Also: Scalewings Speeds Up, CubCrafter Skis, Young Eagles Program, Electric Race

We are pleased to report the elimination of a particularly onerous bit of FAA decision-making... by virtue of an act of Congress. H.R. 7776, the “James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023”  -- which was passed by both the House and Senate and signed into law by the President just before year's end. The FAA policy, established in July 2021, required certain aircraft owners and flight instructors to obtain a letter of deviation authority (LODA) prior to providing flight training in experimental aircraft—including the owner

Also: Super Bowl LVII TFR, EAA Canadian Council, FAA-Korea Coop, ERBS Reentry

The Scalebirds P-36 test aircraft has been flying for a while now and as most flight test programs prove, there is always room for tweaking. The P-36 is turning out to be a solid attraction for warbird enthusiasts on a budget, powered by an uncommon Verner 7U Radial engine and designed for light aerobatics. Andy Braybrook, a 35-year-old Grantham, UK man, has been picking up the basics of aviation thanks to the disabled flying charity, Aerobility. A motorcycle accident 6 years prior caused Braybrook to suffer a spinal cord injury at the 7th cervical vertebra, putting him in a

Disastrous End to 2022 Riles Pilot Group After 3 Years of Fruitless Negotiations

Southwest Airlines is still seeing the fallout from their rough and embarrassing end to 2022, this time with a call from the pilot union for a strike authorization vote. Southwest Airlines Pilot Association's President, Casey Murray, issued the clarion call for the strike vote citing the company's "largest meltdown" and "utter lack of meaningful progress" on contract negotiations. Murray pointed to SWAPA requests for scheduling work rules and improved software systems in particular, noting that such requests have been on the table for more than 3 years now. 

"Arcane and Difficult" Notice to Air Missions System Remains Constant Bugbear

As the smoke clears following the FAA's disastrous NOTAM problem earlier this month, a clear pattern of systemic issues comes into focus. The widespread outage of the system led to a cascade of delays and grounded flights throughout the world on January 11th, with more than 10,000 flights delayed and 1,300 canceled altogether. Not even airports abroad were safe from the hassle, as the stackup of late American aircraft began to ripple throughout the international airspace system too.

Voting on Comprehensive TA and Widebody Flying Agreement Runs January 31 to March 1

The Delta Master Executive Council has voted to recommend that the tentative agreement (TA) be sent to pilot membership for ratification. The Council, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, (ALPA), approved the comprehensive TA along with a letter of agreement on international job protections. Both documents will now be submitted to the Delta pilot base for ratification.

IADA Report Shows Recovering Industry, But Expects Stabilization

The business aircraft market continued its recovery in 2022, according to this year's International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) report. IADA accredited dealers and certified brokers reported 1,399 used aircraft sales, accounting for $9.3 billion throughout 2022. That makes for an average transaction around $8 million a piece. IADA notes once again that December turned out surprisingly busy (perhaps aided by those year-end tax break necessities), with 259 resales reported. That's double the average monthly volume, and 4 more than 2021's December total. 

 From 2011 (YouTube Version): The Corporate Pilots' Fun Airplane

Nestled among the multi-million-dollar business jets and high-performance turboprops at the NBAA static display in Las Vegas in October was something a little unusual... a motorglider. Alexander Papenberg, CEO of Stemme USA, was showing off the Stemme S10-VT at NBAA for a simple reason. "Lots of corporate pilots fly from A to B IFR during the workday, and on weekends they want to fly a real airplane. They come here, they look at it, and fall in love."

H2eVTOL Council now HYSKY Society

On 20 January 2023, the Vertical Flight Society announced its H2eVTOL Council—an open forum for hydrogen in aeronautics powertrain applications—had been spun off into an independent non-profit organization to be known henceforth as the HYSKY Society.

400+ Jets Gain ATG Internet Option

SmartSky Networks announced the completion of an STC for the installation of their flagship hardware system on the Dassault Falcon 900 series aircraft. The inflight air-to-ground (ATG) system provides high-speed internet in flight, retaining uninterrupted connection with a network of distributed towers from takeoff to landing. The perennially popular Falcon 900 series joins the expansive list of Smartsky-ready aircraft, paving the way for 400 operators to provide in-flight connectivity to their passengers.

Less Than A Mile From The Runway, The Pilot Realized That The Airplane Was Not Going To Reach The Airport

On December 29, 2022, about 1327 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-24-260, N9026P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Athens, Georgia. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the passenger was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot and passenger departed Athens/Ben Epps Airport (AHN), Athens, Georgia, with 36 gallons of fuel around 1322 on an instrument flight plan. Shortly after leveling off at 6,000 ft mean sea level, the pilot felt a “jolt” and the engine “seemed to power down, like the engine went to idle.”

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