|
As Canada's largest airlines struggle to pick up the pieces in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, an Edmonton-based discount carrier with ambitious expansion plans has been looking for opportunities amidst the wreckage. A privately held company, Flair launched in 2004 as a charter operator and transitioned to regularly scheduled service three years ago. But it's only been in the last 12 months — a period that coincided with an unprecedented collapse in demand for air travel due to the pandemic — that Flair has been aggressively pursuing growth plans, stating publicly that it wants to grow its fleet to 50 aircraft within the next five years. It is both increasing the size of its fleet and expanding its service to new destinations in Canada and the U.S. The airline said it will add four new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to its fleet in the spring of 2022. It will also launch service between Toronto and Victoria and to Comox, B.C., for the first time. Source: CBC.ca |
|
The Limits of STOL Competitions. When STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) competitions first started, it was merely about takeoff and landing distances. Purveyors of the High Sierra Fly-in decided that wasn’t enough, so they decided to add a race-themed STOL contest that could turn into more of a spectator sport and through their recent acceptance with the FAA and the Reno Air Race Association, STOL Drag is taking the STOL competition world by storm, with licensed events happening all across the country. ArkanSTOL, an event sponsored by the Aviat Aircraft Company, touts itself as “an entirely unique experience,” and having just reviewed the definition of the word, that description is well-fitting. Pilots who volunteer to take part in the Ozark Backwoods Challenge are tasked with taking off from one runway, landing and taking off at three other runways, and then returning back to the start runway where they must cross a timing gate to stop the clock on the course. Source: avweb.com - October 11, 2021 Click the image below for a YouTube video posted by Project Kitfox entitled 'High Sierra Fly In World Championship STOL Drags 2021'. |
 |
