Join us for an exciting aviation adventure at the Portland TRACON Extravaganza, where you'll have the unique opportunity to explore the entirety of the Portland TRACON! This event features a diverse array of airports, providing a rich experience for pilots of all skill levels, whether you're looking to hone your instrument approaches, enjoy stunning coastal and inland views, or just simply fly around VFR.

Event Date and Time: July 27, 2024 from 1300 to 1700 ET (1700-2100Z)

Featured Airports:

• Portland Jetport (KPWM): The central hub of the event, offering a bustling environment for both IFR and VFR traffic.
• Auburn/Lewiston Municipal (KLEW): A perfect spot for practicing approaches and exploring the local area.
• Augusta State (KAUG): Enjoy the serene landscape and straightforward approaches.
• Brunswick Executive (KBXM): A former naval air station turned general aviation airport, ideal for touch-and-go practices.
• Knox County Regional (KRKD): Experience the picturesque coastal approaches.
• Sanford Seacoast Regional (KSFM): A great airport for short flights and local traffic patterns.
• Waterville Robert LaFleur (KWVL): Discover central Maine's hidden gem.
• Oxford County Regional (0B1): A cozy airport perfect for short hops.
• Biddeford Municipal (B19): Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of this small airport.
• Eastern Slopes Regional (KIZG): Nestled in the mountains, it offers challenging and rewarding flights.
• Laconia Municipal (63B): A scenic airport just a short hop from Portland.
• Norridgewock (KOWK): A quiet, rural airstrip great for practicing landings.
• Dexter Regional (81B): A small, welcoming airfield in the heart of Maine.
• Twitchell (3B5): Explore this quaint airstrip surrounded by beautiful landscapes.

Highlights of the Event:

• Comprehensive ATC Coverage: Local and overlying air traffic controllers will be on hand to provide seamless service across the entire Portland TRACON.
• Diverse Flying Opportunities: Whether you're arriving from afar, flying VFR along the picturesque coastline, or practicing IFR approaches, there's something for every pilot.
• Scenic Visual Approaches: Take advantage of Portland's famous charted visual approach and enjoy breathtaking views along the shoreline.
• WINGS Program Flights: This event is an excellent opportunity to complete WINGS flights. Many of these flights include published Alternate Airports, allowing you to earn your BVA pilot ratings at event airports.

Don’t miss out on this chance to experience a vibrant and busy airspace while enjoying the beauty and diversity of Maine’s airports. Mark your calendars for July 27, 2024, and get ready to take to the skies in the Portland TRACON Extravaganza!

This event is in Memorial to Matthew Chicoine, who passed away in late April 2024, and has been a long time controller in ZOA. The vUSAF have agreed to do a Missing Man Formation during the event at SFO. Fly High MC

ARTCCs: ZOA and ZLA
Date/Time: June 1, 2024, 12pm-4pm PT
Date/Time (zulu): June 1, 2024, 1900z-2300z

A small message from those who knew him best:
Known as WJA720 for his birthday in July, or better known as the gentle voice of Oakland Center, Matt always found ways to bring calmness to the network. He had this distinct itch for aviation that was contagious, yet monumental for us youngsters that were passionate and novel to it. Being as radiant as he is, you can’t help, but look up to him to admire and be inspired. I feared this time will come, but despite his illness, I always regarded him as a warrior. He would log 7-8 hours at a time on position consistently, without weary. Even after losing mobility in his arm he was determined to learn new software both on the flying and controlling side and I was honored to have helped push him in doing so. Matt, you knew how to stay out of the nonsense and kept trudging on with composure to achieve many things others wouldn’t and inspired us all to pursue our passion in this industry, and I’m forever so grateful. Your legacy will pass on and I will make sure of that.

Join us as we embark on an exhilarating journey through the skies, inspired by the legendary service of FEDEX Express and their Feeder Airlines. FEDEX Virtual Air Cargo (FEDEX VAC) is not just a virtual airline; it's an experience crafted for passionate virtual pilots like you.

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🌐 **Join Us Today:** Ready to embark on your virtual cargo adventure? Visit us at (https://flyfdx-vac.org/) to learn more about FEDEX VAC and how you can become a part of our growing community. Don't forget to check out the giveaway information in the events section under the operations tab!

SHEVYs and BUIKKS and FORDZ, oh my! Get your HTROD craze on in the city that started it all!

Today marks 111 years since the Studebaker strike: regarded as the first major labor action in the auto industry. It's nearly unthinkable today that unionization was still prohibited at the time, with no legal protections against termination simply for trying to stand up for your rights with your fellow co-workers. Studebaker employees at their #3 plant on Jefferson Avenue had enough: thousands walked off during shift and marched on Studebaker's headquarters at the Piquette Avenue factory—the birthplace of the Model T—demanding 8-hour workdays, a restoration of weekly pay schedules, equitable pay rises, and other general improvements to working conditions.
Unfortunately for the strikers, Detroit had no shortage of people desperately in search of work at any wage, and within a few days Studebaker had replaced many strikers with new hires, as well as tempting some strikers back with marginal pay rises. Although generally considered a tactical failure for Studebaker's striking employees, it could be seen as something of a strategic victory for the labor movement at large: fearing further, more intense labor-dispute related disruption, Detroit's manufacturing firms—most notably Ford, the city's largest employer—would end up quickly implementing many of the strikers' demands: with Ford nearly doubling worker salaries, 8-hour workdays becoming industry-standard, and eventually, unions being able to negotiate directly with employers, setting the conditions right for the rise of the automobile in the interwar and post-World War 2 eras.

Join the Cleveland ARTCC after your shift in celebration of this major milestone in the Motor City's industrial heritage!

Join ZHU as we staff Lafayette, LA, for our bi-monthly ZHU Highlight field!

1900z-2200z
KLFT, KARA