North Carolina Receives Airport AAM Readiness Grant

North Carolina has received a $500,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) to research aviation improvements in the western part of the state. It was one of three states to receive the grant, funded in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The ARISE funds will pay for research to identify necessary upgrades at general aviation airports in Appalachian counties, preparing them for emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) and sustainable electric aviation. According to the state Department of Transportation, there are 13 general aviation airports in Western North Carolina that are limited by outdated infrastructure, and the research—to be conducted by North Carolina State University—will prepare a roadmap to ensure that those airports are AAM-ready.

Among the infrastructure needs to be assessed are the upgrading of electric utilities and the installation of aircraft charging capabilities.

“This grant is a game-changer for our state and the broader Appalachian region,” said Daniel Findley, associate director of the Institute for Transportation Research and Education at North Carolina State University. “The funding will enable us to conduct crucial research and determine the best strategies to [AAM], ensuring North Carolina airports can meet the demands of the future.”

Lawmakers Keep Workforce Concerns in Central Focus

Lawmakers returned their focus to workforce issues, calling the anticipated shortfalls one of the critical bottlenecks for the future growth of the industry. Holding a hearing on the issue last week on the heels of the recently passed FAA reauthorization bill, House aviation subcommittee Chair Garret Graves (R-Louisiana) noted that the comprehensive aviation package addresses many aspects surrounding the issue but said, “We cannot rest on our laurels. We’ve got to focus on implementation. We need to be concerned not just about the stresses in the aerospace industry today, but the reality that these stressors are going to grow greater and greater in the future.”

Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee), the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, agreed: “We must turn our attention to implementing [the FAA reauthorization bill]. There are widespread and well documented aviation workforce challenges. Shortages of these vital members of the workforce have resulted in a subpar experience across the aviation ecosystem.”

Testifying before the subcommittee, Jo Damato—NBAA's senior v-p of education, training, and workforce development—discussed the importance of the issue for business aviation, as well as the need for workforce diversification. "Despite the high demand, multiple challenges exist as barriers to those who want to embark on an aviation career path,” she said. “The FAA reauthorization bill will help remove barriers for those seeking aviation careers while expanding the aviation workforce pipeline.”

Republican Convention May Cause ATC Congestion

The Republican National Convention this week in Milwaukee will disrupt air traffic in the region. Approximately 50,000 people are expected to attend the four-day event in southwestern Wisconsin, and—according to NBAA Air Traffic Services—Chicago Center has requested assistance in advising aircraft operators of restrictions for departures from Chicago O’Hare International (KORD) and Chicago Midway International (KMDW) airports.

From 17:30 UTC tomorrow through 04:00 UTC on July 17; 18:00 UTC on July 17 through 04:00 UTC on July 18; and 18:00 UTC July 18 through 04:00 UTC on July 19, all northbound departing aircraft are encouraged to use coded departure routes eastbound or westbound to avoid delays due to event activities near Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (KMKE) in Milwaukee.

Due to the anticipated increase in departure demand generated by the event at Waukesha County Airport (KUES) and KMKE, Chicago Center has mandated that all aircraft departing from those airports file specific flight routes on July 18 and 19. For KUES, eastbound departures will use GAYLE..SLLAP then the user-preferred trajectory (UPT), while southbound departures will use ACCRA5 then UPT. Other directions can file normal routing.

At KMKE, southbound departures will take UECKR6, then UPT, with normal routing for all other directions.

These times may change due to alterations in the convention schedule, so operators in the region should check for the latest notams.

Mississippi Airport Plans for Growth

As part of its recently approved 20-year growth plan for Mississippi’s Trent Lott International Airport (KPQL), the Jackson County Airport Authority has approved a $7 million project that will add 15,000 square yards of apron space with frontage for aircraft hangar development and 2,700 square yards of connector taxiway for access to the existing parallel taxiway.

Airport director Cinnamon Snyder told AIN that in addition to more ramp parking, the move is intended to attract an MRO provider to establish a maintenance capacity at the airport. Construction is expected to commence in early 2025, with planned completion by 2026.

It was designed with input from the airport’s advisory committee, which includes the county’s economic development foundation and board of supervisors, as well as Southern Sky Aviation—the lone FBO on the field. The development will be funded by FAA AIP grants, the airport, the Mississippi DOT’s Strategic Multi-modal Investments Fund, and the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act.

“Trent Lott International Airport has long been a tremendous asset, aligning well with our strong industrial and defense infrastructure,” explained George Freeland, executive director of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation. “We…look forward to seeing the return on these investments."

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Proving the axiom that “Everything is bigger in Texas,” Atlantic Aviation now offers two immense private hangars with attached office facilities at Dallas Love Field (DAL). The sprawling hangars alone would cover nearly seven football fields. But an additional 32,000 square feet of Class A office space is attached to accommodate everyone from executive staff and support for a large flight department to the most discerning VIP visitors. All of this is immediately adjacent to Atlantic Aviation’s terminal, featuring legendary customer service.

Butler National Updates Learjet Standby Instruments

The FAA has issued a supplemental type certificate to Butler National for the installation of Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics’ replacement two-inch standby altimeter and attitude indicator in Learjet Models 23 through 60.

According to Mid-Continent, the approval allows for the replacement of one or both of the two-inch standby altimeters or two-inch standby attitude indicators installed in most Learjets. The Mid-Continent Digital Attitude Indicator and Counter Drum Encoding Altimeter have liquid-crystal displays and are more reliable than the mechanically-driven instruments they replace.

“Customers can cost-effectively install our two-inch digital attitude indicator and counter drum encoding altimeter in their aircraft. In most installations, there’s no need to cut the panel and minimal bus or wiring changes are required,” said Mid-Continent v-p of marketing and aftermarket sales Van Winter. “This upgrade is a great, modern addition to the cockpit, providing smooth, high-resolution graphics and advanced functionality.”

“Our avionics technicians have noticed a growing number of operating challenges with existing RVSM standby altimeters when performing the required continued airworthiness checks,” noted Butler National president and CEO Chris Reedy. “The replacement standby altimeter is a quality and cost-effective replacement solution that provides the RVSM standby functionality. Similarly, the MD23 two-inch digital attitude indicator provides a great-looking LCD-display replacement for the aging mechanical standby attitude indicator.”

FlyUSA Launches Air Charter Membership Program with Perks

Private aviation company FlyUSA has introduced the Ascend Club, its new air charter membership program that provides a “suite of exclusive benefits.” Among these benefits are a 2% cash-back rebate, $1,000-per-flight discount at the time of booking, dedicated “Ascend Club Travel Advisor,” guaranteed availability and recoveries, priority booking on peak travel days, and up to an additional $250 in perks per flight.

“Our company and operations are growing. Our objective was to craft a membership program with distinct benefits that demonstrates that we understand our clients and what is important to them,” says Barry Shevlin, co-founder and CEO of FlyUSA.

“A key differentiator is the 2% cash back that rewards customers for being loyal. While other programs keep clients at various tiers based on the size of their deposit, our program pays clients back. This is a unique approach, and the response to date has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Dassault Signs Up for TrustFlight's Centrik 5 Software

Dassault’s MRO business is implementing TrustFlight’s Centrik 5 software to help improve safety, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance. Dassault Aviation Business Services will use Centrik’s safety, compliance (quality), risk, training, workflows, and regulations modules.

To help ensure that employees at its facilities keep current with regulation changes, Centrik 5’s regulations and workflow modules send real-time notifications of changes and can automatically assign actions or tasks to meet the added requirements. Dassault Aviation Business Services has facilities in Geneva, Basel, Lugano, and Sion, Switzerland; Paris Le Bourget; Lisbon, Portugal; Farnborough and Luton, UK; and Luanda, Angola.

Using Centrik 5 will enable Dassault Aviation to eliminate outdated and labor-intensive paper-based processes, according to TrustFlight. This will allow the company “to increase operational efficiencies, improve safety, and outline potential risks ahead of time to ensure the high standards associated with the Dassault Aviation brand.”

“TrustFlight’s Centrik is an industry leader in safety, quality, and risk management,” said CEO Karl Steeves. “Centrik is used in nearly every sector of aviation, and we’re proud to share that a leading entity like the Dassault Aviation group of companies has recognized the value that our system brings.”

Eve Raises $94 Million in Fresh Funding for eVTOL

Eve Air Mobility recently raised a further $94 million in funding to support its plans to bring a four-passenger eVTOL aircraft to market in 2026. The public company, in which Brazilian airframer Embraer is the majority shareholder, said multiple undisclosed investors have supported a new equity financing round that is expected to close in the coming weeks.

The new capital will be released under an agreement dated June 28 that will issue and sell 23.5 million new shares in Eve’s common stock at a price of $4 per share. Melbourne, Florida-based Eve will provide additional details about the closing of the equity raise through an 8-K filing under Securities and Exchange Commission rules. The sale is expected to clear $94 million once deductions are made to cover expenses associated with the offering.

Meanwhile, rival eVTOL aircraft developer Archer Aviation announced earlier this month that existing investor Stellantis has provided an additional $55 million in funding. The car maker increased its backing, having earlier this year purchased 8.3 million shares in the New York Stock Exchange-listed company and in 2023 investing $110 million. Archer reported that the latest funding had been contingent on it achieving a transition flight on June 12 with its Midnight eVTOL prototype.

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