A lifelong lover of all things aviation and aerospace, Eric Crump, who started the aerospace program at Polk State College, will take over as executive director of SUN ‘n FUN’s Aerospace Center for Excellence in June 2022.
Flight Training
Pilot shortage leads to new aircraft leasing program
RESIDCO, a Chicago-based company that specializes in the leasing of commercial aircraft and engines, has expanded into flight training with the acquisition of Brown Aviation Lease. The acquisition includes 31 aircraft on lease to flight schools and universities, with more expected to be delivered in 2022.
Spring Training for general aviation pilots
Pilots can earn WINGS credit for attending the three-hour FAA webinar over Zoom, which is designed to help pilots during the busy spring and summer flying seasons.
A bit of restraint goes a long way
This one’s all about improving the success rate of the 51% of the population we’ve done such an exceptional job of excluding from the cockpit for so long. Increasing the number of women in aviation is a worthy goal in my estimation.
Fundraising gala planned for flight training scholarships for military vets
Applications are due June 1, 2022, for the Ashton Johnson Memorial CloudDancer Scholarship, which provides private pilot training for military veterans, since GI Bill benefits don’t begin until the instrument rating.
Skyborne opens flight training center in Vero Beach
The Vero Beach facility is the first in the U.S. for Skyborne, which also has a training academy at Gloucestershire Airport in the United Kingdom.
Sporty’s updates Sport Pilot course
Nearly a dozen video segments have been added, including weather resources, normal and special-use airspace, how to use ForeFlight for airspace and weather planning, tips for flying with glass cockpit flight instruments, how to plan a cross country with a nav log, and how to use ADS-B transponders and datalink weather.
A correlation worth noting
This past week an inexcusably argumentative exchange between a controller and a pilot, a Certificated Flight Instructor, made its way onto social media. Aside from the entertainment value some may find in this exchange, it gives aviation a black eye by linking us to the worst characteristics of humans. Arrogance, resistance to authority, complacency, deflection of blame, refusal to accept responsibility, and as if that isn’t bad enough, this all took place during an instructional flight with what we can reasonably assume was a primary student.
Updated program gives safety meetings a flying start
Safety to Go provides the general aviation community access to some of the Air Safety Institute’s popular seminar and webinar topics, including decision making, radio communications, emergency procedures, night flying, and collision avoidance.