The National Transportation Safety Board is seeking an expansion of an aviation weather camera program, currently in Alaska, to cover the rest of the U.S. FAA launched an aviation camera program in 1999 to help pilots better prepare for unpredictable weather and varied terrain. Since that time, aviation weather cameras have been installed in at least 185 locations, and are expected to be installed in 221 locations by 2014.

While U.S. flight operations have remained stubbornly flat in recent years, European operations are continuing to slide year over year, particularly in the western countries, according to the latest figures by Eurocontrol. Traffic numbers have climbed throughout the year in Europe, as is the typical pattern. But when compared with the previous year’s levels, traffic is down across the board. And last year’s levels were down over those in 2011.

Wheels Up, the startup “private membership” charter and business aircraft services operation founded by Marquis Jet co-founder Kenny Dichter, is continuing to take shape, with an executive team forming that includes a number of industry veterans who have held senior positions in both the Part 135 and fractional operations markets. Dichter announced the formation of Wheels Up earlier this month, signing the single largest contract for a fleet of business turboprops.

FAA has agreed to permit pilots operating Experimental Aircraft Association Eagle Flight and Young Eagles flights to seek reimbursement for fuel under certain conditions, providing a little more latitude than previous approvals. But EAA is still assessing the conditions to determine whether the petition will provide benefits to volunteers.

Joint ventures spur expansion for Asia-Pacific LCCs

Young people seem to be getting the message that engineering offers opportunity: 84,000 U.S. students graduated from universities in 2012 with engineering degrees. That is up 12% from 73,000 just six years ago, according to the National Academies. And despite the downturn in the economy and in federal spending, the aerospace and defense industry continues to provide at least some of that opportunity.

Mitsubishi Aircraft has again extended the development schedule for its MRJ regional jet, this time by about one-and-a-half years, with first delivery now due in the second quarter of 2017, nine years after the program was launched. The first flight, previously planned for the last quarter of this year, now is not expected until the second quarter of 2015.

It pays to be the new guy, according to data gathered for the 2013 Aviation Week Workforce Study. Pay for new college graduates rose by 3.4% between 2011 and 2012, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). In the aerospace and defense industry, the increase was slightly lower, at 3.2%. Companies with fewer employees worked to retain their workforces, awarding pay increases on average of 4.1%.