540-E4C5)Islanderaircraft. (CourtesyBritten-Norman)

throughtheintroductionoftheUnleaded FuelModificationopensthedoortofurther possibilities for novel and environmentallyfriendlyfueltypesinthefuture.

MarkShipp,TechnicalDirectorand HeadofDesignatBritten-Norman,said, “Britten-Normaniscommittedtodelivering a sustainable future for aviation

throughourGreenFuturesinitiative.This development is an important milestone for the hundreds of Islander operators who will be able to reduce their emissionsthroughtheintroductionofunleadedfuels.”

Britten-Normaniscelebratingitsplatinumanniversaryinthisyear,marking70

years since the company was founded. JohnBrittenandDesmondNormanstarted their business in 1954, on completion of theirapprenticeshipsatDe Havilland.

Thebusinesswasconceivedasanaircraftmodificationcompanybeforethetwo entrepreneurs identified a gap in the market for a high payload, short sector, short take-offandlandingaircraftthatiscapable of operating in some of the most remote parts of the world with the minimum of infrastructureorsupport.So,10yearslater, theubiquitousIslanderwasborn.

Chief Executive, William Hynett, stated,“Thisisaveryimportantyearfor Britten-Norman.2024willseethefirstall UK-built Islander being delivered from our Isle of Wight manufacturing base. Thisfirstaircraftwillbedeliveredaswe celebrateararemilestoneinBritishaviation, the 70th anniversary of the formation of one of Britain’s most iconic aircraftbrands.”

LearnmoreaboutBritten-Norman’s Unleaded Fuel Modification for its Islander,aswellasothercompanynews, athttps://britten-norman.com.

Ithasbeensaidthattheonlyvoluntaryactinaviationisthedecisiontotake-off.Everyactionaftertake-offinvolvestheskillfulmanagementof risk,theenjoymentofflightandacontinuousstreamofdecisionsthatresultinasafelanding.

In1974,NASAcreatedtheAviationSafetyReportingSystem(ASRS)toallowaviationprofessionalstoshareexperiencesinafrank,non-punitivemanner.TheASRSstructureallowspilotsandotheraviationprofessionalstofileananonymousreportofanincident,errororoccurrencethatthecontributorfeelsmightbeofvaluetoothers.These reportsaregathered,analyzedanddatabasedbyNASAexpertsandmadeavailabletoallinterestedpartiesasatoolforcreatingproactiveaviationsafetyprograms.Additionally,NASAdistributes anelectronicpublication, CALLBACK,whichcontainsselected,de-identified,reportsonafreesubscriptionbasis. InFlightUSA isproudtoreprintselectedreports,exerptedfrom CALLBACK,for ourreaderstoread,study,occasionallylaughat,andalwayslearnfrom.Visithttp://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/tolearnhowyoucanparticipateintheASRSprogram.

This month, CALLBACK again offers the reader a chance to “interact” withtheinformationgiveninaselection ofASRSreports.In“TheFirstHalfofthe Story,” you will find report excerpts describing an event or situation up to a point where a specific decision must be made, an immediate action must be taken,oranon-normalconditionmustbe activelymanaged.Youmaythenexercise your own judgment to make a decision, determineapossiblecourseofaction,or deviseaplanthatmightbestresolvethe situation.

TheselectedASRSreportsmaynot providealltheinformationyouwant,and youmaynotbeexperiencedinthetypeof aircraft involved, but each incident should give you a chance to refine your

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?

aviation judgment and decision-making skills. In “The Rest of the Story…” you will find the actions that were taken by reporters in response to each situation. Bearinmindthattheirdecisionsmaynot necessarily represent the best course of action, and there may not be a “right” answer.Ourintentistostimulatethought, training, and discussion related to these reportedincidents.

TheFirstHalfoftheStory Part121–HazardsForeandAft

ACommercialFixedWingFirst Officer’sReport

• We were departing Runway 18L from Charlotte. This flight was delayed due to an Estimated Departure

Clearance Time (EDCT) into Newark. Tower cleared us for takeoff, and we began the takeoff roll.… Somewhere around the 100-knot callout, I noticed a white van a couple thousand feet ahead ofuscrosstheholdshortlineandpassin frontofusandacrosstherunway.

WhatWouldYouHaveDone?

Part91–RiskyBusiness

AnSR20Pilot’sReport

• Theferrymaintenanceflight…was uneventful until short final approach whenseverewindshearwasexperienced. Iflewtheairplanedowntolowapproach altitude and relayed [the windshear] to the…Tower.…Irealizedthewindwasnot just as depicted or reported by the

ASOS/AWOS…or the…Controller…as I requested two more low approaches, [resulting in] balked landings, goarounds, and closed traffic, to get a feel forthewind.However,therearemultiple windsocks on the field in different locationsforthesamerunway.Afteracouple low approaches, I felt comfortable and was lined up on centerline to initial touchdownontherunway.…Idecidedto usenoflapstoensurelessdriftandmore efficientaerodynamicdirectionalcontrol to safely land the airplane. Everything looked good and felt good on the last approach [until] touchdown. Then…a suddenburstofwindshearmadetheairplane nearly uncontrollable. I had one tireonthegroundontheinitialcrosswind

ContinuedonPage36

operating in certain airspace. The equipage mandate and the data it provides was never intended to be used to collectfees,ortoenableaircrafttracking bythirdparties.AOPAisconsideringlegislativeactiontomakesureADS-Bdata is used solely for its intended purpose.Theproposedfeeswouldbecollect-

ed by not-for-profit, public-use airports, even when they already have a budget surplus. A preliminary review of available budgets suggests the airports are already operating at minimal expense to localtaxpayersandreceivefederalgrants thatcover90percentofthecostforvariousprojects.Yettheyarerushingtofinalizelocalapprovalsrequiredtoimplement

landing fees of $3 per 1,000 pounds for fixed-wingaircraft.

At a recent public meeting on the topic of landing fees, DeLand’s Airport Manager John Eiff confirmed the intent ofthefeeistodetertraffic:“Theprimary reasonweareevenconsideringalanding feeistoprotectourselvesfromotherairports that are signing up for this.We’ve

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There are four versions of the “ATP,” a larger all black plastic with either a regular LCD display or a reverse LCD display; the other, slightly smaller, offers a metal case and yellow rubber strap.

The HMEWatch A.T.C. (Aviator Timepiece-Chrono) Aviator watch is an all analog, high-quality aviator watch offered in multiplestyles.Thismodelfeatures a 60- minute chronograph, date window and a second-hour indicator to show a constant display ofasecondtimezone whether it be your home, destination or as most use it, G.M.T./Zulu Time. This second large hand is a 12hourhandteamingupwith a 24-hour Subdial indicator.

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got Orlando Executive, Kissimmee, Flagler, Ormond Beach and us that are considering landing fees. If we do not impose landing fees, airplanes that are usingtheotherairportsandpayinglanding fees, they will choose to come to DeLand and saturate our pattern to an unsafelevel.Forustoaddalandingfee iskindofprotectionagainstthis.”

CityofficialsinDeLandhadnotyet approved the landing fee when Eiff emailed airport usersAug. 27 to inform them that landing fees will be charged beginning Oct. 1 for “itinerant aircraft.” Theemaildiscussedcost-sharingingeneral terms, but offered no financial specifics,suchasthenetrevenuetheairportgeneratedforcitytaxpayersin2023.

“Imposingnewlandingfeesatpublic, not-for-profit airports, intended to deter operations that provide the lifeline fortheseairportsseemsillogicalandwill ultimately have safety consequences for pilots, and may violate federal grant assurances.Moreover,theremaybeadditionallegalissueswithhowthesefeesare being set, implemented and collected,” saidAOPASouthern Regional Manager StaceyHeaton.

Four of the five airports currently contemplating whether to contract with Vector Airport Systems for automated landing fee assessment and invoicing basedonADS-Bdatahaveproposedthe same fee: $3 per 1,000 pounds. (ExecutiveAirportinOrlandohasnotyet publiclyconfirmeditsintentions,though itwasamongnearlyadozenairportsrepresentedinregionalmeetingsthisyearto discuss the new technology that makes landingfeeautomationpossible).

Publicairports,muchlikethefederal interstate highway system, receive substantial government funding to offset expensesincurredbystateandlocalcommunities.Thesepubliclyfundedassetsare notsupposedtobecomeprofitcentersfor state and local communities, and federal grantscomewithvariousrequirements.

“The city and county governments consideringthesenewlandingfeeshave been conspicuously silent about the fact that these airports appear to be in good financialcondition,andthey’vereceived $67millioninfederalgrants,collectively, overthepastdecade,”saidHeaton.“This is misguided and stands to devastate the flight training industry and local Florida pilots.”

Editor’sNote: Thisisadevelopingstory. For updates, visit the AOPA website, www.aopa.org.

AOPAAIR SAFETY INSTITUTE AND SPORTY’S RELEASE

NEW TAMING THE T WIN VIDEO SERIES

IncollaborationwithSporty’sPilot Shop,theAircraftOwnersandPilots AssociationAirSafetyInstitute(ASI) releasedthelastoffivevideosinits TamingtheTwin seriesthatprovidesa uniqueperspectiveonhowtosafelyoperateamultiengineairplane.

“Ifoneenginefailswhenflyinga

multiengineaircraftininstrumentmeteorologicalconditions(IMC),it’simperativetointerprettheaircraft’sinstruments quicklyandaccurately,determinewhat actiontotake,anddeclareanemergency withATC,”saidASIVicePresidentof OperationsPaulDeres. “Tamingthe Twin:EngineFailure inIMCreviewsthe

attitudeinstrumentsthathelpidentify, verify,troubleshoot,andsecurethefailed engine.Thevideoalsorecommends strategiesbasedontheairplane’scruising altitude,availableminimumIFRaltitudes,andforexecutinganapproachon oneengineinIMC,”Deresconcluded.

View TamingtheTwin:EngineFailure

Biden-HarrisAdministrationAnnouncesGrants

ContinuedfromPage29

cancontaminateair,water,andsoil,and areharmfultohumanhealth.

“Today,weinvestinourfuture–enhancingsafety,improvingsustainabilityandensuringourinfrastructuremeets theneedsofthetravelingpublic,”said FAAAssociateAdministratorfor AirportsShannettaR.Griffin,P.E.“This fundinghelpsensuretravelersafety, reducestheenvironmentalimpactson communities,andbuildsmoreresilient airportsnationally.”

Airportsreceivinggrantstoreconstructtaxiwayandrunwaypavement include:

•$55milliontoTucsonInternational AirportinArizona:ThisgrantfundsassociatedconstructionforshiftingRunway 11/29toconformwithcurrentFAAstandards.

•$34.7milliontoGrandJunction RegionalAirportinColorado:Thisgrant fundsrequiredgradinganddrainageto shiftRunway11/29toconformwithcurrentFAAstandards.

• $24.4milliontoColumbusAirportin Georgia:ThisgrantfundsthereconstructionofRunway6/24toimprovesafety.

•$18.7milliontoSouthBend InternationalAirportinIndiana:This grantfundsthereconstructionofTaxiway Btoimprovesafety.

AirportsreceivinggrantsforthetestingofPFASremediationinclude:

•$3.5milliontoSanLuisObispo CountyAirportinCalifornia:Thisgrant fundsthepurchasedemonstrationtesting ofthreedifferentinnovativePFASremediationtechnologiesforbothsoiland water.

•$1.2milliontoNantucketMemorial AirportinMassachusetts:Thisgrant fundstestingoftechnologieslike hydrothermalalkalinetreatment(HALT) totreatPFAScontaminatedwaterandto testtheefficacyofconcreteencapsulationtechnologytopreventleachingof PFASandothercontaminantsintowater.

•$700,000toPellstonRegional AirportinMichigan:Thisgrantfundsthe

testingofsoilstabilizationadditiveto eliminatefurtherleachingofPFASto groundwater.

Airportsreceivinggrantsfornoise studiesandmitigationincludes:

•$15.8milliontoLosAngeles InternationalAirportinCalifornia:This grantfundsthepurchaseandinstallation ofsoundinsulationtreatmentsfor400 homesaffectedbyairportnoiseexposure.

•$2.2milliontoKeyWest InternationalAirportinFlorida:This grantfundsthefinaldesignfor45homes andinstallationofsoundinsulationtreatmentfor17homes.

•$539,910toTweedNewHaven AirportinConnecticut:Thisgrantfunds thesoundinsulationtreatmentdesignfor 12residences.

•$555,019toChicagoMidway InternationalAirportinIllinois:This grantfundsthepurchaseandinstallation ofsoundinsulationtreatmentsfor12 homesaffectedbyairportnoiseexposure.

Severalairportsarereceivingaportionoffundingforsustainabilityrelated projects.Examplesoftheseairports include:

•$29.1milliontoSt.Louis/Lambert InternationalAirportinMissouri:This grantfundsreconstructionoftheexisting TaxiwayCpavementandpavementfrom TaxiwayPtoMandJtoG.Thisgrant alsofundsthepurchaseandinstallation ofzero-emissionsequipment,including anelectricsweeperandchargingstation.

•$20.4milliontoMuskegonCounty AirportinMichigan:Thisgrantfundsthe purchaseandinstallationofzero-emissionsvehiclesandchargers.Inaddition, thegrantfundsshiftingtheTaxiwayA pavement,installationoflightingtoconformwithcurrentFAAstandardsand improvesafety.

•$15.1milliontoSaltLakeCity InternationalAirportinUtah:Thisgrant fundsthepurchaseandinstallationof11 zero-emissionsvehiclesandfourchargers.Additionally,thisgrantfundsconstructionofanewterminaltarmacto bringtheairportintoconformitywith

currentFAAstandards.

•$10.1milliontoFortWayne InternationalAirportinIndiana:This grantfundsthepurchaseoflow-emission equipmentincludingtwopre-conditioned airunitsandtworemotegroundpower units.Thisgrantalsofundsexpansionof theEastterminaltoaccommodatemore passengersandallowaccesstoabroader fleetmix.Thegrantwillfundshifting TaxiwayC2toenhancesafety.

•$6.2milliontoDetroitMetroWayne CountyAirportinMichigan:Thisgrant fundsthepurchaseandinstallationof low-emissionequipmentincluding38 electricpre-conditionedairand38 remotegroundpowerunits.

• $3.5milliontoNormanY.Mineta SanJoseInternationalinCalifornia:This grantfundsthepurchaseandinstallationof 12electricpre-conditionedairpowerunits.

Alsobeingannouncedisa$2.9millionMilitaryAirportProgram(MAP) grantforTiptonAirportinMaryland.This grantwillprovidefundstothemilitaryairfieldfortheconstructionofanewterminal.TheMAPprogramprovidesgrantsfor convertingformermilitaryairfieldsto publicuse,whichaddssystemcapacity andreducescongestionatexistingairports experiencingsignificantdelays.

The2023Supplemental DiscretionaryGrantProgramprovides grantstoeligibleairportsforimprovementprojectsincluding:

•Developmentofresilientairfield infrastructureimprovements

•Infrastructurerequiredforon-airport handlinganddistributionofsustainable aviationfuels

•Improvingairqualityatcommercial serviceairports,evenatairportsinairqualityattainmentareas

•Energyandemissionssustainability projects

ExamplesofairportsreceivingAIP Supplementalgrantsinclude:

• $20milliontoSt.LouisLambert InternationalinMissouri:Thisgrantfunds airfielddrainageimprovementsandnew storagebuildingsforsnowremovalequip-

inIMCathttps://www.aopa.org/trainingand-safety/online-learning/Taming-TheTwin#Episode5.

Viewothervideosinthe Tamingthe Twin seriesathttps://www.aopa.org/ training-and-safety/online-learning/taming-the-twin.

ment,sandandchemicals,amaintenance bay,andairfieldmaintenanceequipment thatneedtoberelocatedoutofthefloodplaintoimproveresiliency.

•$18milliontoSanFranciscoBay OaklandInternationalinCalifornia:This grantfundsairportperimeterdike improvementtoenhancesafety.

•$14.5milliontoSaltLakeCity InternationalinUtah:Thisgrantfundsa portionofconstructionofvehicleservice roadsunderTaxiwaysUandVtopromotesafervehiclemovement,improve resilience,andreduceemissions.

•$14.3milliontoKahuluiAirportin Hawaii:Thisawardfundstheapronlight replacementprojecttoenhancesafety.

•$10milliontoDallasLoveFieldin Texas:Thisgrantfundsthereconstructionof2,400feetofconcreteonthe northwestendincludinglighting,signage andmarkings,erosionmitigation,and associatedutilityworktoassureairfield operationalresiliencyonthiscriticalparalleltaxiwayenhancingsafety.

•$1.3milliontoHouma-Terrebonne AirportCommissioninLouisiana:This grantfundstheconstructionofa30,000galloncapacitytank,containmentarea, andassociatedfacilitiesandequipmentto provideapprovedSustainableAviation Fueltoexistinghelicoptertenantsto enhancesustainability.

•$1milliontoAndrewOthole MemorialinNewMexico:Thisgrant fundsremovingthehilllocatedapproximately500feettotheeastofRunway 6/24identifiedasanobstructionto improvesafety.

•$630,000toCityofNaplesAirport AuthorityinFlorida:Thisgrantfundsthe constructionofaSustainableAviation FuelTanktoenhancesustainability.

• $545,400toCheyenneEagleButte AirportinSouthDakota:Thisgrantfunds anewautomatedweatherobservingsystemforenhancedapproachestotheairport formedicaltransport,enhancingsafety.

Acompletelistingforbothgrantsis availableontheFAAwebsite,faa.gov.

touchdown at the moment I felt the gust (windshear). In that instant I had to decidewhethertoattemptanotherbalked landing/go-around or to land and do my bestto…controltheairplane.

WhatWouldYouHaveDone?

Part121–MakingtheToughCall

AB737-800Captain’sReport

• During…takeoff roll at ZZZZ… Runway XR full length, at…135 knots, which was below our V1 speed of 152 knots, we got a MASTER CAUTION, rightPACKlight…indication.

WhatWouldYouHaveDone?

Part121–ATightApproach

ACommercialFixedWing Captain’sReport

• Wewereflyingavisualapproach to Indianapolis and when checking in with…Tower, were told to continue the approach. Then [another] aircraft was cleared onto the runway for takeoff. [Thataircraft]didnotstartitstakeoffroll untilouraircraftwasinside300feet.We were at approximately 100 feet with the aircraftstillontherunway.

WhatWouldYouHaveDone? TheRestoftheStory

Part121–HazardsForeandAft

• They passed by so fast that we barelyhadasecondtoprocesswhathad just happened. We were both startled by the van being on the runway, but before we could effectively process it, the van wasgone.Wecontinuedthetakeoffnormally and rotated on schedule. During rotation we heard the Tower command theaircraftbehindustogoaroundandto

immediately turn left to 090°. Had the Tower not turned the aircraft, they may have been a proximity collision conflict tous.Aftercommandingthelandingaircrafttogoaround,theTowerController beganyellingatthevandrivertogethim to identify himself.… The van driver either ignored or was not paying attention to the radio. Another six seconds laterandwewouldhavebeenacollision hazard with the van. We were almost a midaircollisionhazardwiththeairplane executingthegoaround.

FirstHalfofSituation#2

Part91–RiskyBusiness

• I decided not to risk a potential stall or loss of directional control etc., duetothelowairspeed,asIhadtouched downontherunway.Ihadtosomewhat followthepathoftheextremewindshear semi-controllably[to]gettheairplanein a safe position. In order to do this, the wind pushed me off of the runway onto thegrasswhereIfeltitsafertostopthe airplaneandmaintaincontroltothetaxiwayandawayfromanybuildings,structuresorpersons.OnceIgottheairplane to a full stop, I called the Controller to request taxi to a facility on the field. He askedmetoshuttheairplanedownaway fromanyperson,airplane,orpropertyon thetaxiwaythatIstoppedatafterleaving the runway and passing through the grassarea.

Thiswasthefirsttimeinmyyearsof flying that I encountered such severe windshear that I felt it safer to leave a runwayratherthanattemptmorepower for control to stay centered. I controlled theairplanetoasafepositionawayfrom persons or property, safely walked away…andnopersons[were]injured.

FirstHalfofSituation#3 Part121–MakingtheToughCall

• I…perceivedthesituationasunsafe to fly, due to a possible pressurization problem,duetothehighaltitudeelevation ofthisairport,whichisalsosurroundedby highaltitudeterrain.Iwasthepilotflying and rejected the takeoff. I exited the runway on Taxiway 1, held short of Runway XL, and told the passengers…to remain seated. ATC allowed us to hold short of RunwayXLtorunourchecklistandcoordinate with Operations to return to the gate. With distractions of communicating with ATC, executing our PACK light checklist, communicating to the passengersandflightattendants,andcoordinatingwithoperations,atsomepoint,Iunintentionally set the parking brake. When I noticed my honest mistake, I released it. While in [radio] communication with local Maintenance…they told us to set againtheparkingbrakewhileagatewas being coordinated for us. I…communicated with my Dispatcher to provideanupdateofthesituationandset a conference call with Maintenance Control. I indicated to Maintenance Control that I was holding my position withtheparkingbrakesetas[directed]by local Maintenance. After the call ended, localMaintenancecalledusandtoldusto releasetheparkingbrakeasinstructedby Maintenance Control. When a gate was available…I received a clearance to taxi.…Atthatpoint,Irealizedthattheairplane was not moving. I called Maintenancetocomeandinspecttheaircraftatourposition.Maintenance…found thenumber2tirewasflat.Theyshowedup withatowtrucktoparkusatthegate.The towtruckdidnotmovetheaircrafteither. We coordinated to bring stairs and buses to the airplane to deplane everybody.

Maintenance started to work on the aircraftonTaxiway1.

Thenextday,weflewthesameairplane.DuringthetakeoffrollonRunway XR,ataround130knots,wegotaMASTER CAUTION, right PACK light…indication. After evaluating the experience from the previous day, I was confidenttocontinuethetakeoffwithout rejecting, knowing that it was not going to cause a pressurization problem and theaircraftwasnotunsafetofly.Weexecuted our PACK light checklist, which clearedthemalfunction.Wecontinuedto our destination. Maintenance was notifiedviathelogbookandACARS.

LowtimeCaptain,highaltitudeairport, high altitude terrain surrounding theairport.Alwaysfollowstandardoperatingprocedures.

FirstHalfofSituation#4 Part121–ATightApproach

• We initiated our own missed approach. Tower directed that we turn left 30 degrees. Had we not conducted the missed approach, it appeared that bothaircraftwouldhavebeenontherunway at the same time. While being vectoredforasubsequentapproach,Iasked forandwasgiventhephonenumberfor the Tower Supervisor. Once on the ground,IcontactedtheTowerSupervisor and suggested that they pull the tapes and conduct an evaluation and training withrespecttotheseevents,asitwas,in my opinion, grossly unsafe to allow the approach to continue, and that the missedapproachshouldhavebeencalled for well before we initiated our own missedapproach.

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NBAAJOINSIN C ALLTO PRESERVE FLIGHT TRAINING BENEFITSFOR VETERANS

NBAAhasjoinedwith12otheraviationgroupstoexpresstheirstrongoppositiontoacongressionalbillthatincludes provisions that would disproportionately harm veterans seeking careers in aviation.

House Resolution (H.R.) 7323, the Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2024, would impose a lifetime cap of $115,749 on flight training benefits starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. While that amountislargerthana$108,480capinitiallyproposed,itstillrepresentsa“substantiallimitation”tofundsaccessibleto veteransforflighttraining.

“Aviationisavitalindustry,supporting over seven percent of the U.S. GDP

and providing more than 11.5 million jobs,” noted the Sept. 17 letter sent to House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (RLA-4) and Minority Leader Rep. HakeemJeffries(D-NY-8).“Theaviation sector is in dire need of qualified pilots, and veterans are among the best candidatestofillthisdemand.

“Limitingveterans’benefitsthrough acapwouldrestricttheiraccesstothese crucial career opportunities at a time whentheindustryneedsthemmost,”the lettercontinued.

Highcostsoftenprohibitthoseseeking flight training through civilian programs, the groups noted. Without adequate benefits coverage, veterans would face the choice to either take on signifi-

cant personal debt or abandon flight trainingentirely.

Furthermore, the letter continued, thebillimposes“unfairanddiscriminatory” funding caps on veterans pursuing aviationcareersthatdonotexistforveteransseekingdegreesandcareertraining inotherfields.

“We remain committed to working withCongresstoensurethatveteranscan access the benefits they were promised, andthattheycanpursuecareersinaviation without financial obstacles,” the groups concluded. “We urge you to removethecaponflighttrainingbenefits in H.R. 7323 and ensure veterans can fullyutilizetheirGIBillbenefitstopur-

ContinuedonPage40

Thirteenaviationgroups,includingNBAA, in a letter addressed to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dated Sept. 17, haveexpressedtheirstrongoppositiontoa congressionalbillthatincludesprovisions thatwoulddisproportionatelyharmveteransseekingcareersinaviation.

(CourtesyNBAA)

BUIQUI AEROSPACE PARTNERS WITH TECNAMTO ADD 50NEW AIRCRAFTTO ITS FLEET

Tecnam recently announced a partnershipwithBuiquiAerospace,oneofthe most prestigious flight schools in the USA,withmultiplebasesintheU.S.and Puerto Rico and strategic partnerships with major airlines and aviation universities.

The announcement of the partnership also coincides with the delivery of two P2006T, one P2010 Lycoming IO360,oneP2010TDIGranLussoandone P-Mentor.

Theremainingaircraftwillbedeliveredinbatcheswithinthesecondquarter of2025.

experienceforcurrentandprospectivestudents.Theadditionofthe50Tecnamaircrafttoourfleetwillallowourstudentsto have more preparation as they continue their pathway to our partners such as FrontierAirlines,MountainAirCargoand CommuteAir.Ourteamislookingtobea Tecnamonlyfleetby2025,sotodaywill beamassivesteptowardsthatgoal.”

With this acquisition, Buiqui AerospacewillfullytransitiontoamodernandultimatefleetofTecnamtrainers, allowing more students to begin and complete their training, creating exponential value for Buiqui Aerospace. Flying a Tecnam will give students accesstostate-of-the-artaircraft,providing them with an enhanced experience throughout their flight training and easing their transition into the cockpit of a commercialaircraft.

Buiqui Aerospace has also been appointed as a Tecnam Authorized Service Cener as its technicians have successfullycompletedmechanicaltrainingatTecnam’sbaseinSebring,Fla.

Oliver Buitron, Buiqui Aerospace FounderandChiefExecutiveOfficersaid: “We’reveryexcitedaboutthispartnership with one of the leading companies in the aviation space. TECNAM vision aligns withoursinpavingthewaybyproviding the best of the best. The acquisition of theseplaneswillprovideamoreenhanced experienceforallourstudents,mechanics and staff. It will enrich the flight training

Tecnam’s Managing Director, Giovanni Pascale Langer said, “We are deeplyhonoredthatBuiquiAerospacehas chosenTecnamtofullyreplacetheirexisting fleet with our aircraft. This decision underscores the trust and confidence BuiquiAerospacehasinTecnam’sinnovation, performance, and commitment to delivering high-quality solutions for the aviationindustry.Thispartnershipmarksa significant milestone for both companies, andweareproudtojoinforceswithsuch aforward-thinkinganddynamicorganization.Together,wearenotonlyexpanding their fleet but also supporting Buiqui Aerospace’s vision for growth, modernization, and excellence in aviation. Tecnam is excited to be part of this journey and looks forward to a long-lasting collaborationthatwillbenefitbothcompaniesandtheaviationcommunityatlarge.”

Walter Da Costa, Tecnam’s Chief Sales Officer added: “Solera Bank played a pivotal role in this transaction, aligning closely with Tecnam’s vision and principles. Both organizations are committedtosupportingflightschoolsin fullytransitioningtoaneweraofaircraft, ensuring superior outcomes for pilot cadets, mechanics, and company shareholdersalike.Thispartnershipdeliversa comprehensive solution that meets the

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associationisintroducingacacheofnew AOPA member benefits in conjunction with several high-quality industry providers. To enhance the benefits of membership, a number of new AOPAmember only discounts and offers are now available through Benefit Sponsors andAOPAPartners offering unique and unprecedentedsavings.

The expanded benefits from AOPA in collaboration with aviation, travel, and manufacturing companies include a range of deals from free shipping and special offers on equipment, pilot gear, rentals,andaviationproductstodiscounts

AOPAEXPANDS MEMBER BENEFITS

on services like aviation video streaming, cockpitweather,andtitleandescrow.

“AOPA aims to make flying more affordable,” said Mark Baker, AOPA PresidentandCEO,“andwebelieveour members will benefit from these exclusiveoffers–andmorethatwillbecominginthemonthsahead.”

Thisinitialroundofnewlyintroduced Benefit Sponsors and enhanced AOPA Partneroffersincludesdiscountsanddeals with Aeroverse, Aircraft Spruce, Budget Truck Rental, Flight Outfitters, iFlight Planner, King Schools, Method Seven, nFlightCam, PartnerShip/FedEx, Pilot Workshop.com,SiriusXM,Sporty’s,Tanis

Aviation,andWyndamHotels.Thesenew discounts augment other AOPA Partner offers for day-to-day savings. Additional AOPA Partner and Member Benefit Sponsor offers will be announced each season to help make flying more affordable and accessible for pilots and aircraft ownerseverywhere.

An AOPA membership is a smart financialdecisionforeverypilotandaircraft owner, with benefits including exclusive access to financing and insurance; educational content from the renownedAirSafetyInstituteandawardwinning magazines; and advocacy supportonalocalandnationallevel.These

additional benefits further cement the valueofanannualAOPAmembership.

Learn more about member discounts andsavingsathttps://www.aopa.org/membership/aopa-lifestyles-collection. Learn more about AOPA membership options at https://www.aopa.org/membership. General informationcanbefoundataopa.org.

NATIONAL HALLOF FAME HONORED SEVEN DISTINGUISHED PIONEERS AND INNOVATORS

The National Aviation Hall of Fame has announced the details for its 60th AnnualEnshrinementCeremony,honoring themostdistinguishedpioneersandinnovatorsintheworldofaviationandaerospace. HeldonSept.14,thishistoriceventbrought togetheraviationluminaries,industryleaders,andenthusiaststocelebratetheachievementsofthisyear’sEnshrinees.

The weekend kicked off with the President’s Reception on Sept. 13, where attendeeshadthechancetomeetandmingle with industry leaders, fellow enthusiasts,andthecelebratedInducteesinanintimateandelegantsettingattheDaytonArt Institute. The reception set the tone for a weekend,honoringthisyear'sawardrecipients, which included the Congressional Leadership Award - Congressman Mike TurnerandCongressmanRickLarsen;The NeilArmstrong OutstandingAchievement Awardwinner-LarryConnor,Founderand ManagingPartnerTheConnorGroup;The MiltonCaniffSpiritofFlightAwardwinner - The B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Team Whiteman; and The Scott A. Crossfield Teacher of the Year - Mark Westlake, Director of the Saint Thomas Academy InnovationCenterinSt.Paul,Minnesota.

OntheeveningofSept.14,themain event,theEnshrinementCeremony,took place, where each of the 2024 inductees wasformallyenshrined.Thisyear’sprestigiousclassincluded:

• Don Bateman, celebrated for his lifesavinginnovationsinaircraftsafetysystems.

•Col.FrederickGregory,apioneering NASAastronautandleader.

• Katherine Johnson, whose groundbreakingmathematicalworkwasvitalto the success of NASA’s early space missions.

•Dr.PeggyChabrian,aleadingadvocate for women in aviation and founder ofWomeninAviationInternational.

•JoeSutter,thearchitectoftheBoeing 747,knownasthe“fatherofthe747.”

• Gary Burrell & Dr. Min Kao, cofoundersofGarminandrevolutionariesin thefieldofGPSnavigationtechnology.

Eachinducteeexpresseddeepgratitude for being selected for this honor, emphasizing the significance of joining theranksofaviation’sgreatestlegends.

“I’m humbled beyond words,” said Frederick Gregory. “Aviation has been mypassion,andI’vealwaysbelievedin pushingtheboundariesofpossibility.To berecognizedamongsomanypioneersis somethingIcouldneverhaveimagined.”

Peggy Chabrian, who has spent her careeradvocatingforwomeninaviation, shared, “I was surprised, humbled, and grateful to the NationalAviation Hall of Fame when I received the notice I had been selected as one of the Enshrinees into this prestigious organization. I have beenblessedtohaveworkedwithmany

outstandingpeopleinaviation,including manypioneersandcurrentleaders.”

Reflectingonherfather'searlyexposure and curiosity with aviation, Katherin McCaslin, accepting the award on her father Don Bateman's behalf, stated, “My dadwouldhavebeensohonoredtoberecognizedbyanorganizationsodedicatedto inspiringthenextgenerationofaerospace leaders and innovators who will continue theworkofmakingflyingsafe.”

Dr. Min Kao sent a statement read by Garmin President Cliff Pemble, in which he acknowledged the hard work and dedication of the 1989 founding team:“Ihavebeenfortunatetoworkwith somanydedicatedandtalentedindividuals throughout my career, but my heartfeltthankswillalwaysgotoouramazing team from 1989, who took a chance on Garyandmeandhelpedpavethewayfor Garmin’samazingsuccess!”

Katherine Johnson's daughters were presenttoaccepttheirmother'sposthumous induction. “To say 'It is such an honor for ourmothertobeinductedintotheNational AviationHallofFamealongwiththeother esteemedawardees'isanunderstatement.”

Joe Sutter's grandsons, Jon Sutter and KoaYoung were proud to represent their grandfather, known to many as the “Fatherofthe747,”stating,“Itisatestament to his remarkable career and the impacthehadontheaviationindustry.”

NBAAJoinsinCalltoPreserveFlightTraining

ContinuedfromPage37

sue careers that are both rewarding and necessarytothenation’sfuture.”

Otheraviationsignatoriestotheletter include the Air Medical Operators Association; Airborne Public Safety

Association; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; Airlines for America; American Association of Airport Executives; Experimental Aircraft Association; General Aviation ManufacturersAssociation; NationalAir

Carrier Association; National Air Transportation Association; National Association of State Aviation Officials; Regional Airline Association; and VerticalAviationInternational.

Tolearnmore,visittheNBAAweb-

Sponsors for the weekend included Presenting Sponsor Garmin, Bar Sponsor Honeywell;President'sReceptionPresenting Sponsor Cirrus; Production SponsorsAvelo Airlines,Boeing,Brixey&Meyer,Cardinal AviationAdvisors, Cooling & Herbers P.C. MedAire, NBAA, NetJets; Enshrinee Sponsor Jet Aviation; Gold Sponsors Congressman Mike Turner, Dayton International Airport, Dayton Development Coalition/Jobs for Ohio, Embraer, GAMA, The Jesch Family, Joby Aviation, Team Nutter,RollsRoyce;SilverSponsors:Avfuel, Cozen O'Connor, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), Destination Dayton, Dayton RTA, GE Aerospace, H4 Advisors, The Maruyama Family,SignatureAviation;BronzeSponsors ThinkPatented, Vertical Aviation International, Jill & Steve Wirth, WVU Libraries; Shuttle SponsorsWings Over the Rockies,Bombardier.

CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean returned as emcee for the evening.

The 61st Enshrinement Ceremony will take place on Sept. 19, 2025, in Wichita, Kansas. Additional details are coming soon! For more information on the National Aviation Hall of Fame, pleasevisitnationalaviation.org.

site,nbaa.org,andtoreadtheentireletter, go to https://nbaa.org/wp-content/uploads/advocacy/letters/20240917Aviation-Coalition-Letter-OpposingHR7323.pdf.

SPORTY’S ANNOUNCES COLLABORATIONWITH INFINITE FLIGHT

Ground-breaking partnership integrates online training with mobile flight simulation

Sporty’shasannounceditsnewcollaborationwithInfiniteFlight–themost portable and accessible flight simulation platformavailable.Thisstrategicpartnership, which integrates Infinite Flight’s scenario-based training with Sporty’s award-winningLearntoFlycoursecontent,bridgesthegapbetweenhigh-quality,onlineaviationtrainingandadvanced flightsimulation.

InfiniteFlight,amobileflightsimulator platform available on iOS and Android devices, offers users the ability toflyvirtuallytoandfromthousandsof airportsaroundtheworldwhileintegratingpopularEFBappslikeForeFlightand Garmin Pilot. The platform also allows users to access a variety of weather scenarios,providingarealisticflyingexperienceforpilotsofallproficiencylevels.

Infinite Flight’s scenario system offersarangeofcustom-madeflightsthat simulate common flight training elements. These scenarios deliver specific learning outcomes, allowing pilots to practice tasks such as steep turns, traffic patternoperations,slowflight,andstalls.

The integration of Infinite Flight’s scenario system with Sporty’s Learn to Fly course allows students to transition fromwatchinginstructionalvideostoflying a maneuver in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk,withjusttheclickofabutton.

Flight's scenario system

Users will benefit from immediately applying information they have learned onavirtualflightdeckbeforetransitioningtotheairplane.

This system even includes grading criteria,offeringvaluableandimmediate feedbacktostudents.Thisground-breaking collaboration provides an immersive andadvancedlearningenvironmentfora more effective and efficient training experience.

Sporty’s Learn to Fly course is available for $299 and includes lifetime access withunlimitedupdates.InfiniteFlightProis availableannuallyfor$79.99.Asix-month subscriptionis$49.99,orsubscribemonthly for $9.99. Sporty’s Learn to Fly course usersreceiveafree90-daytrialsubscription totheInfiniteFlightProscenarios.

TolearnmoreabouttheSporty’sand Infinite Flight partnership, visit Sportys.com/blog.

BuiquiAerospacePartners

needsof21st-centurybusinesses.”

AboutBuiquiAerospace

Thenameoftheschoolcomesfrom the combination of the surnames of its founders“BuitronQuijano”,threebrothersfromQuito(Ecuador)whodecidedto open an aviation school in the United States.Itallbeganasafamilyflyingclub in North Perry, Miami, which in 2018 wouldtransformfromaflyingclubtoan aviation school with its main headquarters in the city of Kissimmee, state of Florida; Shortly thereafter, the vision of these three young brothers, became a reality and soon the flight school was fullyoperational.

Tecnam is an Italian aircraft manufacturer and one of the world’s leading pistonaircraftmanufacturers.Foundedin 1948 by brothers Luigi and Giovanni Pascale,thecompanyisheadquarteredin Capua, Italy, and operates two subsidiaries in Sebring, Florida, USA, and Brisbane,Australia,toserveandsupport the needs of local Tecnam owners and operators.Tecnamdesignsandmanufacturesawiderangeofaircraftforpersonal use, commercial operations, business travel, flight training, surveillance, law enforcementandotherspecializedapplications.Learnmoreatwww.tecnam.com. ContinuedfromPage38

With more than 350 national and international graduate students, alliances with more than 10 airlines and financial institutions,sixlocationswithintheUnited States and three more in Puerto Rico,

BuiquiAerospacehasbecomearenowned school that continues to open its doors to aspiring pilots, operating under Part 61. Learnmoreathttps://buiqui.com/.

AboutTecnam:“Quality Aircraftsince1948”

Infinite

offers a range of flights that simulate common fligh(. CourtesySporty’s)

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70YEARSOF FLIGHT:THE C-130'S LEGACY,FUTURE

ByPatrickSullivan 78thAirBaseWingPublicAffairs

Since its first flight Aug. 23, 1954, the C-130 Hercules has proven to be one of the most versatile and activeaircraftintheAirForce’sfleet,having carried troops and supplies from the tundra ofAntarctica, to the deserts of the Middle East, to the tropical islands of the Pacific,andnearlyeverywhereinbetween.

Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, hostoftheC-13070thAnniversarycelebration,hasplayedakeyroleinkeeping the C-130 fleet not just flying, but equipped with the technology and modernizationsthatmakeitacriticalcomponentofthecontemporaryAirForcefleet.

“It’sthegreatestairplaneeverbuilt, andit’sstainedhonorablywithAmerican blood, sweat and tears,”said Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command.“Thatairplaneisamonument toeveryonethatflies,fixes,andsupports it…Fromtheassemblyline,totheflight line,tothedepotline,it’sthehandsthat touchitthatmakeitsopowerful.”

The Warner Robins Air Logistics ComplexatRobinsAFBisthecentralhub for depot maintenance and modernization of the C-130. With 12 different C-130 models spread across seven major commands and theAir National Guard, totaling 436 aircraft in the Air Force fleet, effectiveandefficientmaintenanceisvital tokeepingthemissionrunning–especiallyinaneraofGreatPowerCompetition.

“We’re the best at what we do here,”said Ben Stuart, 560th Aircraft MaintenanceSquadrondirectorofoperations. “The first flight was in 1954, and we’vebeendoingdepotmaintenanceon C-130satRobinssince1964.

“We’ve got mission partners with the program office, engineering, the DefenseLogisticsAgencyandLockheed Martin,”Stuart continued. “That combination is what makes us the best in the business, and we have been doing it for 60years.Nobodyelseintheworlddoes therepairandoverhaulworkthatwedo hereatRobins.”

Around 50 of the aircraft come through each year for maintenance, to include planned depot maintenance, unplanned depot-level maintenance like battledamagerepair,andmodifications.

While Robins does significant C130workontheinstallation,thescopeof itsmissiondoesnotstopatthegates.

TheAir Force Life Cycle Management Center’s C-130 engineering team regularlyreceivesEngineeringTechnical AssistanceRequests,wherein-unitmaintenanceteamsrunintoissuestheyarenot

AC-130JSuperHerculesassignedtothe165thAirliftWinginSavannah,Ga.,sitson displayatRobinsAirForceBase,Ga.,Aug.23,2024.TheaircraftwaspartofaC-130 aircraftcelebrationthattookplaceattheRobinsAFBdepothangar.

(U.S.AirNationalGuardphotobyBarryBena)

Gen.MikeMinihan,AirMobilityCommandcommander,speaksduringtheC-13070th AnniversaryCelebrationatRobinsAirForceBase,Georgia,Aug.23,2024.RobinsAir Force Base played a key role in keeping the C-130 fleet not just flying, but equipped withthetechnologyandmodernizationsthatmakeitacriticalcomponentofthecontemporaryAirForcefleet. (U.S.AirForcephotobyPatrickSullivan)

able to solve on station. In 2023, the AFLCMC team received almost 3,500 ETARs, many of which resulted in the aircraftbeinggrounded.Inrespondingto these, RobinsAFB coordinates with the homeunitstofindasolution.Whenneeded,engineerswilldeploytotheaircraft’s locationtoresolvetheissue,keepingthe globalC-130fleetflyingandactive.

As theAir Force calls on its members to reoptimize for Great Power Competition,theC-130isbeingprepared for its next chapter. The call for reoptimization,theemphasisonAgileCombat Employment and the challenges of the Pacific theater mean that the C-130 will needtocontinueevolving.

“Tosurviveandoperateinthatenvironment, it will absolutely be on the backs of our C-130s,”said Michael Beasley, the Mobility Directorate C-130 Hercules division senior materiel leader andretiredmaintenanceofficer.

According to Beasley, one of the

biggest challenges in reoptimizing for GPC is the logistical hurdles that come withthechangeinareaofresponsibility.

Beasleyspokeonhowflightsinthe MiddleEastwereoftenshortrange,only lastingafewhours,withlessconcernfor fuelandrangemanagement.

MovingtooperationsinthePacific, withmajorhubsoftenthousandsofmiles apartwithnothingbutoceaninbetween, thatsentimenthaschanged.

“In the past we never had to worry about that, right?We’re just flying from RamsteinAirBase,(Germany),downto Iraq,”Beasley said. “We didn’t have to worry about that long term, or that margin at the end of the flight that says, ‘Man,Ineedtosqueezejustanotherhour andahalfoutofthisairplane.’GPChas usthinkingabouthowwecandothat.”

Fromincreasesinenginepowerand efficiency,tonewpropellertechnologies andweightreductionefforts,themodernizationeffortsoftheC-130areaseriesof

A graphic highlighting key modernizations of the C-130 aircraft across its 70yearhistory.TheinformationisnotrepresentativeofasingularC-130;individual aircraft will have different capabilities depending on the model and installed modifications. (U.S.AirForcegraphic byPatrickSullivan)

upgradesthatnotonlyprovideindividual benefit but work in tandem to make the aircraftaseffectiveaspossible.

“We’re trying to squeeze out every bitofperformanceoutofthisairplanewe can,becauseweknowthatwe’reprobably the bedrock of that ACE concept,”Beasleysaid.“Oncewegeteverything in theater and we’re in the battle, what’sgoingtokeepthatbattlealiveare theC-130tacticaltransports,gettingthat stufffromislandtoisland.”

TheC-130hasalsoseenanumberof avionics upgrades aimed at increasing effectiveness in a connectivity-contested environment.

Two technologies being utilized are the Real-Time in Cockpit and Dynamic Retasking Capability systems. These allowtheC-130toreceivekeyinformationfromcommand-and-controlcommunicationsystems,orC2CS,priortoenteringabattlespaceandprovidestheability to forward this information off to advancecommanders.Notonlydoesthis increase the awareness of the air crew, but also acts as a force multiplier in expandingthereachofC2CS.

With 70 years of history as one of the most versatile and battle-tested aircraft in the Air Force fleet, the C-130 looks to enter its next era in the reoptimizationforGreatPowerCompetition–andjustasRobinsAFBhaskepttheaircraftflyingthelastsevendecades,itwill besendingouttheaircrafttomaintainair dominanceforyearstocome.

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