Sarah Deener

Blackhawk Aerospace will offer engine upgrades for Daher TBM 700s with TBM sales and performance center Avex Aviation.

A Cessna Caravan running on a hybrid-electric power system with sustainable fuel delivering much of the horsepower is being tested in California, blending the advantages of two distinct approaches to emission reduction.

Some pilots are on a mission. They progress through certificates and ratings with the efficiency of a checklist: everything in sequence, each item by the book. These pilots have calculated hour requirements and hiring minimums, track their progress against a mental timeline, and map out their training to achieve a final goal (see Dave Hirschman’s “Another Beginning,”). For those of us with no future paycheck at stake, however, the calculus is different.

The Pipistrel Velis Electro is an electric trainer that has been added to Textron Inc.’s fleet when the company acquired the Slovenian manufacturer. Once it reaches an endurance of an hour and a half, it will be a practical training option.

Richard McSpadden Jr., who “represented everything you ever wanted in a leader, teammate, and mentor,” was mourned by his family, AOPA colleagues, and the general aviation community after he died in an accident October 1.

A pioneer who overcame prejudice with persistence, another pilot who literally stretched her legs to qualify, a captain of the aviation manufacturing industry, an airport executive, and two astronauts were inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame on September 22.

What’s it doing now? If you’ve ever transitioned to a new avionics suite you’ve probably uttered some variation of this refrain. You engage the autopilot in a climb and the airplane unexpectedly pitches down; the needle you thought would lead you directly to the airport instead points you out to sea.

Summers in Las Vegas are hot. Midday flying is out of the question, but Antonina Shevchenko was determined to earn her pilot certificates and ratings—no summers off.

Making aviation truly sustainable requires far more than biofuel, and the conversations and presentations at the annual gathering of the business aviation community reflected that.

Virtual and real worlds are blended in the proof-of-concept mixed-reality desktop flight training device Redbird is showcasing at its booth at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.