July 2, 2025 - No. 27 In This Issue : Blame it on the lawyers : Pratt & Whitney Selects AeroTEC For Hybrid-Electric Demonstrator : Global aerospace company expanding in North Texas, bringing 1,200 jobs : Electric aviation arrives at Palo Alto Airport : Super Cub Gross Weight STC: CubCrafters : Garmin engine monitoring system now available for vintage aircraft : $100,000 in scholarships offered for aspiring business aviation professionals : Electric aircraft manufacturer accelerates U.S. factory opening : Mechanic’s failure leads to oil starvation : Celebrating 100 years of Fairchild Aircraft : Textron service center celebrates 55 years Blame it on the lawyers By Ben Visser June 20, 2025 · 8 Comments (Photo by Freekpik.com) Back when I was still working for Shell Oil, I attended a number of state aviation maintenance symposiums every year. Most of the symposiums would have social functions in the evenings. And that’s when many of us would get together and start telling war stories about our latest legal cases. I would usually relate Shell’s case about grease in a helicopter rotor bearing. It concerns a military helicopter that was flying along when a bearing on the tail rotor drive shaft locked up, disabling the tail rotor. According to experts at the trial, this model of helicopter will fly safely without a tail rotor if the pilot keeps the forward air speed up and then lands it like a fixed-wing aircraft. But the pilot panicked and went to hover, which spun the aircraft and killed all on board. The experts then looked into what caused the bearing failure. It seems that the failed bearing had been removed from another aircraft. It was inspected, cleaned, repacked, and put in storage. But they were out of the usual oil paper to wrap it in, so they used a regular paper towel, put it in a plastic bag, and put it back into storage. During storage, the paper towel wicked most of the oil out of the bearing. It was then pulled from storage and installed on the helicopter without the proper inspections discovering that there was almost no lubricant on the bearing. Without the lubricant, it failed. The lawyers could not sue the pilot, the technician who installed the bearing, or the military. So, they sued the airframe manufacturer, the bearing manufacturer, the grease manufacturer, plus a host of others — including Shell, even though the failed bearing was lubricated with a competitor’s grease. We got sued because we had a product listed on the military’s Qualified Products List (QPL) for that application and the lawyers thought our product might have accidentally been used. We hired an outside law firm — for more than $40,000 — and got the case dismissed. I assume most of you think $40,000 is nothing to a company like Shell, but expenses like this go into the pricing of all general aviation products that you buy. That leads me to wondering about unleaded avgas. Well, actually the legal system and its impact on general aviation’s transition to unleaded fuel. The first big problem is that this is going to be a total change to GA’s fuel with 100LL going away and only unleaded 100 octane fuels available. This means the government is forcing a total change and so any problem that happens after this change will be blamed on the new fuel. There may also be two or three different fuels with each approved to a different specification. And not all of the fuels may be approved by the various manufacturers. In addition, we have a lot of “orphan” engines for which the manufacturers are no longer in business, so there is no one to approve the new fuel. There is also the concern that the different fuels will not be compatible with each other in all of the different applications. If there was a failure, how will we determine which fuel caused the problem? Another big concern is the exhaust valve recession problems when unleaded fuels are used. This is going to be a large problem for new engine manufacturers and also rebuilders. When these engines start out with new cylinders and no existing lead coating, the chances of recession are much greater than for high-time engines. What is the answer? I don’t know, but it looks like the present plan is to throw the different unleaded fuel candidates out there with whatever approval they so choose. When there is a problem with the transition to unleaded avgas, maybe those affected will sue the EPA or the FAA. But more realistically they will sue everyone from the airplane manufacturers to the fuel distributors, letting the courts sort it out to determine the winners and losers. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is going to turn out well for the general aviation community. Pratt & Whitney Selects AeroTEC For Hybrid-Electric Demonstrator Share Guy Norris LE BOURGET—RTX company Pratt & Whitney has appointed modification specialist AeroTEC to convert a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 turboprop into its long-planned Hybrid-Electric Propulsion (HEP) flight demonstrator. The modified aircraft, which was originally targeted to start flight tests in 2024, will incorporate a 2-megawatt parallel hybrid-electric powertrain system in place of one of the Dash 8’s two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW120-class turboprops. In addition to a 1-megawatt thermal engine, the system will also include a 1-megawatt, 1-kilovolt electric drive from sister RTX company Collins Aerospace and a battery system supplied by Swiss startup H55. Conversion work will take place at AeroTEC’s Moses Lake, Washington, facility, where the company has amassed experience on several previous and ongoing hybrid and electric power modification programs. AeroTEC is currently modifying a MagniX-owned Dash 7 for NASA’s electrified powertrain flight demonstrator program, and a Cessna Caravan for Surf Air Mobility’s hybrid and all-electric Caravan project. The company previously also modified a Dash 8-300 into a hydrogen-powered demonstrator for now-defunct Universal Hydrogen. It also supported ground and flight tests of Eviation’s all-electric Alice aircraft and completed the initial conversion of MagniX’s battery-electric Cessna eCaravan. Efforts to develop the powertrain have taken longer than expected. But Michael Winter, chief scientist at Pratt & Whitney parent company RTX, says the company is "doing this to learn. We want to do it right, and we want to do it carefully. We want to build these building blocks and put them together in ways that we understand how to safely and reliably certify it, to bring it into the fleet.” Speaking at the Paris Air Show, Winter added that “our partnership with AeroTEC will actually be the unlock that lets us really bridge that. If we were to do a flight demonstrator with, say, a prime airframer looking to the future, then there might be opportunities to work directly with them to do the integration. But we don’t have that luxury this time, and so AeroTEC is a wonderful partnership that allows us to bring that forward and to burn down those barriers and unlock getting to that flight test.” Pratt’s move to contract with AeroTEC follows a recent successful ground test of the hybrid propulsion system at full power for a simulated full mission. The company previously reported running the system to full power before the Farnborough Airshow in 2024, but the latest test exercised the system for a longer period. “We ran the entire system up to the full required power for the full mission, including the takeoff, as well as the recharge cycle on the batteries within the mission profile. That achieved more than 1,800 shaft horsepower, and we did this with a combination of drawing the power from the batteries as well as from the thermal engine. That’s actually a challenge for the batteries, because typically [the] batteries are designed for reducing the possibility of thermal runaway. That tends to limit how fast you can pull the current out and how fast you can put it back in. So we’re working closely with H55, which we are partnered with through RTX ventures, and we’ve achieved the full cycle,” Winter says. Global aerospace company expanding in North Texas, bringing 1,200 jobs The company says it plans to invest millions to upgrade its facility in a busy part of North Texas. The Alliance Airport development in north Fort worth has become an economic engine for the region. Author: Rachel Snyder Published: 1:11 PM CDT June 26, 2025 Updated: 1:11 PM CDT June 26, 2025 FORT WORTH, Texas — A global aerospace company is planning a big expansion in North Texas in a move expected to add 1,200 new jobs. German-based MTU Aero Engines AG says it plans to invest $120 million to upgrade its 43,000-square-meter facility at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport as part of its long-term investment strategy through 2050. The company signed a 30-year lease contract with the City of Fort Worth to expand its facility there. The expansion is expected to bring 1,200 new jobs to North Texas and up to 2,000 indirect jobs in services, logistics and infrastructure, according to a press release. “MTU is taking things to the next level with a triple-digit million US dollar investment in our Fort Worth-based site. To underscore this strategic shift, the facility will be renamed MTU Maintenance Fort Worth,” said MTU Maintenance Fort Worth Managing Director Gernot Sell. The facility, previously named MTU Maintenance Dallas, will be renamed effective Sept. 1, pending approval from regulatory bodies. "We have a clear business strategy for regional collaboration, are committed to job creation and both excited and prepared for significant growth," the company said in a statement. MTU previously announced that it will be adding CFM LEAP and GEnx maintenance, repair and overhaul services to its portfolio in the U.S., which will result in MTU's site in Fort Worth being developed from an on-site service center to full disassembly, assembly and test facility. The city of Fort Worth owns Alliance Airport, but it's managed by Alliance Air Services, a Hillwood company, our content partners at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram report. “As one of the soon-to-be largest engine maintenance and testing facilities in North America, MTU Maintenance Fort Worth will be a powerful force for economic growth — bringing thousands of high-quality jobs, attracting top-tier aviation talent, and reinforcing our region’s position as a global leader in aerospace innovation,” Christopher Ash, Hillwood’s senior vice president of aviation business development, in a statement to the Star-Telegram. MTU's business includes both military and commercial aircraft engines across 19 locations around the world, and it maintains 1,500 engines and industrial gas turbines each year. Electric aviation arrives at Palo Alto Airport Swiss company H55 brings its battery-powered aircraft to Silicon Valley by Gennady Sheyner June 26, 2025 10:32 pm Note: See photos in the original article. Andrew Swanson fondly remembers the exciting day in 2013 when a strange flying object outside his window made him feel like City Hall was about to topple. Swanson, Palo Alto’s airport manager, was relatively new to the position and he was in his office on the sixth floor, watching an aircraft with a wing the size of a jumbo jet gliding through the air after taking off from Moffett Field. Developed by the Swiss company Solar Impulse, the experimental aircraft aimed to prove that aviation powered purely by solar power is a viable proposition. Piloted by Swiss pilot André Borschberg, the single-seat aircraft passed through the Bay Area as part of a multi-stop tour. “I screamed so loud because I was seeing this,” Swanson recalled this week. “They said, ‘Lucky we didn’t tip the building over,’ because all of the Fire Department and Public Works went to the window to watch these guys. It was amazing.” The Solar Impulse team passed through the area again in 2016 as part of a more ambitious and record-setting endeavor: a trip around the world in a solar plane. The 40,000 km trip included a five-days-and-five-nights journey across the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Hawaii. The trip was more than just an adventure; it was a proof of concept. The message was: clean energy could fuel the global aviation industry. This week, Borschberg and the Solar Impulse team returned to Palo Alto with a different venture – one that Swanson and others in Palo Alto believe could revolutionize the aviation industry and transform the operations at the local airport. Their new company, H55, is at the forefront of developing and selling electric aircraft to pilots around the globe, including in Palo Alto. While H55’s electric aircraft has yet to get FAA certification, a process that the company hopes will be completed within the next 18 months, it is already turning heads and winning fans in the local aviation community. Over the past week, the H55 team has been stationed at a Palo Alto Airport hangar that is typically occupied by the Bay Area Urban Eagles, an organization that trains local youths in aviation skills. Its new plane looks nothing like the Solar Impulse aircraft that established the team’s global reputation. Its frame is manufactured by Bristell, a Czech manufacturer that produces dozens of models, and it looks like it would fit right in among the dozens of aircraft spread around the Palo Alto airport. H55 took the B23 Energic model and outfitted it with an electric propulsion system that includes a single liquid-cooled motor, and an array of lithium batteries distributed in two packs. The system uses “agnostic charging,” which means it does not need a charger specifically designed for its aircraft, said Kristen Jurn, H55’s North America sales manager. A car charger would work. “So really, the idea is that you’ll have chargers set up where they can come out, and you can effectively pull your airplane out, pull your car up, and charge,” Jurn said. The plane’s most obvious distinguishing feature is sound. The H55 plane purrs while others roar. Bob Lenox, a long-time advocate for Palo Alto Airport, was among a select group of local pilots, dignitaries and potential customers, who have been flown around in the H55 plane over the past week. He called the experience “fantastic.” “My observation is it’s just like an airplane, which is a good thing, but it’s a lot quieter,” Lenox said. You know we’ve been talking for a while. … And now we’re here. Andrew swanson, palo alto airport manager Michael Mashack, pilot and founder of Bay Area Urban Eagles, had a similar take after his flight in the H55 plane. “I could take my headset off and still have a conversation with the pilot,” Mashack said. “The blades make noise, but there’s no noise in the engine. That surprised me because I was expecting something different.” Lenox, Mashack, Swanson and the H55 team were among the roughly two dozen frequent flyers who gathered at the Urban Eagles hangar on Tuesday morning to check out the Swiss team’s technology, talk shop and watch demonstration flights. Swanson said that airport managers from other Bay Area general aviation airports were scheduled to arrive later in the day. Pilot Laurent Wülser, who was conducting the demo flights, said the goal of the team’s U.S. tour was to show the plane’s transition from a concept to a real, viable product. The team has been at it since April, going from Florida to Alabama and then Arizona and Nevada before its arrival to San Carlos and Palo Alto. After its Palo Alto tour concluded on June 25, the H55 team went on to its next steps in Wisconsin and New York. “The idea is to show the flying aircraft. I mean, it’s not on the paper. It’s a real aircraft. It’s flying,” Wülser said before one of his Tuesday morning flights. TAKING FLIGHT The buzz inside the Urban Eagles hangar was building as a small crew of H55 employees began to push the parked B23 out of the hangar and toward the airport apron, past the parked planes and toward the airport’s single runway. Observers and airport officials walked out toward the runway. After the H55 disappeared in the cloudy sky with Wülser and a passenger aboard, another plane, a Pilatus PC-12, taxied toward the runway. The Pilatus is among the largest and most popular aircraft at the airport. Even though it’s parked, the roar of its single engine forces the spectators to halt their conversations for several minutes. While Swanson and other Palo Alto officials see electric planes like the electric B23 as the bright future of Palo Alto Airport, for many residents it’s the Pilatus that epitomizes the airport’s problematic present. That became evident last year, when airport officials unveiled a set of long-range alternatives for the small but busy airport, which included options that would have extended the airport’s 2,443-foot runway so that it could better meet Federal Aviation Administration’s guidelines, which recommend 3,500 feet. Even though some options for the runway were more popular than others, the overall message was clear. While Public Works staff and airport advocates touted the benefits of Palo Alto Airport and made the case for a larger runway, most residents and all City Council members argued against expanding the airport’s footprint. More than 1,000 people had signed a petition last year beseeching the city to prioritize environmental protection over airport upgrades. Residents who live close to the airport, many of whom live in neighboring communities of Menlo Park and East Palo Alto, also attended a heated meeting in summer 2024 to express their misgivings about all of the proposed expansion alternatives. The vast majority took issue with any plan that would bring flights – and, by extension, more noise and pollution – into their neighborhoods. Aside from environmental protection, noise and pollution were the leading causes of discontent. Last September, dozens of residents attended a City Council study session on the airport plan to sound off on the plans. While some pilots advocated for expanding the runway and making other improvements, most residents who spoke urged the council not to expand the airport. Some called for the city to eliminate the airport altogether. Local resident Sally Tomlinson posited at that meeting that most people who visit the area do so because they want to enjoy nature, not airplanes. “My choice would be to remove the airport entirely, but I see the continuation of the airport within the current constraints as a compromise,” Tomlinson said. The voices against the expansion proved persuasive as council members basically agreed to keep the airport’s footprint mostly unchanged. Council member Julie Lythcott-Haims was among those who stressed the need to protect the neighborhoods around Palo Alto Airport from the airport’s impact. “As a matter of environmental justice, I believe we have an obligation today not to dump our noise and lead pollution on neighbors, particularly when those neighbors are members of population substantially underrepresented in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and overrepresented in the vicinity of the airport where the pollution is created,” Lythcott-Haims said. For those who see great value in having a local airport, electric aircraft represent the perfect solution. Even though the city has been trying to lower pollution by offering unleaded fuel, Swanson told the council last fall that sales have been very slow. Electric aviation, meanwhile, offers plenty of promise and Palo Alto is hoping to be at the forefront. In 2023, the city completed a $43-million reconstruction of the airport apron, a project that included laying the conduit to accommodate the electric aircraft of the future. When you come to a place like Silicon Valley, with sustainability and the environmental side of it, you’ve got the technology side of it, you’ve got the disruptive business model side of it. This is what this place thrives on, right? Our project brings all this together gregory blatt, co-founder of h55 And even though the city has temporarily halted its long-term plan for the airport following last year’s impassioned public feedback (the process will resume early next year, according to Public Works Director Brad Eggleston), it continues to explore other improvements that would not expand the facility’s footprint. One such effort is the creation of an airport microgrid, a network that would rely in large part on energy from solar panels. The panels would be installed in parking areas throughout the apron. Public Works and Utilities Department staff have been analyzing what it would take to establish a microgrid. The city expects to release a report on the topic next month, Swanson said in an interview. “We got the conduit now and now the next steps – dealing with the future of solar parking cover and the ability to hopefully have a microgrid so that the airport can be completely self-sustaining,” Swanson said. Today, he retains much of the excitement he felt in 2013. He was excited to learn recently, for example, that the charging mechanism for the H55 plan is the same type used in cars. “You know we’ve been talking for a while. And you know what? We really believe that we knew that we would get to this. And now we’re here,” Swanson said. He is far from the only aviation enthusiast who is eager to take part in the emerging field. Pete Sandhu, an Atherton resident who learned to fly in Palo Alto and who currently runs Five Rivers Aviation, a fixed-base operator at Livermore Airport, sees the H55 plane as part of a broader trend toward electric aircraft, which also includes companies like Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation. Unlike H55, those companies specialize in eVTOL aircraft that are often referred to as “flying taxis” and that can take it the skies without runways (the acronym stands for “electric vertical takeoffs and landing,” connoting the aircraft’s ability to levitate like a helicopter). Both Palo Alto Airport and Livermore have been planning for facilities that can accommodate Archer, Joby and other companies of this sort. Sandhu said he believes Palo Alto is well positioned to be at the forefront of that trend. “Palo Alto is perfect for that. There’s no noise, there’s no there’s no pollution. And really, what would anybody have against an airport except noise and pollution? This solves both of those,” Sandhu said. Sandhu also touted the technical aspects of the H55 motor, which he suggested will be more resilient and, in some ways, simpler than the traditional kind. “The moving parts are subject to a lot of abuse, with lots of different metals that heat and cool at different rates and don’t fit right at different temperatures. You have to really baby your engines to make them last,” Sandhu said. “You know, as long as they’re designed to last. Whereas an electric motor, you can’t abuse it. “I mean, it doesn’t matter. Shove power in, pull power out, it doesn’t mind. It’s just magnets and electric magnets. There’s not much to break.” HIGH AMBITIONS For all its promise, the H55 plane still has some hurdles to overcome and questions to answer. The B23 Energic may be green, sleek and modern, with an array of switches and two monitors in the cockpit displaying power and energy metrics, but it’s not cheap. It comes at a price of $431,000 and would-be purchasers are asked to make a $10,000 deposit and then wait until the FAA certification is complete. The planes are projected to be available in late 2027 or early 2028. After certification, the price is likely to be closer to $500,000, Jurn said. Gregory Blatt, co-founder of H55, noted that it does have one advantage over traditional aircraft. Pilots don’t have to buy gas. “When these guys go flying, they put a couple of hundred bucks to pay for gas,” Blatt said. “And we’re saying, ‘Don’t put the money for gas. Put it in the piggy bank. In two or three years, you’re going to come to me and you’re going to want new batteries and you’re getting better batteries. Every time you invest in gas, you’re not getting better gas.’ … So it’s a whole paradigm shift that technology introduces from a societal point of view, from an economic point of view, and from a flight operational point of view” Even though the legacy of Solar Impulse is very much embedded in the DNA of H55, Blatt is quick to point out the differences between the two ventures. Blatt, who served as head of marketing at Solar Impulse, characterized that venture as “a flying laboratory where different companies and organizations came together to test their technology, to show what was possible at the time.” It was, in a sense, a research project that informed the current commercial one. “What we did understand coming out of Solar Impulse was how to optimize the propulsion chain — meaning the motor and the batteries, all the energy management around that, and make it safe and secure so that we could bring it to a certified product,” Blatt said in an interview. Blatt, who lives in Geneva, is well accustomed to European focus on sustainability when it comes to aviation. The Geneva airport, he noted, is in the center of the city and people are very well attuned to the need to minimize noise and pollution. But before H55 began its current tour, Blatt said he wasn’t sure how well its message of sustainability would play out in the United States, where oil and gas remain prevalent and bolstered by the White House administration. “But much to my pleasant surprise, the sustainability angle is still very important, not just in California, but in other states, especially with the younger people,” he said. He sees the electric planes as a perfect fit for Silicon Valley, an area that has a history of advancing and disrupting industries. “When you think about it, this project hooks everything together,” Blatt said. “When you come to a place like Silicon Valley, with sustainability and the environmental side of it, you’ve got the technology side of it, you’ve got the disruptive business model side of it. This is what this place thrives on, right? Our project brings all this together.” His team received a warm reception in Palo Alto, he said, with many people welcoming the crew and asking questions about their technology. The plane’s battery life allows it to fly for about an hour between charges and for the U.S. tour, the B23 Energic gets shipped in a large container. Blatt said that from the moment the H55 team began unloading it, people began coming up, expressing interest and asking questions. Since arriving on June 18, the team hasn’t had a single bad experience, he said. “The only time I ever have a bad experience is when the weather is bad and I can’t fly. I can’t blame anybody for that, right?” he said. Super Cub Gross Weight STC: CubCrafters Supplemental Type Certificate now available for third-party restoration and overhaul projects. Larry Anglisano Tuesday, June 24, 2025 A modernized 2,300 lb. gross weight PA-18 Super Cub on WipLine amphibious floats - Credit: CubCrafters Got a Piper PA-18 Super Cub? If you do, the STC for a sizable gross weight increase STC that’s been in the works at CubCrafters is good news, especially if you carry floats and stuff. The STC increases the certified gross weight of eligible PA-18 aircraft from 1750 pounds to 2300 pounds. That’s more than a 30 percent increase in payload capacity. Float-equipped aircraft owners will also find this STC appealing, as the increased legal useful load makes it feasible to comfortably carry two people, fuel and bags—something often difficult or impossible under the Super Cub’s previous weight limits. Shop Work Required But the STC isn’t just a piece of regulatory paperwork. CubCrafters says extensive overhaul work is required for the aircraft to be eligible for the 2300-pound gross weight increase, including a structurally upgraded airframe, new wings and landing gear assemblies, a 180-HP engine with a stronger engine mount and specialized aerodynamic devices—like tail strakes and vortex generators. The company said these enhancements were designed and tested to modernize Piper’s original Super Cub design, with performance and safety in mind. Refurb projects for PA-18 models have been brisk as these aircraft age, with strong owner demands for utility and modernization, including engine and avionics mods. CubCrafters is offering this STC to customers as part of total aircraft overhauls done through its own factory services department in Yakima, Washington, but also intends to package the STC with the required structurally upgraded parts and assemblies for use by external third-party aircraft maintainers and restorers. Garmin engine monitoring system now available for vintage aircraft By General Aviation News Staff June 19, 2025 · Leave a Comment Garmin has revealed the GI 275 engine indication system (EIS) can now interface with and display information for select 7-cylinder engine applications, allowing vintage aircraft owners to better monitor and manage their radial engines. The GI 275 EIS serves as an all-in-one primary EIS display, providing indications including fuel and electrical data, oil pressure and temperature, cylinder head temperature (CHT) and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) monitoring, and more. The GI 275 EIS was intentionally designed to take advantage of the common 3.125-inch flight instrument size, reducing installation time and preserving the existing aircraft panel, according to Garmin officials. The GI 275 EIS for 7-cylinder engines is available now for select aircraft on Garmin’s Approved Model List (AML), including Continental W-670, Wright R-760, Jacobs R-755, and Jacobs R-915 installations on the following aircraft: • Cessna 190, 195 • WACO YMF • Beech Model 18A, S18A, 18D, S18D, A18A, SA18A, A18D, SA18D • Howard DGA-15J, DGA-15W More models are expected to be added to this list in the future, Garmin officials said. Prices start at $5,570. For more information: Garmin.com/Aviation $100,000 in scholarships offered for aspiring business aviation professionals By General Aviation News Staff June 24, 2025 The International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) Foundation has opened the application period for its 2025 Business Aviation Scholarships. This year, the foundation will award nearly $100,000 in scholarships and grants to support the next generation of business aviation professionals. Eligible recipients include college and university students pursuing careers in business aviation, as well as young professionals active in the IADA NextGen initiative, an industry development program aimed at future leaders in aircraft resale. University Scholarship Details Scholarship awards will range from $1,000 to $5,000 and are available to full-time undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in aviation-related programs. Eligible majors include Corporate Aviation Management, Aerodynamics, Aircraft Systems, Aviation Safety, Finance, Maintenance Programs, Marketing, Economics, and other business aviation disciplines. Applicants must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Incoming college freshmen may submit their high school GPA for consideration. Through its partnership with Alpha Eta Rho, a national aviation fraternity, the IADA Foundation has expanded eligibility to students attending 63 approved aviation-focused colleges and universities. Students enrolled in other accredited institutions with aviation programs may also be eligible. NextGen Transaction Industry Grants In addition to academic scholarships, the foundation will offer grants to young professionals engaged in IADA’s NextGen initiative, supporting their growth within the business aircraft transaction industry. These grants will fund professional development, leadership training, and educational activities tailored to aircraft transactions, according to foundation officials. New in 2025: JSSI Aviation Innovation Grant The IADA Foundation, in collaboration with Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), is launching a new $5,000 JSSI Aviation Innovation Grant. This award will recognize a college student who demonstrates entrepreneurial spirit, innovative thinking, and a strong concept for advancing the future of business aviation, officials noted. Alongside the monetary award, the recipient will receive mentorship from JSSI professionals to help develop and refine their innovative aviation idea. Students can apply online at IADA.aero/Scholarship. Deadline to apply is Sept. 1, 2025. Electric aircraft manufacturer accelerates U.S. factory opening By General Aviation News Staff June 26, 2025 Aura Aero’s Integral trainer. (Photos by Auro Aero) French aircraft manufacturer Aura Aero is stepping up plans to start assembling planes for the North American market after receiving millions of dollars in additional support from the state of Florida. Aura Aero unveiled its plans to build its first North American factory in Daytona Beach in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Research Park at the 2024 Paris Air Show. The company’s first 10,000-square-foot hangar will be home to US assembly, delivery, and customer support for Aura Aero’s INTEGRAL two-seater trainer with aerobatic capabilities, which is already certified in Europe and under the FAA fast track process for US certification, company officials said. The hangar will also be home to two prototypes of INTEGRAL E, the all-electric version, that will soon fly in the skies of Daytona Beach to conduct a flight test campaign, with plans for first deliveries in 2027, according to company officials. The company received $3.4 million in funding from Space Florida to outfit the hangar. Eventually, the company will build a 500,000-square-foot factory in Daytona Beach that will build its 19-seater hybrid-electric aircraft, ERA. The company reports it already has 650 orders for the ERA. A rendering of the ERA hangar. (Photo by Auro Aero) This project, expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, recently got the green light from Space Florida, which has agreed to finance up to an extra $200 million. For more information: SpaceFlorida.gov, Aura-Aero.com Mechanic’s failure leads to oil starvation By General Aviation News Staff · June 25, 2025 · 17 Comments (FAA Photo) The pilot reported that, during the climb through 4,000 feet mean sea level (MSL), the Piper PA46-350P’s oil temperature began increasing to 215°F, which was higher than the normal range of 190° to 200°F. He reduced the airplane’s climb rate to increase cooling, but the oil temperature continued to climb to 230°F. At that time, the pilot requested an instrument clearance back to Easterwood Field Airport (KCLL) in College Station, Texas. While receiving vectors for the RNAV 11 approach at KCLL, the pilot descended to about 2,000 feet MSL when he noted smoke in the cabin and a loss of engine power. Unable to glide to any runway, he selected a field to perform a forced landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage during the forced landing. Eleven days before the accident flight, on June 7, 2023, the pilot was conducting a cross-country flight when he observed decreased manifold pressure and a partial loss of engine power. He diverted to KCLL where, after troubleshooting, a mechanic told the pilot that the turbocharger required replacement. After the turbocharger was replaced, the mechanic completed an uneventful engine test run. An engine logbook entry dated June 16, 2023, stated that in addition to replacing the turbocharger, the mechanic drained the engine oil, opened the oil filter, and cleaned the oil pickup screen, where a small amount of metal was observed. The oil sump was flushed, and 11 quarts of new oil added to the engine. The maintenance logbook entry noted that after the maintenance, the engine ran normally at 42 inches of manifold pressure. Post-accident examination of the engine was conducted with the assistance of a technical representative from Lycoming Engines. The engine oil sump contained about two quarts of oil, and the recovered oil displayed evidence of metal contamination. The oil filter was removed, and the filter material was found to be saturated with metallic particles. There was no evidence of any loose or disconnected oil lines. Engine crankshaft continuity was established with cylinder compression noted on all cylinders except for cylinder No. 6. The spark plugs exhibited signatures of normal operation. The oil suction screen plug located in the oil sump was found not secured with safety wire as required per the manufacturer’s maintenance manual. Oil suction screen plug. (Photo Courtesy of Lycoming Engines) The oil suction screen plug was found loose, with engine oil observed below the oil suction screen plug. The crush washer behind the oil screen plug was found intact with no damage. A portion of the oil dipstick port and fractured crankcase were submitted for additional metallurgical examination. The laboratory examination revealed no evidence of material defects in the crankcase material, and the observed fracture features were consistent with overload. Additional laboratory analysis of the metallic debris recovered from the oil suction screen was consistent with connecting rod material as well as steel from fittings, fasteners, and brackets. Probable Cause: The mechanic’s failure to properly secure the oil suction screen plug during recent maintenance, which resulted in an oil leak and subsequent loss of engine power due to oil starvation. NTSB Identification: 192399 To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device. Celebrating 100 years of Fairchild Aircraft By Frederick Johnsen June 27, 2025 Note: See important historical photos in the original article. This Fairchild Model 24, listed as a military C-61 version, carries Brazilian markings. (Photo from Fairchild Aircraft via the National Archives) Fairchild Aviation Corporation was created in Long Island, New York, in 1925 to address a specific need for aircraft designed as aerial photography platforms. Led by Sherman Mills Fairchild, who enjoyed both wealth and talent, Fairchild and its iterative companies fast became a reliable part of American aviation industry. Let’s take a quick look at Fairchild over the years. Call it a primer if you are heading to 2025 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this summer, as the centennial of Fairchild will be celebrated there, and several models of Fairchild airplanes are expected to park in the grassy tree-lined Vintage Aircraft area on Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Wisconsin. Sherman Fairchild invented a synchronized camera shutter and flash mechanism when he was a freshman at Harvard. A troubling bout with tuberculosis made Sherman ineligible to serve in the U.S. military during World War I, but he endeavored to be of value with his lens shutter inventions, particularly suited to aerial photography. The ability to photographically represent huge tracts of land, populated or wilderness, gained traction and young Sherman established the Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation in 1920. Survey work in Canada and the U.S. was promising, but Fairchild’s use of existing generic aircraft as camera platforms disappointed him, and the bright inventor went to several aircraft manufacturers with his ideas for a photographic survey aircraft. The responses Fairchild received for building such an airplane sounded too expensive to him, so Sherman created the Fairchild Aviation Corporation in Long Island, New York, in 1925 to build his FC-1. The FC-1 was a high-wing cabin monoplane with extensive flat glazing in the fuselage to accommodate camera angles. The FC-1, which first flew in the summer of 1926, led to the FC-2, which spanned 44 feet. The production FC-2 frequently was fitted with a Wright J-5 radial engine of 200 horsepower. This Fairchild FC-2 shows the basic layout of the production airplane that put the company on the map. (Photo by NASA via the Gerald Balzer collection) The FC-2 enabled Fairchild’s photo survey business. But Fairchild and his team were cognizant of a broader aviation market than just specialized photo platforms, and the FC-2 could carry four passengers or more than 800 pounds of cargo. Characteristic of early Fairchild aircraft, the FC-2 incorporated wings that could be folded back parallel to the fuselage for storage in smaller spaces than required for a full-spanned aircraft. Sherman Fairchild’s business model included purchasing a major interest or ownership of other companies to further his goals. In 1929 he attained majority stock interest in the Kreider-Reisner Aircraft Company in Hagerstown, Maryland. The Kreider-Reisner plant became the home base for Fairchild at that time. With FC-2 production underway, the new talent pool from Kreider-Reisner created a clean-sheet single-engine parasol design, the Fairchild Model 22 of 1931. This open cockpit sport aircraft was well-received, and became the basis for the enclosed-cockpit Model 24, held dear in the hearts of antiquers as the classic Golden Age Fairchild of the 1930s and 1940s. The parasol Fairchild 22 offered wide open visibility, and provided a basis for the cabin Model F-24 that followed. (Photo from the Gerald Balzer collection) Iterations of Fairchild F-24s flew with Warner radial engines or inline air-cooled Fairchild Ranger motors. The F-22 and F-24 began with an almost cetacean-like rounded narrow chord vertical fin and rudder. Over the life of the cabin F-24, this morphed into a more traditional broader chord design. The Fairchild F-24G shows its wide landing gear stance, and cowled Warner radial engine. Radial-powered F-24s had engines with horsepower ratings from 125 to 165. The F-24 featured two side-by-side control sticks, not control wheels. (Photo from the Gerald Balzer collection) Fairchild produced a number of civilian aircraft models, but really hit a big production stride with the acceptance by the Army Air Forces of the PT-19 trainer before World War II. Which way is up? Classic view of an inverted Fairchild PT-19 trainer has been viewed right side up and upside down ever since it was made at the flight training facility at Randolph Field, Texas, in 1942. This primary trainer used steel, fabric, wood, and heat-formed Duramold plywood to conserve critically needed aluminum for other types of wartime aircraft. (Army Air Forces photo via the Air Force Historical Research Agency) The company made extensive use of molded plywood shapes, and developed the Duramold plastic bonded plywood AT-21 twin-engine trainer for the Army Air Forces. Intended to foster crew integration training for gunners and other crew positions, AT-21s exhibited some flying characteristics undesirable for such a trainer, and their service was abbreviated in 1944. The Fairchild AT-21 Gunner trainer made with the Duramold process saw limited service life before being withdrawn. (Photo from the Gerald Balzer collection) Many people know Fairchild for the low-wing Ranger-powered PT-19 primary trainer and its offshoot iterations during World War II. More than 6,000 PT-19s were built by Fairchild and other contractors. But Fairchild had another design in the works since 1941 — a design that would keep the company busy even after World War II. While the PT-19, PT-23, and PT-26 trainers were staples for Fairchild during the war, it would not behoove company planners to slip into a false sense of economic security. So their most ambitious design of that era was a tricycle-gear twin engine, twin boom transport that could load from trucks at deck height, discharge aerial cargo out the back in flight, and carry troops into battle. It was the C-82, a modestly successful transport that flew before war’s end and served into the early 1950s. The Fairchild C-82 represented a huge leap in capability for this traditional manufacturer of single-engine general aviation and training aircraft. (Air Force/NACA Photo) The C-82 gave rise to the larger and more capable C-119 Flying Boxcar, a hallmark of Fairchild. Fairchild stepped in with larger production capacity to make production versions of the Chase Aircraft-designed C-123 Provider transport. More than 300 C-123s were built. After years of stateside military transport service, Fairchild C-123s went to war in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s. This C-123K was photographed with the 1st Special Operations Wing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in 1969. (Photo from the Gerald Balzer collection) Fairchild continued to leverage its relationships with other manufacturers, buying rights to construct the high-wing, twin-engine Fokker Friendship airliner as the F-27 in the U.S. Fairchild acquired rights to build the Fokker Model 27 turboprop airliner in the U.S. as the Fairchild F-27, with Fairchild-added changes, including some heavier skins and a lengthened nose for weather radar. After delivering more than 120 F-27s to airline customers, Fairchild produced a stretched version, the Fairchild-Hiller FH-227. (Photo from the Gerald Balzer collection) In 1964, Fairchild bought Hiller Helicopter Co., later selling it back to Stanley Hiller. And in 1965, moribund Republic Aviation, storied builder of rugged fighters for the Air Force, came under the Fairchild umbrella. With that acquisition, the development of the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft gave the combined companies a winning warplane for quantity production at the Fairchild facility in Hagerstown, after two prototypes were made in the old Republic plant in Farmingdale, New York. The Fairchild and Republic names live on with the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, a menacing ground attack aircraft. Designed with redundancy and armor to minimize the effects of hostile groundfire, the A-10 features multiple hard points for air-to-ground weapons, and a huge 30-millimeter Gatling gun known for its throaty buzz when firing. (Photo by Frederick A. Johnsen) Another assimilation by Fairchild was the Swearingen company, leading to a production run of slim Metroliner twins. The prototype T-46 jet trainer built by Fairchild Republic failed to garner an Air Force contract, and marked the end of aircraft production by the Fairchild companies even before the T-46 was canceled by the Air Force in 1988. Space does not allow a description of every aircraft issued under the name Fairchild, but the examples cited give a sense of the company’s rationale over many decades. Fairchild’s cabin monoplane designs included the low-wing Model 45, carrying four passengers and the pilot. (Photo from the Gerald Balzer collection) A hundred years ago, Sherman Fairchild began building airplanes to support his photo mapping business. For the following 60 years, the evolving iterations of Fairchild companies made original designs, and also purchased the ideas of other makers when it suited. About Frederick Johnsen Fred Johnsen is a product of the historical aviation scene in the Pacific Northwest. The author of numerous historical aviation books and articles, Fred was an Air Force historian and curator. Now he devotes his energies to coverage for GAN as well as the Airailimages YouTube Channel. You can reach him at Fred@GeneralAviationNews.com. WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Textron Aviation is celebrating 55 years at its Wichita service. celebrating 55 years at its Wichita service center. The headquarters at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport is the company’s largest in the world at 440,000 square feet. In 1970, the 7,500-square-foot building could only handle six planes at a time; now it can accommodate over a hundred. “During the past 55 years, the Wichita Service Center has been the cornerstone of our service center network, providing exceptional support to our global customer base. This legacy is built upon the dedication of those who worked here half a century ago and continues today with our current team members,” Steve Schatzman, the general manager at the Textron Aviation Wichita Service Center, said. “When I talk with customers who bring their aircraft to the Wichita Service Center, they say they feel confident coming to the experts who built their aircraft right here in the Air Capital of the World.” The center employs nearly 600 people. Curt Lewis