Stefanie's Work Hides Behind First Responders to Gut the Affordable Drone Market

The Drone industry has raised its hackles regarding the Drones for First Responders Act introduced by Congressional rep Elise Stefanie, describing it as a boon to the EMS/Fire/Police crowd at the expense of the recreational and commercial drone industries. "While on the surface, this bill makes a lot of sense, and I believe the industry is on board with what the Congresswoman is trying to do for First Responders (in addition to farmers and ranchers, as well as those who work with critical infrastructure), that’s where our support ends," said Vic Moss of the Droning Company.

Collectibles Around, but Not for Long

PlaneTags has finished up a run of plates using some of the castoff skins of the upper wings from the Experimental Aviation Association's B-17 Aluminum Overcast. The skins were taken off in March of 2014, when the aircraft was overhauled and stripped down for a much needed refurb. The EAA has put up 8 different variations, since the removed skins had black, white, and silver sections to choose from. Most of the time, ones with some kind of striation or paint application seem to do better on the secondary market, so the "partial black paint" or riveted pieces will likely prove popular in years to come. Expect to pay about $110 on the lower end for a plainer tag, and about $165 for the more interesting variants. 

Also: NATA CEO In Legal Dilemma, WestJet Encore Settle, Drone Bill H.R. 8416, USN Jet Trainer 

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

Flight Sim Association Studies the Age-Old Question

The Flight Simulation Association completed a survey of pilots and air traffic controllers across the country, looking to quantify the exact impact of home-based flight simulation on their resulting training. While it's long been said that flight simming is more harm than good, cementing bad habits and inflating egos in a phase that can't handle too much of either. That's been pushed back on in younger generations, however, as flight simulation became more advanced, and physical control setups came down in price. The Association found that for Private Pilot students, those who used the flight sim saved about 5.5 hours of training time - not too shabby when Skyhawk time seems to settle around $150 an hour across the country. Throughout their training, the survey found that active flight sim enthusiasts got their certificate almost 20 hours faster than the national average.

Nexus Full-Scale Technology Demonstrator Should Fly Next Year

Textron has successfully connected the two halves of the fuselage of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), Nexus, full-scale technology demonstrator. This significant milestone involves joining the central sections of the aircraft that are designed to seat passengers. “Since the formation of Textron eAviation, the team has been focused on vehicle design, performance confirmation and the build of our first full-scale technology demonstrator to test the control and functionality of the aircraft,” said Kriya Shortt, president & CEO, Textron eAviation.

Paint Echoes Original Design of YF-16 in 1974

The U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demonstration Team showed off a brand new paint scheme to celebrate their 50th anniversary, mirroring the design of the original YF-16 prototype from 1974. The pain design took much longer than they'd expect, stretching a 3-week job into 8 weeks after all was said and done. The team worked with the 412th Test Wing to ensure it was done correctly, since their logistics manager Tony Accurso would be directing the Edwards AFB F-16 50th Anniversary celebration. He became their go-to for historical accuracy, ensuring the resulting paint scheme would be a spot-on evocation of the original prototype.

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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. P

Massive Aviation News Event Started 2024 Off With a Plethora of Exciting Info

Last year, we introduced the SnF Innovation Preview in which 25 companies introduced over 30 new planes, products, engines, accessories, and more… in other words… a LOT of news. Rotax previewed the powerful 916iS, CubCrafters showcased the Carbon Cub UL, Bose introduced the A30, Aerox revealed the Boomula… and so much more. This year, we went beyond that... way beyond all that, with a larger selection of news announcements that covered ALL aspects of sport, general and commercial aviation... all at the start of the 50th Annual SUN n FUN Aerospace Expo... the undisputed start to the aviation year. This year was also a major news-breaker... especially with the announcement that the DeltaHawk Diesel engine folks were working with Piper Aircraft on an STC for the PA44 Seminole. It also hosted the first forma

Also: VA Scholarships, Certification Standards, 'Staff the Towers', Women in Aviation Advisory

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