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Do you know a pilot, aspiring flight instructor or CFI you believe may benefit from a NAFI membership? If so then purchase them a gift membership! Click here to begin and be sure to have your recipient's email and address information available. Remember, even your non-CFI friends may benefit, since all aviators can improve their flying by learning more about flight instruction.

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On the evening of Dec. 27, 2021, a Lear 35 crashed into a residential neighborhood as it approached Gillespie Field (KSEE), near San Diego. The aircraft and crew were part of a medical transport operation that was returning from Santa Ana. The flight crew and two nurses did not survive. Shortly after the accident, ATC recordings between Gillespie Tower and the aircraft were on the internet. Speculation on the cause quickly followed. Speculation, especially without facts, is quite easy. But speculation is not a substitute for investigation—and the investigation process must be respected.

MentorLIVE is Tonight

FAA Hot Spots are About to Sizzle, presented by Christine Madden, FAA Runway Safety program manager, and Ray German, Eastern Service Area Runway Safety team manager

Join MentorLIVE for a dynamic kick-off outreach and education campaign to learn more about standardized hot spot symbology and a new arrival alert notice. Real-life events will be shared as these new and improved tools to help increase situational awareness are presented.

MentorLIVE is NAFI's monthly, live-streaming broadcast airing the third Wednesday of every month at 8 p.m. Eastern. These programs feature subject matter experts from many aspects of the flight instruction industry to help CFIs be more successful in their training endeavors. MentorLIVE is broadcast free of charge to all aviators as a NAFI community service. To help support the production of these courses click here and join NAFI today. All presentations are WINGS-approved. 

 All MentorLIVE broadcasts are archived to view at your convenience at: www.nafinet.org/mentorlive 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Tech SIG that is scheduled on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern will be on hiatus for the the next couple of months. NAFI members will be kept appraised as to when it will resume its regular schedule.

NASA has donated a $25,000 grant to Sci-Port Discovery Center to foster aeronautics education for students grades 4-12. Sci-Port was chosen out of a diverse group of museums, science centers, libraries, and other informal education organizations throughout the U.S. The goal of the grant is to increase awareness in aeronautics, particularly among minority students and those from low to moderate income families, and to increase student participation in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. More here.

The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission has implemented AOPA’s You Can Fly high school curriculum in more than two dozen schools. The program supports Oklahoma’s commitment to solve workforce challenges and ensure that the state’s second-largest industry—aviation and aerospace—will continue to be an economic driver for the state. More here.

AeroGuard Flight Training Center has developed a new in-house course that has been reviewed and approved by the FAA. The course meets the same standards in a lower number of flight hours typically necessary for a commercially rated pilot. The new AeroGuard course has been approved at 165 total hours. Students can complete the program in up to 35 percent fewer total hours and 25 percent fewer flight hours, providing significant time and cost savings compared with other courses or flight schools. More here.

The NTSB released a set of recommendations based on the recent mid-air plane crash that killed Rep. Gary Knopp and six others in Soldotna, Alaska. It is asking the FAA to require pilots to report where they are in the airspace when they’re flying within certain CTAF boundaries. In most places in Alaska, reporting on a CTAF is recommended, but not a requirement. More here.

With millions of refugees fleeing the fighting that has followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Poland and other European nations have mounted both public and privately organized efforts to assist refugees with housing, food, and other necessities. CubCrafters announced that the company has joined that effort and seeks contributions to support it. All funds raised will be used to provide food, shelter, clothing, and other care for Ukrainian refugees, the majority of whom are women and children. More here.

The United States, United Kingdom, and European Union have taken different approaches with sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine that impact private chartered jets. To add to the confusion, the FAA changed its original order. Depending on the jurisdiction, owners, pilots, and passengers who are found non-compliant may either be charged with a criminal offense or fined. More here.

An audit examining the FAA’s certification process for electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxis is expected to begin soon. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General seeks to determine the FAA’s progress in establishing the basis for certification of advanced air mobility aircraft, including ensuring the safety of novel features and providing guidance to applicants. More here.

GAMA has announced two new associate members in the GAMA Electric Propulsion & Innovation Committee. UAV Turbines is focused on the research, design and development of micro-turbines for use in unmanned aerial vehicles propulsion systems and portable ground power applications. Zipline is an instant logistics company with expertise in robotics and autonomy that designs, manufactures, and operates automated delivery systems. More here.