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NFL All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham has been appointed as the new chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Young Eagles Program. The announcement was made during a program for Young Eagles volunteers at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. Graham, who is dedicated to aviation and has experience flying various aircraft, expressed his excitement to continue the mission of the program, which has introduced over 2.3 million youth to aviation since 1992. The EAA CEO and chairman of the board, Jack Pelton, praised Graham's dedication and expressed gratitude for his acceptance of the position. [Extracted from the article]

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has announced that its EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship program has successfully trained and certified 500 private pilots. The program, funded by the Ray Foundation, provides financial assistance of up to $11,000 to deserving youth for flight training expenses. The EAA and the Ray Foundation have made $1.8 million available for this purpose. The high completion rate of the scholars is attributed to the supportive environment provided by EAA chapters. Additionally, the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation partners with EAA to award a Zulu 3 headset to each student upon completing their first solo flight. [Extracted from the article]

Hartzell Propeller has acquired WhirlWind Propellers, a company based in El Cajon, California. WhirlWind specializes in providing propellers for various aircraft, including experimental aircraft, airboats, wind tunnels, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Hartzell plans to retain WhirlWind's product offerings and brand identity, allowing them to expand their presence in the light-sport aircraft market. Jim Rust, the former president of WhirlWind, will continue to be involved under the new ownership. [Extracted from the article]

The National Warbird Operator Conference (NWOC) recently held a conference in Cocoa Beach, Florida, which included a breakout session on the FAA's Living History Flight Exemption provision. This provision allows the general public to experience flight in warbird aircraft. The conference addressed concerns about safety in the warbird community, particularly in light of recent accidents. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is working with the FAA to advocate for safety and maintain the Living History Flight Exemption. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves provided an update on initiatives in Washington related to warbirds. [Extracted from the article]

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has announced that its EAA Virtual Ultralight Days will be returning for the third year in 2024. The event will consist of 15 webinars over three days, focusing on various aspects of ultralight aviation. The webinars will be conducted online and will feature subject matter experts in the ultralight community. Topics covered will include getting started in ultralights, maintenance, airport operations, safety inspections, and an introduction to different types of ultralight aircraft. The sessions are free and pre-registration is encouraged, with archived video presentations available to EAA members. [Extracted from the article]

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has announced the initial list of airshow performers for the 71st running of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. The event, which will take place from July 22-28 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, will feature nine separate airshows, including nighttime performances. The performers will showcase a variety of aircraft types, including Piper Super Cubs, Extra aerobatic aircraft, a jet-powered Waco biplane, and warbird types such as the P-51 Mustang and Vought Corsair. The EAA stated that the list includes both aerobatic champions and longtime Oshkosh favorites. [Extracted from the article]

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and the Alaska Pilots Association are supporting YouTuber Trent Palmer in his attempt to overturn an FAA suspension. The groups argue that the National Transportation Safety Board has disregarded the Pilot's Bill of Rights in this case. Palmer's suspension was a result of a low-altitude violation during a flight in November 2019, where he made a low pass over a backyard but chose not to land. He argues that the pass was necessary for takeoff and landing, even though he didn't land. AOPA reports that Palmer's attorney has filed a brief addressing errors made by the NTSB judge, and the NTSB/FAA legal team has until January 17 to respond. [Extracted from the article]

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has announced the lineup of jet demonstration teams for the upcoming EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 event. The event, scheduled for July 22-28, will feature multiple military aircraft demonstration teams, including the F-22 demonstration team, the F-16 Viper demo team, and the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B demonstration unit. Additionally, the Polaris Ghost Squadron, a unique private jet group, will be performing precision formation flying with aircraft such as the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet, Aerovodochody L-39 Albatros, and the Mikoyan MiG 29. The EAA is excited about these commitments and expects the event to be unforgettable. [Extracted from the article]

NASA's Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft, a unique piece of aerospace research history, is currently up for auction by the General Services Administration. The aircraft, built on a limited budget using a donated De Havilland Buffalo and leftover engines, is being sold as is from NASA's Ames Research Center in California. Although the plane has not been maintained to FAA standards and has been sitting outside for decades, there is a possibility that it could be made airworthy again. In the 1970s, NASA used the Buffalo to explore the concept of Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) aircraft for efficient interurban mobility, achieving a stall speed of about 50 knots. The aircraft was also tested for potential carrier operations by the Navy. [Extracted from the article]

Astronaut Frank Borman, known for commanding the first manned flight to circle the moon, has passed away at the age of 95. Borman had a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force before joining NASA as an astronaut. He spent almost 20 days in space over two missions and later became the leader of Eastern Airlines. Borman was also an avid general aviation pilot and actively promoted safety within the Mitsubishi MU-2 pilot community. His personal archives were donated to the Experimental Aircraft Association and are now on display at the EAA Aviation Museum. [Extracted from the article]

FAA Allows "Flying Car" To Enter Flight Testing Https://www.youtube.com/embed/F1DWApxsKao?enablejsapi=1&feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&vq=hd720&&& Alef Aeronautics caused some excitement in the flying car media this weekend with the announcement that it had received special airworthiness certification for the prototype of its unusual design. While some outlets had the skies imminently crowded with the traffic-hopping creation, it turns out the FAA certification has some pretty tight restrictions, including flying it only as an experimental aircraft for display, research and test hops. [Extracted from the article]

Still in process: Autopilot functionality for legacy autopilots (think S-Tec), ARINC 429 connectivity to make an IFR-capable HSI in the AV-30 and other products. Https://www.youtube.com/embed/k63aj 59fLY?enablejsapi=1&feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&vq=hd720&&& Shane Woodson breaks down where uAvionix is with the development of the AV-30 and its other avionics/lighting products in this video from Sun 'n Fun 2023. The AV-30 was recently updated to use an external magnetometer and can drive a digital autopilot in experimental aircraft. [Extracted from the article]

If the schedule holds, we'll see that next year at Sun 'n Fun and flight article by AirVenture. Https://www.youtube.com/embed/LUpsT-iBw1E?enablejsapi=1&feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&vq=hd720&&& TurbAero, an Australian company with footprints in the U.S. and Canada, is continuing work on its small regenerative turbine for light experimental aircraft. At Sun 'n Fun, I AVweb i talked to TurbAero's Berni Breen and learned that the company is cutting metal and on the verge of assembling a running prototype. [Extracted from the article]

Image: EAA The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is celebrating its 70th anniversary on Thursday. EAA also offers aviation safety programs, government advocacy and aviation education and outreach efforts such as its Young Eagles program, which took more than 49,000 young people on free introductory flights last year. "EAA's founder, the late Paul Poberezny, often said that he never expected this little Milwaukee airplane club to grow into what it has become, but it tapped into a basic aspiration - the freedom to fly", said EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board Jack Pelton. [Extracted from the article]

Ryszard had done some flight testing of an Osprey amphibian, which has a pylon-mounted engine that gives the same effect, so he knew what Burt was talking about when they spent a good portion of their call on this subject. His airplane was in the same shop as the Viggen at the time, so the swap was as simple as taking the engine off one airplane and bolting it onto the other." Replacing the engine mount on a Viggen is very difficult and the engine was sitting on a stand, so Ryszard decided to attack the engine. [Extracted from the article]

In the meantime, the service alert requires operators of certified aircraft with the STC "to pull and collar the autopilot circuit breaker and placard the autopilot as "inoperative" prior to further flight." The agency advises operators of certified aircraft with the STC to contact a Garmin dealer to enable reactivating the autopilot/pitch trim combination "in accordance with recommended Service Bulletin 22110 Revision A.". [Extracted from the article]

As previously reported by AVweb, EAA Young Eagles passed another milestone last month with more than 100,000 young people enrolling in the Sporty's Pilot Shop Learn to Fly Course following their Young Eagles flights. PHOTO (COLOR): Image: Brady Lane/EAA The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has taken more than 49,000 young people on free introductory flights via its Young Eagles program this year. EAA further noted that 93 pilots have completed its 30 for 30 challenge, flying at least 30 youths in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Young Eagles program. [Extracted from the article]