“From Learjet captain to owner/operator of the U.S.’s largest charter airline to Honorary Commander of McConnell Air Force Base’s 931st Air Refueling Wing and the Wichita River Festival’s Admiral Windwagon Smith, Ron Ryan has served global aviation and his local community with creative leadership, vision, and generosity worthy of lasting recognition as a recipient of the Wichita Aero Club Trophy.”
Briefings
A Raffle of Hope
Only 3,000 tickets will be sold for the raffle, which features a 1961 Piper Colt as the grand prize.
5G launch delayed as impact on aviation safety assessed
Originally planned to roll out Dec. 5, 5G from AT&T and Verizon has been put on hold for about a month while the wireless companies assess potential impact on aviation safety.
FAA to CFIs: Teach the Impossible Turn
The notice from the FAA Safety Team tells CFIs to teach their students “when and how to make a safe 180° turn back to the field after an engine failure.”
Applications open for $1 million in scholarships
The deadline to apply is Feb. 11 for the scholarships, which range from $2,500 to $14,000, and are available for flight training, aviation maintenance training, and more.
GA advocacy groups ask Congress to increase funding for alternative fuels
“We believe the fuels testing program is at a critical juncture and we request the final conference agreement contain a funding level of $10 million,” the GA advocates told Congress. “There is still considerable work to be done to address the environmental and regulatory challenges associated with piston aviation fuels and your support is key to addressing them in a way that does not compromise aviation safety.”
Pilots warned about 5G
The FAA has released a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) that warns pilots of the risk of “potential adverse effects” on radio altimeters once 5G wireless broadband networks are deployed starting Dec. 5, 2021.
FAA renews efforts to update private airport database
In this second round of efforts, the FAA is reaching out to private use airports for which they have not gotten updated information for more than 10 years. The agency has set a deadline of Jan. 20, 2022, to collect the information.
New rule would require medicals for commercial hot air balloon pilots
The new rule would require commercial hot air balloon pilots to hold a second-class medical certificate.