A new government funding bill signed into law on February 4 will deliver major investments in air traffic control modernization, controller staffing, and addressing medical certification delays—while also blocking any effort to privatize the ATC system.

The FAA will undergo a comprehensive reorganization according to a plan announced on January 26 by Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

The reorganization includes creating several new divisions—many required by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024—including the Airspace Modernization Office to oversee the modernization of the national airspace system (NAS). That effort received an “unprecedented” $12.5 billion "down payment" last year and is strongly supported by AOPA and the rest of the Modern Skies Coalition, which is made up of more than 50 companies and organizations across the aviation industry.

Made possible through donations to the AOPA Foundation, the more than $1 million in scholarships are a major benefit of AOPA membership, helping members reach their aviation goals.

Scholarship applications open Sept. 5, 2023, with awards ranging from $2,500 to $14,000 for primary flight training, advanced ratings/certificates, aviation maintenance, and more.

Women in Aviation International's Girls in Aviation Day, an annual event that aims to inspire girls ages 8 to 18 to pursue aviation and aerospace, is scheduled for Sept. 23 by WAI chapters around the world. Around 30,000 young people are expected to take part in activities that include exploration of airports and aircraft, career panels, sectional chart scavenger hunts and virtual instruction videos and resources.

Attendance at EAA AirVenture reached around 677,000, a record high that beats last year's figure of 650,000. In addition, over 10,000 aircraft flew into the event, 3,365 airplanes were on display and more than 18.3 million people visited EAA's social media channels, a 78% year-over-year increase.

The Federal Aviation Administration has opened applications for two grant programs aimed at generating interest and preparing students for careers in aviation. The Aircraft Pilots Workforce Development Grants and Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development Grants fund programs that educate pilots, aerospace engineers, unmanned aircraft systems operators and aviation maintenance technicians.

Much to the relief of aviation advocates (including AOPA), a long-sought package of changes to flight instructor certification regulations—including removal of certificate expiration dates—was proposed by the FAA on May 23, substantially a favorable response to petitions that AOPA filed starting in 1999.

Airline and aviation industry hiring numbers remain strong and steady in the first few months of 2023...

Legislation has been introduced in Congress that would allow students to use 529 education savings plans to train as pilots and aviation mechanics. "The Aviation Workforce Development Act is a commonsense proposal to give Americans who want to pursue a career in aviation, on the ground or in the air, the same tools as those seeking four-year degrees with zero increased cost to taxpayers," said chief sponsor Mike Collins, R-Ga.

The February 10 deadline for scholarship applications is just around the corner.

The AOPA Foundation offers numerous scholarship opportunities to AOPA members, from primary training to pursuing a career in aviation. Totaling over $1 million, these include eighty $10,000 scholarships for high school students to train for their private pilot certificate.

Women in Aviation International (WAI) has announced its selection for the 2023 inductees to its International Pioneer Hall of Fame.

The FAA concurred with AOPA and individuals who supported a rulemaking proposal that enables pilots who medically qualify under BasicMed to act as required crewmembers other than pilot in command—more specifically as safety pilots.

Unprecedented hiring by the 12 major airlines—along with a record number of pilots actively seeking employment—continues as 2022 comes to a close. According to Future and Active Pilot Advisors, 11,372 pilots were hired by the 12 major airlines from January through October.

The newest versions of Airmen Certification Standards (ACS), are available for download on our site. Also, we have condensed the 98-page FAA version for Private Pilot Airplane, into a more manageable 24-page version that includes only skills need for the single engine training that we provide.
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A summary of the changes is below:
  - The only “skill” based changes are:

  - Engine starting in various conditions, i.e., hot/cold/normal starts.

  - Proper pitch attitude on landing (which has always been a practical area of focus).

The applicable “knowledge” based changes are:

  - Runway Status Lights
  - CFIT during low altitude maneuvering
  - Different kinds of hypoxia
  - SFRAs
  - BasicMed

With more and more airplanes equipped with GPS navigation, the plan to reduce the VOR navigation system to bare bones is still underway. Luckily, the plan calls for a "minimum operation network" to remain in place as a back up. Therefore, a solid understanding for VOR operations will continue as a requirement for students pilots.
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The annual all-women cross-country airplane race is set for take off at 8 a.m. Tuesday, June 19, from Sweetwater, Texas. The 2,656-mile sprint across the United States ends Friday, June 22, in Fryeburg, Maine. Fifty-six aviation teams, consisting of 121 women pilots from around the world will compete!
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Legislation funding the Federal Aviation Administration for five years passed in the House. There is NO language mandating privatizing US air traffic control!
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The FAA has ended the requirement that flight tests for commercial pilot or flight instructor certificates (airplane-single engine) be conducted in complex aircraft (planes with retractable gear and a constant speed propeller).

This change will certainly result in a big savings to pilots seeking these rating and make scheduling flight checks easier.

It is our understanding that logged flight time in and appropriate endorsements in complex aircraft are still needed to be eligible for the Commercial Pilot flight test, however.
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The You Can Fly High School Aviation Initiative will award 20 scholarships, at $5,000 each, to deserving teens, ages 15 to 18, who are passionate about earning their primary pilot certificate. Learn more.

The scholarship application deadline is 12 p.m., EDT, May 2, 2018.

Also available for Pilots, AOPA's Medical Guide. The online course satisfies the requirement for pilots to complete a medical education course prior to operating under BasicMed.

Since the current phrasing was not intended, DPEs (Designated Pilot Examiners), should act in accordance with the revised language as stated above for Tasks PA.VI.B.S1 and PA.VIII.F.K7."

This is great news for student pilots all over the country, because it allows more airplanes to be used for the practical exam than previously. This does not directly affect our pilot training operations at Long Island Flying, as all of our airplanes have the required navigation equipment already installed, but it is still good news for the industry!