IAOPA

06/07/2024

AOPA U.S. was honored to host the 30th World Assembly of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) this past May in Washington, D.C. Representing over 80 AOPA affiliates worldwide, we had the privilege of welcoming FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker along with several international government and industry leaders. Together, we focused on promoting and safeguarding General Aviation on a global scale.

For more information on the IAOPA World Assembly check out our website at https://iaopa.aopa.org/

04/19/2022

It's a bird, it's a plane...it's a flying car!

Slovakian authorities have granted a certificate of airworthiness to a road vehicle capable of transitioning to an aircraft, following a 70h flight-test campaign. The KleinVision AirCar, powered by a 1.6-litre BMW engine, undertook over 200 sorties as part of the certification effort. Transport Auth...

04/06/2022

Great to see general aviation across the globe bouncing back to pre-covid numbers!

SEA Prime says business traffic at Milan's Linate and Malpensa International airports is up 60 percent in Q1 2022 compared to last year.

03/31/2022

Airdrop for Ukraine is asking your help in supporting a fun fundraising event to help Chef Andre’s World Central Kitchen to feed refugees fleeing the Ukraine. Airdrop for Ukraine is sponsored by Aviation Adventures, the largest Flight School in Virginia. It will be held at the Warrenton Fauquier Airport, on Sunday, April 10, 2022 (rain date: April 16) with the proceeds going directly to the World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity. Event Participants can purchase beanbags in advance or the day of the event for $100 each or 3 for $250. They can arrange for one or multiple passes over the target area with one of our Commercial level pilots, or fly in a plane that they bring. Airdroppers will receive prizes ranging from Gift Certificates from area stores and restaurants based on the accuracy of their drop. The first Airdropper to get their beanbag into the target will win $1000!

Airdrop for Ukraine is hosting fun, family events at local airports in the DC region to help raise critical funds for World Central Kitchen - providing meals in response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.  

03/17/2022

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Click on the link to check out images depicting Ireland's unique contribution to the global aviation community!

The story of Ireland’s role in shaping the global aviation industry over the last century is an extraordinary tale of circumstance, courage, bloody mindedness and, at times, grave misfortune.

03/15/2022

It's been 2 years since news of the pandemic broke and the entire world was subject to strict Covid regulations. Asian Sky Group (ASG) reported that China's general aviation flight hours decreased by 8% in 2020, but has made a dramatic comeback.

In 2020, pilots in China flew 984,000 flight hours. That figure is expected to increase to 6.3 million flight hours by 2035 based on current growth figures.

Jeffrey Lowe, ASG's CEO, is confident general aviation will continue to grow and expand in China explaining that ASG is "putting in place the regulatory environment, opening the airspace, building airports, and trying to encourage future job opportunities in aviation.”

China GA growth prospects are robust, with flight hours set to increase by a factor of six by 2035

03/11/2022

With gas prices skyrocketing, the general aviation community is working harder than ever to find alternatives to aviation fuel.

Before the pandemic, the aviation industry was responsible for 2.4% of total CO2 emissions across the globe. Companies are now exploring alternative fuel options to reduce transportation emissions.

Airbus is just one example of an aviation organization working to achieve decarbonization. EcoPulse is Airbus' latest environmental achievement, using a high-voltage Lithium-Ion battery to power the aircraft.

While Lithium-Ion batteries have a positive environmental impact, they can often produce dangerous heat levels, short circuit, and create uncontrollable fires.

The balance between creating clean fuel alternatives and promoting aviation safety is always a delicate one. Do you have any thoughts as to a clean and safe alternative to aviation fuel?

he new battery in the EcoPulse* demonstrator is Airbus’ latest “technology brick” to enable our future aircraft to further support decarbonisation In June last year Airbus successfully performed th…

03/10/2022

Many pilots who fly recreationally stop training after earning their Instrument Rating. They claim they aren't interested in an aviation career and just want to fly for fun, so they don't need a commercial license.

Commercial Pilot Training allows pilots to demonstrate mastery of the aircraft. The training involves high-performance maneuvers, more solo time, longer cross-country flights, and faster planes! With improved flying skills that come from Commercial Training, pilots can be more confident controlling the aircraft.

We would like to hear what you think. How has your Commercial Pilot Certificate affected you as a pilot?

A FLYING reader wonders if they should take the step, and finds out why taking it would give benefits they hadn't thought of.

03/09/2022

It's not just airlines and cargo carriers that are cutting ties with Russia, the general aviation community is joining in.

Dassault Aviation, a French business jet manufacturer, has halted all shipments of Falcon jets to Russian customers.

CAE, a global aviation training company, has stopped serving Russian customers.

Bombardier, a Canadian business jet manufacturer, recently announced they will cease working with Russian clients.

All of this comes at a time when the general aviation community is already facing financial hardship due to fuel price spikes and company stocks plummeting.

Ukraine-based Russian sanctions have ripple effect on the worldwide aviation industry.

03/08/2022

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) recently issued a Safety Advisory Notice to encourage pilots conducting low-level flight operations to wear properly fitted and maintained flight helmets.

This notice was issued in response to a Robinson R44 helicopter that was conducting low-level aerial spraying when it struck a powerline. The strike caused the helicopter to go into uncontrolled flight and collide with the ground 120 m from the wire. The pilot was fatally injured.

While the pilot was wearing a helmet, the helmet was not properly adjusted and the helmet came off after the initial impact. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell says "A correctly fitted and secured flight helmet can significantly reduce injuries and save lives in the event of a serious incident or accident but to be fully effective it must be adjusted to fit the head and the chin strap must be fastened securely."

Australia’s Air Transportation Safety Board has issued a Safety Advisory Notice recommending that pilots who do low-level work wear an approved helmet to improve their chances of survivability in the low-energy crashes that claim pilots doing this work every year. “A correctly fitted and secured...