“Anything But Normal”

John King meant no offense when he said of Tracy Atobatele; “You are not normal!” In point of fact, Mr. King’s words were intended as high praise for the winner of the 2023 National Association of Flight Instructors/King Schools scholarship. Valued at over $18,000, the annual scholarship includes a $5,000 stipend and access to King School’s entire range of instructional materials and videos. The initiative aims to further the career of an aspiring or already working flight instructor.

System to Power ES-30 Hybrid-Electric Regional Airliner

BAE Systems, the British multinational arms, security, and aerospace concern, has partnered with Swedish plane-maker Heart Aerospace for purpose of collaboratively developing a battery system for the latter’s ES-30 regional electric aircraft. The inchoate battery, the first-of-its-kind to be integrated into an electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) regional aircraft, will ostensibly allow Heart Aerospace’s ES-30 to operate with zero emissions and low noise.

All Good Things …

Kansas City Aviation Director Pat Klein stated he plans to retire at the end of May 2023, thereby bringing to an end his quarter-century of distinguished service to the Paris of the Plains and its people.

EAA Chapter 534 Bears Witness to Historic Planes Rebirth

On 25 March 2023, the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) Chapter 534 visited Jim Kimball Enterprises (JKE Works, Inc.) to check on a Lockheed Vega 5C currently being reborn under the auspices of the Florida-based aviation restoration company.

Also: ABQ Balloon Relief, Sikorsky Layoffs, Flair Jets Seized, Circling Approaches

“While we had anticipated the final National Championship Air Races in Reno would be one of our best, we never imagined it would be so popular that the demand would overload our servers within a half-hour of tickets going on sale..." The Santa Monica Airport Association published a survey in the printed and digital iterations of the Santa Monica Mirror, the city’s weekly, community newspaper. Subject survey posed two simple questions: Should Santa Monica close the Airport? If you think the airport should close, what should the site be converted to? In addition to Tu

A Lot for a Little—On Many Levels

Airmate, the free Electronic Flight Bag provider with north of 200,000 users worldwide, now provides its proven Aviation Data for U.S. operators of Dynon’s SkyView Primary Flight Displays (PFD) and supplemental aircraft cockpit architectures. On 23 March 2023, Airmate and Dynon Avionics announced a partnership by dint of which U.S.-based SkyView operators may access Airmate's comprehensive and updated Aviation Data for a startlingly reasonable $49.90-per-year. Fan’s of Dynon’s slick, high-functioning, eminently intuitive PFDs ought note that throughout SUN ‘n FUN (Tuesday, 28 March through Sunday, 02 April 2023) the company’s D3 Pocket Panel is being offered fo

Mazel Tov!

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)—Israel's principal aerospace concern and producer of aerial and astronautic systems for both military and civilian customers—announced on 24 March 2023 that it had successfully completed the first flight of a B777-300ER passenger airliner the company has converted to a freighter configuration at the behest of AerCap Holdings, the American-Irish aviation leasing company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.