Waterloo Air Show takes off this weekend

While the Waterloo Air Show at the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) in Canada is slated for June 2 and 3, activities surrounding the airshow have already begun.

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Wings over Waukesha to celebrate centennial of flight

The Wings over Waukesha Air Show in Wisconsin will celebrate the centennial of flight in Waukesha County with an expanded airshow. The show is slated for Aug. 25-26 at Waukesha County Airport (UES).

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For the love of pilots

In my experience, airports fall into two categories. There are those that are all business, a sterile environment where pilots and passengers pass through for a time, leaving none of themselves or their experiences behind. These are efficient patches of asphalt that are necessary in modern times, and it is not the function or responsibility of these facilities to inspire.

Then there are the other places, those half-forgotten patches of grass or concrete where a middle-aged housewife with gray hair or a gangly teenaged boy whose arms have not quite come to terms with his legs are encouraged to follow a desire to become one with the sky.

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A healthy energy boost for pilots

It takes a lot of energy to cover an airshow or a fly-in. Over the years I have experimented with different ways to boost my energy levels. These methods include physically training for a show (running several miles a day or climbing stairs with a 20-pound pack on my back) and during the show ingesting lots of caffeine in the form of coffee, soda, and the dreaded energy drinks. At the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, earlier this year, an acquaintance who knows of my caffeine habit suggested that I give a new product, Pilot Chews, a try.

“I took them and within minutes the mental fog lifted — and they taste good,” he said in wonder, leading me over to the exhibitor who was offering free samples.

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Coalition establishes Aviation Educator Hall of Fame

A group of more than 20 aviation organizations and individuals recently established the Aviation Educator Hall of Fame (AEHOF).

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From survivor to student pilot

Jennifer Julian, 54, is a double lung transplant survivor. Scratch survivor. She’s a “thriver.” And today, she is a student pilot.

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FBO reaches out to VIPs

Bill Moltenbrey of Business Jet Center (BJC) at Dallas Love Field has added one more job to his growing list of duties — cleaning up after the FBO’s four-legged customers.

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A gift to remember

Jim Torphy has celebrated quite a few birthdays over the course of his life. At 90 years old, his personal anniversary has become somewhat more impressive though, and so his birthday party last month surpassed what most of us go through each year by quite a bit.

Torphy is a pilot. In fact, he’s a pilot’s pilot. He’s an airplane kind of guy, who loves gliders, too. He’s flown with wheels on the end of his gear, but is equally comfortable putting a set of floats down on the water. He’s the kind of man who is right at home in a Piper Cub, yet holds himself and his students to the highest standards.

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Making safer general aviation pilots

Many years ago when I took my Commercial checkride, the Designated Pilot Examiner told me that a pilot’s commitment to safety ebbs and flows. We are at our safest right after a checkride. As we gain experience, our vigilance can diminish, replaced by a new-found confidence that can lead to complacency.

Over the years efforts to keep pilots at that just-back-from-the-checkride level of safety has led to the creation of FAA-sponsored safety programs. The most recent incarnation is the FAASTeam, the name derived from FAASafety Team.

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Pilot protection services for AOPA members

The new Pilot Protection Services (PPS) program from AOPA, is designed to help members avoid problems that can threaten their pilot and medical certificates while also providing professional insights and assistance when they have a problem.

The core benefits are: year-round tips and advice from nationally-known medical and legal experts, the AOPA Legal Services Plan, and the most valuable elements of the former AOPA Medical Services Program.

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