The program offers an aviation bachelor's degree program with online coursework that's integrated with a standardized flight-training curriculum available nationwide. Designed for future professional pilots, MSU and ATP students build over 100 hours of multi-engine Piper Seminole flight experience in a coast-to-coast, airline-style environment. With the purchase, ATP will operate 87 Piper Seminoles in its training fleet. The company also operates 50 Cessna 172s, five Diamond DA40s and a Citation jet. Visit www.piper.com and www.atpflightschool.com.

Lightspeed Aviation Foundation has announced the recipients of the first five of their $10,000 grants. They're Angel Flight Southeast, the Civil Air Patrol, JAARS, Mission Aviation Fellowship and the Ninety-Nines. Allan Schrader, president of the foundation, stated: "All of those that were nominated are already doing ’good' for aviation. We want to come alongside to help build awareness and increase funding opportunities. And we want to mobilize the pilot community to learn more about them and get involved." Visit www.lightspeedfoundation.org.

Aviat Aircraft is offering Husky owners a new option to enhance the utility of the aircraft: an Airglas Cargo Pod. The fiberglass pod, which measures 70 inches long, 24 inches wide and is 13 inches deep, weighs only 25 pounds and can carry 170 pounds. The pod is STC'd to retrofit all models of the Husky. Initial installation could take up to two hours; thereafter it can be installed or removed in about 10 minutes. The pod, priced at $3,500, will fit a Husky with wheels, skis or floats. Visit www.aviataircraft.com.

Quest Aircraft Company received final approval from the FAA for the Kodiak's Ice Protection System. The TKS system, manufactured by CAV Aerospace, has been installed on three Kodiaks so far. "Since receiving our type certification in 2007, we've continued to work on enhancements and improvements to the Kodiak," stated Paul Schaller, Quest Aircraft President. "Ice protection is an option that many of our customers have been looking forward to having available to them, and we are very pleased that the system is now certified, especially as we move into the winter flying months." Visit www.questaircraft.com.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism has partnered with PilotMall.com in a promotion designed to encourage general aviation travel throughout the Bahamas. The promotion challenges participants to visit all 20 Bahamian Airports of Entry during the 2011 calendar year. Each participant is given a promotional passport book upon registration. Visits to the different Airports of Entry are validated by Bahamas Immigration and/or Customs officials who will stamp the promotional passport books. Visit www.bahamas.com.

Cirrus Aircraft has partnered with a new FBO in Zhuhai, China, to support general aviation activities in the local area. The facility will operate under the name "Zhuhai Cirrus FBO" and will offer traditional FBO services for both based and transient aircraft, as well as serving as a Cirrus Aircraft Sales Center with flying club and training services. Zhuhai Tianyi Aviation also signed an agreement to purchase three Cirrus SR22 aircraft as part of the FBO's first group of operational aircraft. Scott Jiang, Cirrus' China Director, said, "We expect the Zhuhai region to become the center of Cirrus activity in Guangdong Province and the surrounding area." Visit www.cirrusaircraft.com.

Talkeetna, Alaska, is the location of the latest Build A Plane program, where local high school students combine classroom learning with hands-on efforts to build a real airplane. "Once we announced we were going to start a Build A Plane project, we began getting an amazing number of offers from lots and lots of people who wanted to help or contribute in some way," says Rebecca Fisher, a Talkeetna resident and Alaska Airlines pilot who volunteered to head the project. Support from local aviation companies has included paid internships, free flights and new scholarships. Visit www.buildaplane.org.

Avidyne Corporation has delivered their 500th DFC-Series autopilot system. The system includes the DFC90 autopilot that's designed to work with existing Entegra Flight Deck systems, and the DFC100 that's compatible with their new Entegra Release 9 suite. "Avidyne is focused on developing avionics systems that provide significant safety enhancements," said Avidyne President Dan Schwinn. "Being first to certify Flight Envelope Protection in this market, and the fact that customer demand is so great for the DFC90 and DFC100, have affirmed our resolve and reinforced our commitment to innovation." Visit www.avidyne.com.

The Sonex Aircraft proof-of-concept electric-powered Waiex aircraft achieved its first flight on December 3, 2010, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis. Piloted by Sonex Founder John Monnett, N270DC made a short hop on runway 27, intended to be a conservative nonpattern flight to break ground-effect and analyze in-flight system performance as the next step in testing. This short flight punctuates four years of development by the E-Flight design team. Visit www.sonexaircraft.com.

The Elevator Cushion from Sporty's increases flight visibility by assisting pilots who have trouble seeing over the nose or need another inch or two to reach the rudders. It measures 14x12x21⁄2 inches on the seat bottom, and 14x18x21⁄2 inches on the seat back. The thick, dense foam won't lose shape over time, and at a weight of just 32 ounces, you don't have to recalculate weight and balance. Pockets on the front and back may be used for storing flat items like charts. The seat bottom is detachable for use elsewhere such as stadiums and bleachers. Contact: Sporty's, www.sportys.com.

Artist Tess Barnett has expanded her tempered-glass tile business to depict aviation, including customized renderings of your aircraft or logo. With the image on the far side of the tile, the picture stays put, permanently protected from abrasion by tempered glass. Wild Tile's image transfer process uses gasified inks that permeate the back surface of tempered glass, so the tiles can be used indoors or out. They can go on the floor or on the wall or they can be fitted to a light box. The tiles come in either 6x6-inch or 12x12-inch sizes, but the ultimate size of the artwork is effectively unlimited. Contact: Wild Tile, www.wildtile.net.

The all-in-one Cockpit Video System from Sporty's allows you to record in-flight HD video (1080p at 30 fps or 720p at 60 fps) and all intercom and radio communications. A built-in GPS receiver logs your precise location, and with included EasyEdit software, you can review your video with speed and altitude data, all overlaid on a Google Earth map. The system also features a 135-degree wide-angle lens with laser-alignment capability, an adhesive mount, three-hour battery and 2 GB microSD card. Not only is it great for sharing your flights with friends, but it's a useful debriefing tool for flight students. Contact: Sporty's, www.sportys.com.

Available through Runway Pilot and an aviation apparel company, Flitek Performance Bamboo products are designed for pilots by pilots. Made from environmentally friendly fabrics, Flitek clothing is well suited for the cockpit---it's comfortable, wicks moisture and is very breathable. Available colors include blue, black and white. Contact: Runway Pilot, www.runwaypilot.com.

The MGL Avionics MGL-880 headset operates in stereo or mono, and features soft silicone gel-filled ear cups, two volume-control knobs, a filtered, noise-canceling microphone, gold-plated headphone and microphone plugs, a metal swivel gooseneck and metal microphone boom. It weighs just 20.5 ounces and has a passive-noise-reduction rating of 27 dB. Contact: MGL Avionics, www.mglavionics.com.