Aviation enthusiast and Academy Award Winner Tony Bill spoke at an event hosted by Friends of Santa Monica Airport. Bill has flown more than 50 aircraft types, and is an inducted member of the Living Legends of Aviation. Attendees were treated to a collection of dogfighting clips depicting the flying skills used to get the most realistic and dramatic footage in his film Flyboys. "He discussed lens work, camera trickery and the unbelievable flying used to capture the frantic intensity of air-to-air combat," reports Liz DeStaffany of FOSMO. "His insight to the conditions pioneering combat pilots endured was exciting and educational, offering even experienced and modern aviators a glimpse into the past of aviation's history." Visit www.friendsofsantamonicaairport.org.

Kyle and Amanda Franklin were injured during an air show performance on March 12, and are currently being treated for burns in San Antonio, Texas. To help with a donation, visit www.moonlightfund.org or www.icasfoundation.org.

Honeywell and Aspen Avionics are teaming up to deliver a NextGen-ready multifunction touch-screen cockpit display to GA. Honeywell's Bendix/King KSN 770 is part of the Apex Edge series, delivering an MFD with GPS, communication and navigation capabilities on a 5.7-inch touch screen. "Honeywell's Bendix/King KSN 770 has an architecture that interfaces with more than 90% of general aviation aircraft flying today," said Rob Wilson, president of Business and General Aviation at Honeywell Aerospace. "The new KSN 770 will be highly integrated with Aspen's Evolution Flight Displays, creating a range of display options for our customers." Visit www.bendixking.com and www.aspenavionics.com.

Aspen Avionics and Maule Air announced the Evolution Flight Display System as an optional factory upgrade on new Maule aircraft. "This year, we are celebrating 50 years of our Type Certificate. Our products have endured not only because of great design work, but also because of continual improvements to the airframe that make our products even better," said Brent Maule, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Maule Air. "We are happy to offer the advanced glass-panel capabilities of the Evolution System to further enhance the value we bring to our customers." Visit www.mauleairinc.com.

In celebration of the fifth anniversary of The Tutima Academy of Aviation Safety, watch journalists from around the globe were hosted for a long weekend at the flight school in northern California. The two-day open-house event featured aerobatic and formation flying with founder Sean D. Tucker in the flight school's Extra 300 and Pitts aircraft. Visit www.tutimaacademy.com.

Avemco Insurance announced its new 2011 Safety Team dedicated to improving loss-prevention standards by advancing general aviation training and awareness. The team currently includes John and Martha King; Kirby Ortega, chief pilot at Cessna; Kevin Clover, National FAASTeam manager; Bill Rhodes, PhD of Aerworthy Consulting; Bob Wright, principle, Wright Aviation Solutions; Tom Turner, owner of Mastery Flight Training and Jerry Gregoire, chairman of Redbird Flight Simulations. "Given the current accident rate and the clear evidence that pilot error continues to be the primary ongoing problem, the need for pilots to participate in a new paradigm of training is obvious," said Avemco President Jim Lauerman. "We've formed the Avemco Safety Team to help loss-prevention efforts and make our Safety Rewards Program even more effective." Visit www.avemco.com.

Gets DA42s Embry-Riddle University in Prescott will take delivery of four Diamond Aircraft DA42 NG before the new school year. The new DA42s will be used as multi-engine trainers for new flight students, starting in August. "The DA42 NG provides us with an exceptionally safe and fuel-efficient multi-engine training platform with the latest in engine, avionics and airframe technologies. And, the AE300 turbo diesel is perfect for our high-altitude training environment," said William O'Hara, interim director of Flight Operations at Embry-Riddle Prescott. Visit www.diamondaircraft.com and www.erau.edu.

Jeppesen completed a rapid- decompression test of iPad 2 to an altitude of 51,000 feet, proving the integrity of iPad 2 in sudden cabin-pressure loss. Last year, Jeppesen completed a similar test of a representative iPad as part of a successful program to obtain initial FAA authorization for the Jeppesen Mobile TC charting app. Structural changes in iPad 2 warranted a new test. No anomalies were detected during either iPad testing period. Visit www.jeppesen.com.

The University of North Dakota has ordered five new 172 Skyhawks to add to its training fleet. The Skyhawks are scheduled for delivery in July and August. The order is part of a multiyear agreement between Cessna UND's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences to modernize its fleet of single-engine piston aircraft, and will bring the training fleet to 63 Skyhawks. Visit www.aero.und.edu and www.cessna.com.

John and Martha King announced that Rodney Mullinax of Texico, Ill., is the winner of their 35th Anniversary Sweepstakes. "We can't imagine a better winner. Rodney is a passionate pilot, airplane owner and CFI, and he loves learning new things about flying," John King commented. Rodney and his wife, Jana, a student pilot herself, will travel on an all-expenses-paid trip to Alaska Floats & Skis in Talkeetna, where Rodney will earn his seaplane rating and take a bush-flying course. He'll also receive a Redbird TD simulator, plus a King Schools Get-It-All Kit. "King Schools has helped me succeed as a pilot from private through CFI, and beyond," noted Mullinax, "and winning the sweepstakes is a dream come true." Visit www.kingschools.com.

John and Martha King's new course, "Flying the Cessna Skycatcher," demonstrates all the basic maneuvers in the Skycatcher, and is designed for pilots transitioning to the Cessna Skycatcher, or for those just interested in knowing what flying the Cessna Skycatcher would be like. It's the exclusive transition course used by Cessna Pilot Centers worldwide. The DVD includes over three hours of video. Contact: www.kingschools.com.

The second edition of ASA's Airline Transport Pilot Oral Exam Guide by Michael Hayes has been updated to reflect the latest regulations and procedures, including the proposed new regulations dealing with crew fatigue. The question-and-answer study guide helps applicants prepare for the checkride by listing the most frequently asked questions by FAA examiners, supported with succinct responses. Chapters are dedicated to turbine aircraft theory, performance and limitations, airline operational procedures, aeronautical decision-making, and more. Contact: www.asa2fly.com.

This horizontal-shaped swivel light features 30 bright-white LED lights, and unlike incandescent bulbs, is cool to the touch. Rated at 90 lumens, the 30 LEDs provide up to 100,000 hours or 11.4 years of continuous service. The head pivots -5 to 90 degrees and rotates 300 degrees, great for the confined spaces of a cockpit. The light requires three AA cell batteries (included) to operate. Available at Pep Boys.

Contact! Britain! by Nancy Miller
Livingston Stratford is an engaging look at what it was like to be a female ferry pilot in Britain during the height of World War II. Nancy Miller was a 450-hour pilot and turning 23 years old when she was recruited by Jackie Cochran to fly for the Air Transport Auxiliary. For three years, she flew 50 different types of fighters and bombers without radios or a copilot. Her warm writing style brings the joy of flight to life.

Gleim's Sport Pilot Knowledge Test Prep software is designed to help LSA student pilots pass their knowledge test. It provides study outlines, FAA charts and figures, and every known FAA question. Users can customize study and test sessions using the actual FAA airmen knowledge test questions. A Performance Analysis Browser allows students to track their progress and focus attention on areas needing improvement. Contact: www.gleim.com.