In 2021, used business aircraft transactions were up 20% compared with 2020, and both prices and demand will continue to climb this year, according to a report from the International Association of Aircraft Dealers. The market is a difficult one for buyers, however, as "[v]alues and prices are completely disconnected, supply is almost nil, and due diligence is limited by shop capacity and demand," said Johnny Foster, president and CEO of Ogarajets.

Current drug tests cannot differentiate between THC, which is considered a Schedule 1 illicit substance, and CBD, an ingredient in cannabis that is increasingly used in food and wellness products. Pilots are advised to avoid any consumption of CBD, as a positive drug test could result in certificate revocation and the cancellation of insurance coverage.

Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Springfield, Ohio, will begin work in June on the $8.2 million National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence that will serve as a research and technology hub for the US Air Force, universities and private companies. A hangar will also be constructed next to the 30,000-square-foot facility, which should take a year to complete.

Boeing has invested $450 million in new funding in Wisk Aero, an electric air taxi startup. Analysts predict that the market for flying taxis could grow to $150 billion in revenue by 2035, and Wisk says it'll use the funds to boost its workforce and improve its manufacturing with the aim of being commercially viable within five years.

Pilot Dea Payette is a tireless advocate for women in aviation through her philanthropy, volunteer efforts with the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program and the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots and her social media platforms, where she goes by the moniker "Cooper the Pilot." "Only 7% of pilots are women, and so there is a big need to help get more in the air," says Payette.

Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., is expanding its aviation technology course offerings with a new program that trains and certifies students to test aviation hardware for continued use. The program, which will be launched next fall, is funded by a $490,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Efforts to focus pilot attention to detail when using multiple call signs in an ADS-B environment have been partially successful, though call sign mismatch remains an issue.

Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen and an American hero, died Jan. 16 at age 102. Pilots, airframe and powerplant mechanics, and avionics technicians top the list of consultant JSfirm's 10 hottest careers in aviation. Give Pilot Briefing five minutes and we'll catch you up on the aviation news you need to know for the week. Listen to the podcast.