Also: 20 Days Out From The BIG Day!

We are less than 20 days out from the first aviation event of 2021 after a year of pandemic-induced delays. But... things ARE looking up as SnF Boss Lites Leenhouts discloses that advance tickets sales look exceptionally promising and SnF21 has the potential of being pretty big. Lites discusses the precautions and safeguards Sun ‘n Fun has prepared for SnF21, as well as what we should all expect when we get to the Lakeland airport. As we get closer to the event, circumstances appear to be swinging in favor of this annual event, and Lites’ enthusiasm is app

Most NTSB Recommendations Would Mandate Best Practices That Many Ride Providers Already Implement

On Tuesday, the NTSB held a hearing regarding a new report on the safety of Part 91 revenue passenger-carrying operations. These operations include sightseeing tours in airplanes, balloons, helicopters, gliders, skydiving flights, and rides in historic aircraft. The latter includes flights under the Living History Flight Experience (LHFE) exemption program, which allows operators of former military aircraft certificated in the Experimental Exhibition and Limited categories to provide flights to the public for compensation or hire on a case-by-case basis. EAA operates its B-17 and B-25 under the LHFE program.

Representative John Cyrier Proposes New Bill in Texas

There seems to be a rash of ridiculous, aero-ignorant attempts to regulate aviation by entities without the power or knowledge to do so... and it's terrifying to examine some of the nonsense that is being proposed. A case in point; our friends at AMA tell us that on March 9, 2021, Representative John Cyrier (R-Texas) introduced House Bill No. 3403. The bill proposes that it be a criminal offense to fly any unmanned aircraft outside of the direct line of sight of the operator, above unauthorized private property, attempts to set altitude restrictions, and imposes a fee for such an occurrence. AMA believes that this bill could impact the model aircraft community if it is passed.

From 2016 (YouTube Version): A VW Bug Engine Conversion Has Matured Into an Engine for the Airplane Homebuilder…

While at EAA AirVenture 2016, ANN News Editor, Tom Patton, visited with the folks at RevMaster and talked with Ralph Maloof, who is an aeronautical engineer and inventor. The first thing we find out in this interview is that the RevMaster engine is based on the Volkswagen Bug engine, but it is not simply a Volkswagen engine with slight modifications to make it fit in an airplane. Maloof says it has been modified to the point that it is really designed for aircraft use, not for automobile use. Maloof goes on to describe the change