RAA-Toronto May 2026 Newsletter

On The Tower Frequency

An instructor and private pilot student returning to Aurora State Airport (KUAO) in Oregon had a memorable radio exchange. When the student reported "with Mathew," the tower humorously replied: "I'm sure Mathew is very nice, but information Mike is current." Students say the darndest things.

The Youngest Pilot

Bogdan started lessons in November 2022 at age 13 and chose to pursue the Recreational Pilot Permit ahead of the Private Pilot License. The timeline was tight: his written exam and flight test had different validity periods, with the flight test expiring the day after his 16th birthday — exactly when he became legally eligible to apply. He flew his younger sister as his first passenger while his parents filmed from the ground. The paradox: at 16, Bogdan couldn't drive or rent a car, but he could rent and fly a $250,000 airplane.

ScaleWings Brings SW-51 Mustang Back to SUN 'n FUN

ScaleWings celebrated 40 deliveries of its two-seat SW-51 Mustang replica. CEO Christian von Kessel walked through the program's growth from a 2022 mock-up at SUN 'n FUN to active production in Krosno, Poland. Specs include the Rotax 916 iS Turbo (160 hp), Garmin avionics, a 950-ft takeoff distance, 2,300 fpm climb, 180 KTAS cruise, 1,000 NM range, and 650 lb useful load. The company targets 16 deliveries in 2026 on a three-week production cycle, and envisions local "Mustang chapters" for training, formation flying, and coordinated operations.

Read more: scalewings.com/sw-51-mustang · AVweb feature