Hi everyone,

Every year, this tournament reminds me how much good can come from a single day on the golf course  and how many lives it touches because of the people who choose to support it.

I’m excited to share that we’re officially kicking off the 15th Annual South Texas PAMA Golf Classic, returning on April 14, 2026, along with the launch of our 2026 sponsorship campaign. Click here to view Sponsorships

Before getting into details, I want to say thank you. This event exists because of our sponsors , many of whom have stood with us year after year. What you make possible, goes far beyond a fun day and golf. Your support directly impacts students, families, and aviation maintenance professionals across South Texas, and that impact is real.

We’re proud to share that SWAT has committed to return as our Title Sponsor for the third consecutive year. Their continued belief in this event and in the mission of South Texas PAMA means a great deal to us.

⛳ 15th Annual South Texas PAMA Golf Classic – Brought to you by SWAT
📅 April 14, 2026
📍 Wildcat Golf Club
  12000 Almeda Rd, Houston, TX 77045
👉 Sponsorships are now open

The Golf Classic is our largest fundraiser each year and a cornerstone of how we support A&P workforce development, scholarships, and industry outreach. In 2025, sponsor support allowed us to invest directly in the next generation of aviation maintenance professionals, and in 2026, we’re planning to take that impact even further.

One thing we’re especially excited about this year: we’ll be awarding cost-of-living scholarships live during the lunch reception following the tournament, allowing sponsors and attendees to see firsthand the lives being impacted.

If you’d like to talk through sponsorship options or have any questions, I’m always happy to connect directly. Thank you for continuing to support South Texas PAMA and the professionals — and future professionals — who keep aviation moving safely every day.

Chad Tew
President | South Texas PAMA
Website: southtexaspama.com 
Phone: 832-840-6673 
Email: [email protected]

In a December livestream event Todd Curtis and John Goglia tackled listener questions. Listen as they take a deeper dive into some of aviation safety’s most important topics:
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• TWA 800 investigation – was it a coverup?
• Getting NTSB reps on the show to discuss investigations
• Taxiway issues
• How the media affects air crash investigations
• Updates on the Louisville crash

​Listen and get updated on these topics and more.

Want to experience Flight Safety Detectives live? Become a channel member today. Join our Membership program for exclusive perks like live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety.

Want to support our mission to enhance aviation safety? Become a sponsor. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to [email protected].

​General Aviation Awards (GAA) announce the final deadline for nominations. Nominations and applications must be submitted by midnight Friday, January 16, 2026. 

The program, a cooperative effort between industry and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), recognizes individuals for their professionalism and dedication to general aviation (GA). GAA encourages flight schools, aviation organizations, universities, FSDOs, and other entities to nominate fellow aviators or submit applications on their behalf.  All nominees for the 2026 awards will be publicly recognized for their vital contributions to their community's growth, health, and safety.

We Are Seeking Nominations for the Nation's Best:

• National Flight Instructor of the Year
• National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year
• National FAASTeam Representative of the Year

The selection process begins following the January 16th deadline at the Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO), where Honorees are chosen at the district level. These winners then proceed to the national level, where a panel of judges composed of industry professionals and past Honorees selects the final Honorees.

In addition to national recognition, winners present a live broadcast offering their knowledge and expertise, are awarded a trip to AirVenture, a commemorative plaque, and numerous gifts from industry sponsors. GAA is a not-for-profit corporation run exclusively by volunteers and relies on sponsorships and donations to provide these honors. 

A veteran crisis-communications expert and author of “Transport Management: Successes and Failures” (2026) joins the show. Linda Tavlin draws on more than 35 years of experience to discuss how transportation organizations—especially airlines—should communicate during major accidents and crises.

Linda and John Goglia reflect on their long professional history, including work on major aviation disasters. They illustrate how poor communication during crises often worsens outcomes, while good communication can significantly reduce long-term damage.

Linda shares a story about two airlines she helped train. After both had major accidents, one airline followed her approach to communicating about the accident and the other did not. The outcomes were very different.

Linda’s approach to crisis communication includes advice on who should communicate to the different groups who deal with an accident investigation. John also discusses the communication strategy in the investigation of the 1996 fatal ValuJet crash.
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John, Linda and Todd Curtis also discuss the investigation of the 2013 Asiana crash in San Francisco, where a television station broadcast information about the pilots in the airliner that was both false and offensive.

Saturday, February 28, 2026 from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm
FREE EVENT
TO ALL ATTENDEES
Attendee & Sponsorship Registration now Open on DVBAA Web site, link below:

23rd Annual PAMA DVBAA Maintenance Symposium & IA Renewal Registration

Visit https://dvbaa.org/event-6410659

Location:
Deerfield Golf & Tennis Club
507 Thompson Station Rd   Newark, Delaware 19711 

Event Includes:
8 Hours of IA Approved Training
Food and drink included.

2026 Sponsor & Vendor Registration NOW OPEN! 

Contact:
Thomas Smith
President
First State Chapter - PAMA
302-256-8695

The European Aviation Safety Agency issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) on November 28, 2025, that ordered nearly 6,000 A319, A320, and A321 aircraft be grounded to check for a flight control computer issue. Todd and John recorded this show while gathering details about the grounding in real time.

The show was recorded as John gets phone calls and emails from colleagues during the show and Todd prepares for a television news interview. This episode shows how they gather facts and data on unfolding aviation safety events like ADs.
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The affected aircraft had to be on the ground for repair, just over a day after the AD was issued. John describes how challenging this would be for airlines that fly large numbers of the affected aircraft. He shares the logistical issues the airlines face as they check these aircraft, especially if they are located far away from a repair station. They also predict the impact on the flying public.

Guest Xyla Foxlin focuses on how the FAA and the aviation community can better support mental health issues faced by pilots and other aviation professionals. Foxlin is an engineer and pilot who produced an award-winning video about pilot mental health.

Her aviation journey highlights include a Young Eagles flight that cemented her fascination with aviation, owning and maintaining a Cessna 140 that she has flown from coast to coast, a 2025 visit to Oshkosh and regaining her FAA medical certificate.

Foxlin discusses efforts with the Pilot Mental Health Campaign (PMHC) to push the Pilot Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025 through the House of Representatives. She and the PMHC continue to educate the general public on the need to reform how pilot mental health issues are handled.

In her personal story, Foxlin had to regain her medical certification and ability to fly after disclosing past mental health-related medical treatments. In the current FAA medical certification system, a significant percentage of pilots hide mental health conditions or avoid treatment entirely because of concern that their medical certification and their livelihood can be taken away.
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Greg Feith, John Goglia, and Todd Curtis share the breadth of aviation-related mental health concerns, including investigators who may be affected by their work, mechanics who committed suicide or were at risk for committing suicide after an aircraft accident, and the trauma that an entire community may face after a major plane crash.

​This recording of a live stream on November 26 gives additional insights and updates into recent issues in aviation safety. Todd Curtis, Greg Feith and John Goglia tackle viewer questions to correct mistakes and dig deeper into current accidents and incidents.
Hear more about:

• Politics and aviation safety
• Basic Med rules
• The Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025
• How a ramp worker was able to steal an airplane in broad daylight