Maintenance Waits for No One, as Warbird Pilots Know

The Commemorative Air Force's Jeremy Lashbrook, Squadron Leader for the B-29 and B-24, broke some bad news to fans looking forward to the upcoming Air Power History Tour: The B-24 Liberator, Diamond Lil', will need a lot of unanticipated maintenance. "During the annual inspection of the B-24 “Diamond Lil” this off season, we made the determination that “Lil” needs some new feathers. Due to weathering, the cloth covered rudders, ailerons, and elevators, required new paint which also meant replacing the underlying fabric. During this process, we also felt that now would be a good time to replace the flight control cables that connect the control surfaces to the pilot’s yokes and rudder pedals. Unfortunately, this is an extensive project which will preclude our beautiful B-24 from being able to travel the country with the Air Power History Tour this summer as there have been unexpected delays in completing this project...."

One Alaskan Pilot Recognized for Stalwart Defense of Rural Flying

One pilot in the Alaskan town of Bettles has taken upon herself to keep the tradition alive, and her efforts are already making a difference in far-flung rural towns up North. Jamie Klaes has been recognized by Women in Aviation, International for her work in fostering future generations of aviators via her work with her firm, CKT Aviation and educator Alaska Excel. That work has been recognized with the WAI Martha King Scholarship for Female Flight Instructors, a financial aid package that includes $20,000 in value between a $5,000 stipend towards future flight training and the entire catalog of King Schools' aviation training curricula.

Reno Air Racing Association Announces 2024 Reno Air Show

The Reno Air Racing Association is excited to announce that tickets are now on sale for the highly anticipated 2024 air show. Set against the backdrop of the Reno–Stead Airport, this thrilling event will run from Friday, October 4th to Sunday, October 6th. Aviation enthusiasts and thrill-seekers alike are encouraged to secure their tickets in advance for an unforgettable experience. The 2024 air show promises to deliver a mesmerizing display of aerial prowess and heart-pounding performances.

Also: Flight Club, Jet Shades, MyGoFlight’s FlightFlix Acquisition

FIFTY YEARS! What a milestone for the aviation world’s master aero-education duo! John, Martha, along with their CEO Barry Knutilla have come to Sun ‘n Fuin to celebrate a half-century of keeping us educated while also casting eyes upon the future. Ya want to land and take off REALLY short? Ya want to keep it simple? Ya want it to cost less than your house? Bryce Angell’s newly created Top Rudder aircraft has some affordable, highly capable STOL-ready aero-toys for you! The ultimate cockpit visual aid? Aileronics has introduced the Sentinel, a portable sensor that can be mounted in any cockpit and assist with the chores of seeing and avoiding hazards in your flight path. There is a cool new offering by the name of Flight Club... Flight Club is a double-sided marketplace that connects aircraft owners with pilots looking to rent an aircraft. The idea is

Also: Seaplane Pilots Association, Rotax 916’s First Year, Gene Conrad

After a decade and a half of struggling with the FAA and other aero-politics, G100UL is in production and there are a million gallons currently available. You can NEVER have too many good aids in keeping a flight safe... Holy Micro has an interesting approach to keeping pilots informed. The folks at Plane Tags have collected memorabilia from over 200 aircraft of all makes and categories... And offer mementos of great planes in aviation’s proud history. SPA’s Steve McCaughey updates the Airborne team on the latest and greatest in one of the aviation world’s coolest (sometimes we mean that literally) aviation pursuits. ANN had the honor of helping to introduce the Rotax 915 at last year’s Innovation Preview and we got a chance to review what a year in the field is teaching the aviation biz. Gene Conrad Catches His Breath During Our Morning Brie

Also: Bushcat Woes, Hummingbird 300 SL 4-Seat Heli Kit, Carbon Cub UL

The newest Junkers is a faithful recreation that mates a 7-cylinder Verner radial engine to the airframe offered last year with a Rotax 912... but a desire for more historic accuracy led to the A50 Heritage. The Helicycle has gone through a number of owners and iterations but looks to be in good hands with a company that keeps tweaking and improving this unique turbine single-engine, single-seat kit helicopter. The Brazilian Montaer MC-01 is about to be joined by a four-place sibling, the MC-04. The two-seater is holding its own though with a number of impressive fleet sales and growing popularity here in the states. Life throws challenges at you now and then... and the folks got thrown a curveball at the start of SnF24. AeroSport has been the US Distributor for SkyReach and its BushCat light sport aircraft... until the manufacturer announced that they were not going to offering kits

Texas Gets its 9th Avionics Show On the Books

Hilton Anatole of Dallas, Texas has been chosen to host the 69th iteration of the Aviation Electronics Association in 2026. The event will return to the facility for the first time since 2021, gracing the town with the collective nerdary of the avionics industry once again. It makes sense why the organization would once again set down there, given the fact that more than 10% of the AEA's membership is located in Texas, most of them centered around the Dallas-Fort Worth metro expanse. Last month, for AEA 2024, the group saw more than 1,700 people turn out, the largest number an AEA exhibition has seen in more than 6 years.

Dauncan Aviation Debuts DuncanAircraftParts.com

Duncan Aviation, a leading provider of aircraft services, has recently launched a new website, DuncanAviationParts.com, dedicated to aircraft parts and in-house repair capabilities. The website boasts an extensive inventory of over 723,000 line items, valued at more than $170 million, and provides customers with the ability to easily search for parts, view high-resolution photos, check stock availability, and request instant quotes. Customers who create an account on DuncanAviationParts.com gain immediate access to view prices, available quantities, and all relevant documents, including traceability papers and 8130 dual-release tags. Additionally, account holders can make domestic outright parts purchases using a credit card for inventory available at Duncan Aviation's Lincoln, Nebraska location.

Also: ForeFlight Upgrades, Cicare USA, Vittorazi Engines, EarthX

We have a number of late-breaking news highlights from the 2024 Innovation Preview... which was PACKED with real news and probably broke more real news in one day than any other aviation event... again! The big announcement of the 2024 Sun n Fun Innovation Preview? Piper is working alongside the Deltahawk diesel folks on what could eventually show up as a Diesel Piper PA-44 Seminole... which would be a VERY fuel-thrifty airplane. Not content to produce a classic aircraft with an inline engine, Junkers has updated... or backdated for that matter the A50 platform with an honest-to-goodness radial engine. And the results? Gorgeous... in both sight and sound. CKD Aerospace has taken over Fisher Flying Products and is making BIG changes to the highly regarded SportPlane line. New products, new services, new engines... CKD had a lot to discuss... In addition to their usual list of a

AAR Breaks Ground on New MRO Facility on Oklahoma City

In a significant development for the aviation MRO industry, AAR Corporation has commenced the expansion of its maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in Oklahoma City. The groundbreaking ceremony, held Monday morning, was attended by over 150 representatives from AAR, Alaska Airlines, state and local government, and partner organizations. The new three-bay facility, adjacent to AAR's existing site at Will Rogers World Airport, is set to provide an additional 80,000+ square feet of hangar and warehouse space.