AVIATION NEWS
 | Amy and Larry Gurgainous Tabbed as Ambassador #700 and 701 October 20, 2025 Amy and Larry Gurgainous met in the Air Force and have shared many aviation journeys together ever since. Their latest accomplishment was to complete the Virginia Aviation Ambassador program by visiting all 65 public-use airports, five aviation museums and completing an approved safety seminar. The couple resides in Fredericksburg, Va. and said their favorite part of the program was exploring parts of the Commonwealth they hadn't been to yet. They loved the uniqueness of Ingalls Field Airport and enjoyed traveling to many of the airports in southwest Virginia. Congratulations Amy and Larry on becoming Ambassador #700 and 701! |
 | 2025 Virginia Aviation Photo Contest Winners Announced October 8, 2025 The Virginia Department of Aviation has announced the winners of the 2025 Virginia Aviation Photo Contest. The winning photography is posted to the DOAV website and will be featured in the Virginia Department of Aviation’s 2026 calendar. |
 | NASAO Honors Excellence in Aviation at 2025 Annual Convention October 2, 2025 WASHINGTON, DC – The National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) recognized outstanding achievements in state aviation during its 2025 Annual Convention and Trade Show, held Sept. 21-24, in Anchorage, Alaska. |
 | Six Gold-Level Ambassadors Reviewed in One Week! September 27, 2025 In less than one week six people earned gold-level in the Virginia Aviation Ambassadors Program. Fittingly enough, most of these reviews took place before the annual Ambassador's Ceremony at Hummel Field on September 27, 2025. On that Saturday, 17 Ambassadors braved rainy weather to welcome this year's class of gold-level ambassadors. To top it all off, the ambassador count is now at # 699 - making the next recipient the 700th ambassador! Join the DOAV in congratulating the following people: # 694 - Dontye Johnson, # 695 - Jesse Sandlin, # 696 - David Hayes, # 697 - James Sumrel. # 698 - Tami Slaughter, # 699 - Howard Chamberlain |
 | Dontye Johnson Becomes Ambassador #694 September 24, 2025 Dontye Johnson heard about the Virginia Aviation Ambassador program back in April when he stopped by the Virginia Department of Aviation trailer at the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida. The Henrico, Va. resident was immediately hooked on the program and in just five months visited all 65 public-use airports and eight museums to reach gold-level status. Dontye is Ambassador #694! |
 | Susan and Robert Crymes Are Virginia's Newest Gold-Level Ambassadors August 27, 2025 Robert started his passport as a flight student at Manassas Regional Airport. After purchasing a Piper Cherokee and getting four stamps, he figured his wife, Susan, would like to take part in the program. After getting her a passport, the good husband went back to those four airports to catch her up! Congratulations, Susan is ambassador # 691 and Robert is # 692. |
| NASAO AAM Multistate Collaborative Unveils Papers, Charting a Path for States to Shape the Future of Air Mobility August 25, 2025 WASHINGTON (Aug. 25, 2025) - The National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) Center for Research and Education’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Multistate Collaborative has released its first topic papers. These papers address the states’ role in AAM, infrastructure needs, opportunities to leverage existing general aviation infrastructure, and approaches to harmonize policies across the states. |
 | Hart Named Deputy Director for Airport Services August 20, 2025 John T. Hart has been chosen as the Virginia Department of Aviation’s (DOAV) new deputy director for Airport Services following a nationally competitive search process. He replaces Vernon Carter who retired earlier this year after 38 years of service to the Commonwealth. |
 | Alden Yowell Becomes Ambassador # 690 August 19, 2025 In 2024, Alden Yowell received his passport and his first stamp when he met the DOAV staff at Sun n' Fun in Lakeland, Fl. Fourteen months later, he had completed the program and is looking for another state's program to conquer. Yowell is ready to make aviation his career. He recently earned his private pilot certificate and is working part-time at Culpeper Airport. Congratulations Yowell, you are Ambassador # 690! |
 | The Little Airfield with Big Charm August 15, 2025 The AOPA found a little jewel that Virginians have long known about... Hummel Field. Read their article: The little airfield with big charm |
 | Virginia Department of Aviation Honors Virginia's Three "Top Eagles" August 15, 2025 The Virginia Department of Aviation honored Virginia’s three “Top Eagles” who have flown the most Young Eagles in the Commonwealth over the past 12 months at the Virginia Aviation Board meeting at the Hotel Roanoke on August 15, 2025. |
 | Virginia Aviation Award Winners Announced 2025 August 13, 2025 The 2025 Virginia Aviation Award (VAA) winners were announced Wednesday at a ceremony in Roanoke. Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV) Director Greg Campbell honored three Virginians with awards for Airport Manager of the Year, Aviation Person of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement. Since 1976, the DOAV has administered the Virginia Aviation Awards and recognized individuals across the Commonwealth who have made significant contributions to Virginia’s $26 billion aviation industry. |
 | FAA Private Pilot Ground School Now Scheduled at Central Virginia Community College, Fall 2025 Semester July 17, 2025 Central Virginia Community College and McLaren Institute are conducting a FAA Private Pilot Ground School during the Fall 2025 Semester. This course is designed to prepare you for the FAA Private Pilot Written Exam. The course is listed as: 72261 ARO 121-01MA Private Pilot Ground School 3 Credit Main Campus: 2207 6:00-9:00pm (R) Thursday TBA Please call Roger Beck at Falwell Airport - (434) 845-8769 -with any questions. |
 | Hampton Roads Executive Airport Celebrates New Developments with Open House July 17, 2025 Hampton Roads Executive Airport held an open house on Tuesday, July 15 to celebrate significant new developments at Virginia's second largest general aviation airport. The new improvements to the airport include a 45,000 square foot main entrance hangar complex, a new apron, taxiway and runway system. A 60,000 square foot jetport complex was also completed on the west apron. |
 | Evans Makes her Mark in the Classroom and at DOAV July 16, 2025 Aircraft Registration Specialist Jaimi Evans often stands out among her peers for not just her colorful clothing, but her vibrant personality. Evans has been a member of the DOAV team since September 2022 and has been a full-time employee since March 2023.
While working full-time, Evans returned to school to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in the Design Thinking program at Radford University. She received a B.F.A. in Fashion Design from Radford in 2018 and anticipates graduating this year with her M.F.A. |
 | 2026 International Aviation Art Contest Theme Announced July 9, 2025 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) has released the theme of the 2026 Young Artists Contest, "Fly to Save Lives". The World Air Sports Federation encourages youngsters to explore not only the physical side of vital emergency air service missions, but also the positive impact that air sports have on mental wellbeing. From helping others to helping take care of your own mental health, taking to the sky has benefitted millions of people from all walks of life... |
 | Coastal Seaplane's Sam Riggs answers four questions for the DOAV July 2, 2025 Sam Riggs started Coastal Seaplanes for a simple reason - there was a need for seaplane operations in the Tidewater region and no one to provide them. Read about his journey to start his air charter service, educating officials on seaplane operations, and why he goes the extra mile... |
 | New Ambassador #687 Art Lucia June 26, 2025 Art Lucia began his flying career and quickly decided he needed his own plane. His C177 Cardinal took him to nearly all of Virginia's airports. Lucia is currently working on his Commercial license with the intent of getting his CFI. This software developer is not trying to do a career switch, he plans to share his love of aviation with his community. Congrats Art, you are Ambassador # 687! |
 | New Ambassador #685 Nikolas Huskey June 23, 2025 Nikolas Huskey began his journey to gold level in 2017 while in middle school in the Tidewater region. Disaster struck when his passport sustained water damage during his travels. Undeterred, he went back to those airports to get his passport restamped. Nikolas is on his way to Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi to begin training. We know you will make Virginia proud, Ambassador # 685! |
 | Bedford County Schools Outperform in Regional Drone Competition June 30, 2025 A county in Virginia that is best known for its National D-Day Memorial and scenic outdoor recreation can also boast about training the country’s top drone pilots. Three Bedford County schools racked up high scores in the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation’s (RECF) Regional Aerial Drone Competition held recently in Fairmont, West Virginia. |
 | Alton Jordan Leads Students to New Heights in OBAP ACE Academy June 30, 2025 Alton Jordan, Chief of Facilities/Technology for the Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV), recently served as the Director for the Richmond Aerospace Career Education (ACE) Academy. Throughout this transformative week, hosted by the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP), he introduced 14 eager students to a world of possibilities within the aerospace industry, enhancing their understanding through visits to several airports and interactions with aviation professionals. |
 | DOAV Team Enlightens Students in Summer Transportation Institute Program at VSU June 30, 2025 The Virginia Department of Aviation participated in the annual Summer Transportation Institute program (STIP) at Virginia State University. The purpose of the program is to create awareness and stimulate interest in secondary school students to take maximum advantage of the opportunities that exist in the transportation industry. |
 | New Ambassador #686 Curtis Smith Jr. June 25, 2025 As a member of EAA chapter 186, Curtis Smith Jr. volunteers a lot of his time giving youth the opportunity to go on their first airplane rides. Smith also recently completed the Virginia Aviation Ambassador program by visiting 65 public-use airports, four aviation museums, a Virginia fly-in and completed an approved safety seminar. Congratulations! Curtis is Ambassador #686. |
 | New Ambassador #684 Corey Allison June 4, 2025 Corey Allison got his private pilot's license as a Covid hobby and never looked back. While training at Waltrip Williamsburg Airport, he picked up a passport and started collecting stamps. He attained Gold-level right before his move to Colorado. Unfortunately for Corey, Colorado doesn't have an aviation ambassador program to get the DOAV's multi-state patch. Congratulations! Corey is Ambassador # 684. |
 | New Ambassador #682 Jacob Duncan and #683 Jacob Masiello June 4, 2025 It took Jacob Duncan and Jacob Masiello several years to reach Gold-level in the Ambassador program. The two began their journey when they were students at Front Royal Airport. The third part of this group was, "Ol 779", the Cessna 172 they used to finish the program. Congrats, Jacob Duncan (# 682) and Jacob Masiello (# 683), welcome to the club! |
 | Interview with Director Greg Campbell on the Old Fly Guy Podcast May 24, 2025 From the flight line to the leader of the Virginia Department of Aviation. Come along for the ride with Greg Campbell, the Director of the Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV), while he tells us of his aviation journey in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Wtach the full interview on the Old Fly Guy Podcast. |
 | Virginia Student Wins International Aviation Art Contest May 12, 2025 "Virginia student artists are the best in the world", is not just a belief of the DOAV... It is now a fact. A 15 year-old freshman from Chantilly, VA, just won a gold medal in the “Senior” category of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale’s (FAI) aviation art contest. |
 | New Ambassador #681 Huston Self April 24, 2025 Like most ambassadors, Huston Self had already been to a lot of Virginia's airports before he started his passport. It only took him two years to earn Gold level in the Ambassador program. The new dad and flight instructor is Ambassador # 681. |
 | New Ambassador #679 and #680 April 24, 2025 Matt Stough and Matt Picciotti started their passports independently but finished it together after meeting at Culpeper Airport. The two Matts and their Grumman cat flew all around the Commonwealth to become Ambassadors # 679 and #680. |
 | New Ambassador #678 Gary Trexler April 24, 2025 Gary Trexler has become the second Gold-Level Ambassador of 2025! He is breaking a nearly 3 month drought in the program by becoming ambassador # 678. His trusty steed is his 78' Mooney M20K - which is what he used to collect the majority of his stamps. |
 | Aircraft Registration Changes Coming Soon May 1, 2025 The aircraft registration process will improve greatly later this year after the 2025 General Assembly passed bipartisan legislation, which Governor Youngkin signed into law in March. (Please note: While the law will change on July 1, 2025, these changes detailed below won’t take effect until sometime in the fall of this year. Therefore, until we notify you that the changes are in effect, please continue to follow the existing fee schedule as we cannot accept the new fees and we can’t offer multi-year registration/renewal until all the changes are in effect.) |
 | Virginia Students Represent the US in International Aviation Art Contest March 26, 2025 Virginia students are once again representing the United States at the International Aviation Art Competition in Lausanne, Switzerland. Students Andrew Yang, Aspen Xing, and Lalitha Kuchipudi won top honors in the 2025 U.S. Youth Aviation Art Contest sponsored by the National Aeronautic Association. These young artists were selected from among 140 participants from across the country. |
 | DOAV to Exhibit at Sun 'n Fun and Host Virginia Aviation Day at the Expo March 26, 2025 Staff from the Virginia Department of Aviation are headed to the sunshine state from April 1-6 to exhibit at the 51st annual Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida. |
 | 20 Virginia General Aviation Airport Projects Awarded Funding February 20, 2025 31 projects at 20 Virginia General Aviation airports received a share of the $7,918,975.15 that was awarded by the Virginia Aviation Board at its quarterly meeting Feb. 20, 2025 |
 | General Aviation Provides Robust Contribution to U.S. Economy February 20, 2025 WASHINGTON (Feb. 20, 2025) – The National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), alongside seven other aviation groups, welcomed an updated study, released yesterday, detailing the robust contributions of general aviation to the U.S. economy. The update, conducted by PwC US Tax LLP, determined that general aviation supports a total 1,330,200 jobs and a total of $339.2 billion in total economic output in the U.S. |
| DOAV Announces Winners of the Virginia Aviation Art Contest February 19, 2025 Out of countless submissions, nine students were selected as the winners of Virginia’s Aviation Art Contest. This year’s theme, “Women with Wings,” guided their creativity to meld aviation and art for the original pieces. Their work will now go on to be judged against art submitted from around the country. |
 | 2025 Aviation, Aerospace and AAM Legislative Reception February 5, 2025 The Virginia Aviation Business Association held its annual Aviation, Aerospace and Advanced Air Mobility Legislative Reception January 29 at Main Street Station in Richmond. |
 | New Ambassador #677 Nathaniel Cripe February 4, 2025 Nathan Cripe began his ambassador journey while flight training at Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport. He used the program to build time on his path to becoming an airline pilot. This past Tuesday he earned Gold level as ambassador # 677. The DOAV is happy to report that Nathan will be flying regional jets soon! Congrats! |
 | Plentl, Lillard, and Scott College Scholarship Applications Due 2/28/25 January 27, 2025 The Virginia Department of Aviation will award three Virginia high school seniors with $3,000 for college this year. Do you know one of them? The Plentl, Lillard, and Scott scholarships are for future freshman that are pursuing an aviation-related program at a post-secondary institution. Applications can be found at https://doav.virginia.gov/virginia-aviation-scholarships/ and are due on 2/28/25. Applications must be delivered or mailed to the Virginia Department of Aviation. Please contact Tony Sotelo with any questions: anthony.sotelo@doav.virginia.gov . |
 | Winchester Opens “Terminal of the Future” January 14, 2025 22 months from the groundbreaking of the site, Winchester Regional Airport has revealed its “Terminal of the Future” Located in the northwest corner of Virginia, the grand opening January 9, 2025, brought together Virginia’s aviation community, airport leaders, and Winchester’s residents to celebrate the opening of the modern building. The new terminal’s 70 percent increase in size matches the region’s concept for the airport, ... |
 | Virginia Aviation Art Contest January 8, 2025 If there are any parents or teachers concerned about the 1/7/25 deadline for the International Aviation Art Contest, please contact Tony Sotelo at anthony.sotelo@doav.virginia.gov. |