FAA Granted Special Flight Permission On Christmas Eve

Santa Claus, evidently a close friend of the Federal Aviation Administration, has released a portion of his yearly "naughty or nice" lists for industry stakeholders, revealing some high and low points of the safety scene in 2021. “I have the utmost gratitude and respect for everyone who makes it their job to keep air travel safe,” writes Santa. “For those people whose bad behavior puts air travel safety in jeopardy, remember: I’m watching!” Santa expects to bring bountiful presents to flight crew, traffic controllers, cabin crew, lineman, gate agents, airport personnel, astronauts, and masked travelers. 

Some 582UL Engines Built With Mismatched Crankcase Halves

Rotax released a mandatory service bulletin for its 582 UL engines, stating that a limited number were assembled with non-matching crankcase halves. For continued operation, inspection is needed to ensure the correct installation of the crankcase. Released in 1989, the 582 UL is a two stroke, 2-cylinder, liquid-cooled aircraft engine designed for ultralight aircraft. If the name rings unfamiliar, it should come as no surprise that production has ended in 2021, as announced by Rotax earlier this year. Much like other light vehicle powerplants, the engine has seen waning popularity in the face of cleaner-burning, less high-strung 4-stroke engines as technology improved.

From 2018: American Barnstormers Tour Storms Through AirVenture

From July 5-29, 2018, the 2018 American Barnstormers Tour undertook a 5-city, 5-state tour through MO, IA, SD, MN and WI. The 2018 American Barnstormers Tour exclusively featured 10 vintage Travel Air open cockpit biplanes. Five of the biplanes will function as static displays at each venue, with owners and restorers available to answer crowd questions. Five of the biplanes offered ride experiences to tour attendees. The goal of the tour was to extend fellowship, to bridge a gap between the modern day and aviation history, to allow folks immersive flight experiences in the biplanes, to dra