Aopa Pilot

Applications are open until September 1 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. Nearly $30,000 in combined scholarship funding and in-kind support is available. The new cycle follows the selection of Hart scholars earlier this summer from nearly 250 applicants in the foundation's first 2026 cycle. Founder and President Rachelle Spector said the two-cycle structure is part of the organization's regular operations rather than a response to demand.

That was in 1961, and today Sporty’s remains at the forefront of affordable handheld aviation radio innovation with its latest product—the PJ2 GPS radio. Sporty’s designed elegant white packaging for the PJ2 GPS—similar to what you see with Apple products—to impress customers during unboxing. Nice touch. At first glance, the PJ2 GPS looks a lot like its predecessor—the PJ2+ (which is priced at $249.95 and remains in production).

The most significant update to AOPA's governance since its founding moved forward with the publication of proposed bylaw revisions that members will vote on at a special meeting on September 19. Members who attended the annual meeting in May were briefed on the broad strokes of the proposed bylaw revisions, which are now posted for review ahead of a September 19 vote. Photo by David Tulis.

The letter, sent on July 31, was also signed by the Experimental Aircraft Association, the National Business Aviation Association, and Vertical Aviation International.

Fly Rocky Top is built around a base camp and outpost concept. Rockwood Municipal Airport anchors the network and has a 2,400-foot turf landing area. From there, pilots can fly to surrounding strips for hiking, fishing, hunting, or paddling, and come back to Rockwood to camp.

Depending on the evening, they might overhaul an engine, install avionics, rig flight controls, sew aircraft upholstery, study an accident report, or listen to an airline pilot describe the final approach into LaGuardia Airport, New York. They're not standing behind a rope watching someone else work, they're doing it all themselves.

On November 13 and 14, AOPA is holding its inaugural AOPA Aviation Career Expo in Phoenix. Aimed at graduates entering the workforce, professionals looking for a different challenge, or students planning their careers, the event offers immersive exhibits, career development, educational programming, opportunities for networking, and on-site recruiting. It is designed to bring aspiring and current aviation professionals together to meet and communicate.

By mid-July, massive wildfires surged across Ontario, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories of Canada, driven by severe heat, thunderstorms, and drought. As AirVenture approached, over 900 active fires burned simultaneously, sending record plumes of smoke southward, deep into the northern United States, including our flight path across Michigan. The airspace was eerily quiet for a typical pre-AirVenture Friday.

Students who start with no flight experience can finish the program in nine months, down from 12. Those who have already soloed can finish in seven months, while students who begin with a private pilot certificate can complete the program in six months. The curriculum, training standards, and included flight time remain unchanged. "The shorter timeframe does not affect the overall cost of the program," said Michael Arnold, ATP's vice president of marketing.

That theory became the foundation for the Learn-Do-Fly Training Standard, a free, open framework designed to help instructors build lessons around evidence-based teaching methods instead of rote repetition. Stowell said the approach is not intended to create a new model for flight training. "We did not invent a new standard," he said.