Solar-powered aircraft were the focus of a special report on aviation in The New York Times by Michele Travierso, who details several projects, including one from Eric Raymond, a California resident who is developing the Sunseeker II.

Read the full report at www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/business/global/15ravfuture.html

Sporty’s Chart Book will put an end to fumbling through a 300-page approach chart book while trying to fly. With Sporty’s Chart Book, just slide the departure, destination, alternate and other approach plates into the plastic sleeves and you’re ready to go. The charts are protected from damage, and the entire book can be used with a yoke clip.

Tabbed dividers keep the charts separate and easy to find. The dividers also display pertinent information about each phase of flight, such as a flight plan sequence, cruising altitudes and speed limits, a crosswind component chart, a pilot report template and much more. Sporty’s Chart Book holds either Jeppesen or FAA charts.

Price: $16.95.

For more information: 800-SPORTYS or Sportys.com.

The 63rd Florida Aviation Trades Association’s annual conference held late last month in Clearwater Beach was well-attended and the mood of attendees upbeat.

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The Malibu/Mirage Owners & Pilots Association (MMOPA) will hold its 19th annual convention Oct. 28-31 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. The convention is open to all MMOPA members, vendors and aviation enthusiasts.

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Pilots have been sharing flights - and the associated costs - for years. But how can pilots find each other?

Two websites, Pilotsharetheride.com and Pilotoutlook.com, that match pilots were recently featured in a column by Steven Long.
Read it at: www.examiner.com/x-14099-Atlanta-Private-Aviation-Examiner~y2009m6d23-Pilot-share-the-ride-Hitchhiking-at-an-airport

A team sponsored by Fantasy of Flight is hoping to end breast cancer one step at a time with the sale of its new “Cooking for the Cure - Fantasy of Flight for the Fight” cookbook (2009 Morris Press Cookbooks), a collection of 150 recipes including main dishes, sides, desserts, as well as a glossary of cooking terms, charts and conversions.

The cookbook is for sale online at www.fantasyofflight.com/store or at the Fantasy of Flight gift shop for $10. The entire $10 purchase price will go to the fight against breast cancer, with 85% of the funds raised going to the Susan G. Komen and 15% to the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.

For more information: 863-904-4167 or email fof3day@yahoo.com or go to www.fantasyofflight.com.

The Aircraft Partnership Association (APA) will have a display in the Affordable Flying area within the Aviation Learning Center during EAA AirVenture 2009 in Oshkosh.

Since sharing expenses is one of the best ways to lower the cost of owning and operating an aircraft, the Aircraft Partnership Association will be present to help aviators effectively find suitable partners with the same objectives, association officials said.

“While the concept of finding partners to share and reduce the cost of ownership is not new, the challenge has always been turning a good idea into reality,” said David A. Kruger, CEO, who claims the association’s web-based technology and searchable database to match partners is that “effective mechanism to identity potential aviators in your area that you may otherwise never meet.”

Membership is free for individuals. The association has nearly 4,000 members in its database, which it refers to as the “Virtual Pilot Lounge.”

For more information: www.TheAPA.com.

After almost two years of deliberations, the Washington Aviation Planning Council has released its final statewide aviation recommendations.

The Aviation Planning Council was appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire in July 2007 as part of the state’s Long-Term Air Transportation Study (LATS). The council’s mission was to determine how best to meet commercial and general aviation capacity needs; which regions of the state are in need of improvement; and recommendations regarding the placement of future commercial or general aviation facilities to meet the need for improved aviation planning in the region.

The council’s findings include: No immediate capacity constraint exists at any airport in Washington State today; future capacity constraints will exist within the time frame of this study (2030), primarily in the Puget Sound Region; Washington’s aviation system is threatened by encroachment from land uses that are incompatible with aviation operations, and existing land use laws are inadequate.

Recommendations include placing a priority on protecting and maximizing the efficiency of the airport system already in place before developing new airports. The council also determined that expanding airports - or building new ones - must be a “regional and market-driven decision.”

The entire report is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/LATS.

Mather Aviation recently opened a new facility at Van Nuys Airport (VNY). It is Mather Aviation’s first location in Southern California and brings the total number of locations to four.

Mather Aviation leased 15,000 square feet of hangar space at the Keck-Aerolease Center.

“While other aviation maintenance companies have been struggling, we at Mather have been fortunate enough to be in a position to expand into the locations that are understaffed,” said Victor Cushing, president. “With the closing of a few major repair centers, Van Nuys Airport is the perfect place for our first Southern California location. The general aviation community is incredibly strong at this airport and there are many types of aircraft without a major maintenance facility at this site.”

The new Mather Aviation Van Nuys location will be capable of servicing aircraft from single engine piston to medium corporate jets. It also will offer mobile Aircraft On Ground (AOG) service to the greater Los Angeles area with its mobile maintenance truck.

For more information: www.matheraviation.com