Paul Poberezny, the founder of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and the creator of the world’s largest general aviation air show – AirVenture – passed away at the age of 91 from cancer at a retirement village in Oshkosh, Wis., on Aug. 22.

A U.S. bankruptcy court set a Sept. 19 meeting for creditors and a Dec. 18 deadline for filing claims against Avantair, setting in motion the process of liquidating one of the largest fractional ownership programs. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Catherine Peek McEwen of the Middle District of Florida ordered the liquidation of Avantair on Aug. 16 after the company failed to respond to an involuntary petition for Chapter 7 liquidation. The court followed on Aug. 19 with a timeline for the liquidation.

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is seeking to potentially add one or two more fixed-base operations at Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in California. LAWA, which oversees VNY in addition to Los Angeles International (LAX) and Ontario (ONT), issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for parties interested in operating an FBO at the airport. RFQ Statements of Qualifications are due Oct. 28.

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