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The warbird community celebrated Mark Novak, Chief Pilot of their B-29 'Doc', and his accomplishment of racking up 500 hours in the vintage bomber. On top of that, Novak built up more than 300 hours of time flying the other B-29 'Fifi', making him the modern era's most experienced B-29 pilot. The Airspace Center for Excellence has been given the blessing to begin operating Lakeland Linder International Airport's first concessions store, riding on the tail of new commercial service by Avelo Airlines. Evidently, there weren't too many bidders for the opportunity, with most in the area eschewing what they believed is a non-starter. The approving body came by way of Lakeland commissioners, who voted unanimously to approve the Center's lease agreement. If you've been looking for exciting aviation oriented programming, a new reality series just MAY do the trick. Paramoun

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GAMA released their 1Q/24 GA Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report -- with mostly mixed news. The results for the first three months of 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023, show deliveries were flat for piston airplanes and piston helicopters, decreased for turboprops and turbine helicopters, and increased for business jets. Total aircraft billings were up 3.2% at $4.7 billion. Czech sportplane manufacturer Direct Fly has finished delivering its 200th ALTO NG, the latest iteration of their 600-kg sportplane. The Alto was previously offered as the Alto 912 TG model, sporting some light tweaks and changes for improved stiffness and durability. One such modification added additional engine space up front, shifting the weight a tad to prevent the TG's habit of tail standing when disembarking. The newer ones also make full use of the 15-kg baggage com

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In partnership with Revv Aviation and the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID), Coe College is opening a new flight school and aviation management program. Those interested in becoming a professional pilot can complete their certification while enrolled as students within Coe's new aviation management concentration. Just as they got themselves a new contract, things spiraled out of control as the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots claimed, "Managers use intimidation, aggressive interrogation tactics to silence the Union's voice." Scarcely a few weeks passed since the parties sat down at the bargaining table and inked a 5-year pilot contract, something all expected would put the very acrimonious relationship on the back burner until time for negotiations arose anew. Stratus Financial and Wayman Aviation Academy have joined forces to deliver customized fin

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A Saturday afternoon jump run, originating from SkyDive Kansas City, went bad when it was reported that, "a Skydiver premature parachute deployment at 14,000 msl damag(ed) the tail section." The turbine-upgraded Cessna 206, N29173, was abandoned by the pilot, who made a safe and successful jump, though the aircraft is a total loss. The parachute-equipped jump pilot exited the aircraft after all six jumpers had cleared the aircraft. The fourth flight test of Starship could launch as soon as June 5, pending regulatory approval. SpaceX notes that Starship’s third flight test made tremendous strides towards a future of rapidly reliable reusable rockets with the test completing several exciting firsts, including the first Starship reentry from space, the first ever opening and closing of Starship’s payload door in space, and a successful propellant transfer demons

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There are, occasionally, blisteringly dunderheaded bits of governmental incompetence to be found with increasing regularity... but the most recent move by the Nat'l Parks Service leaves us shaking our heads and a bit ashamed of Uncle Sam. The leaders of the Arsenal of Democracy consortium had planned to execute a World War II aircraft flyover at Mount Rushmore on Memorial Day to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. It would have been grand... and NOT a sight to miss. Vertical Aviation International is worried that an NYC helicopter port is in danger of permanent closure courtesy of a recently introduced piece of legislation. The legislation, A.10224/S.9408 by Simone & Hoylman, would permanently close the West 30th Street Heliport (KJRA) within New York City's Hudson River Park. The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) has selected Roswell, NM as the new home of th

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Blue Origin's seventh passenger flight ended with a smidgeon of drama when one of its 3 parachutes failed to fully deploy, forcing it to rely on its remaining 2 units. That's not the worst system failure in the world, since the triple-chute system sports redundancy as a baseline, but it's always a little discomfiting to rely on a backup whenever parachutes are involved. Women in Aviation International (WAI) members and friends will honor the valiant service of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) by visiting their graves and leaving an appropriate decoration in the form of flowers or other remembrances. Textron has been granted certification of a new interior conversion for SkyCouriers, allowing operators to carry 9 pax and a load of cargo at the same time. Cessna is hoping that their new high-wing twin turboprop will find some stable footing

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The EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship program has seen its 500th student pilot graduate helped along the way, marking off a significant milestone for the group's most widely useful scholarship. The Ray Scholarship is funded by the Ray Foundation, but managed by EAA. That allows it to source candidates through its network of EAA chapters. Women in Corporate Aviation has announced the recipients of its Spring Scholarship Program, noting that they've had a record amount of applications in the last year. All in all, WCA saw more than 300 applicants for the scholarship, meaning the group also needed a record number of graders to assess just who was most deserving of the honors. The Air Charter Association is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a new sponsored internship program. It has been termed the ACA 75 Internship Program, and will offer a 3.5-month stint where

Aero Linx: National Naval Aviation Museum Located aboard historic Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, and offering free admission, the National Naval Aviation Museum is one of the largest aviation museums in the world. With the mission to “select, collect, preserve and display historic artifacts related to the history of Naval Aviation,” you will enjoy an inspiring journey through history and much more.

Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) Charts Portray the aeronautical data which is required to execute an instrument approach to an airport. These charts depict the procedures, including all related data, and the airport diagram. Each procedure is designated for use with a specific type of electronic navigation system including NDB, TACAN, VOR, ILS RNAV and GLS. These charts are identified by the type of navigational aid(s)/equipment required to provide final approach guidance.

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