$2,388,500 Proposed Fine: FAA Says Vacaville, California Flight School Flew an Unairworthy Aircraft on About 280 Flights
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on October 30 that it proposes a $2,388,500 civil penalty against Stratus Aviation, LLC, which does business as Wings Flight School in Vacaville, California, for allegedly operating an unairworthy aircraft.
The FAA alleges that in October 2022 Wings installed an unapproved temperature gauge in a Cessna 172M Skyhawk, and that the installation made the aircraft unairworthy.
The FAA further alleges that the school went on to operate the unairworthy aircraft on approximately 280 flights between February 2023 and September 2024, and that those operations were conducted in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger lives or property.
The penalty is a proposed enforcement action and the contents are allegations by the agency; no final determination has been made. Stratus Aviation has 30 days after receiving the FAA's notice to respond to the agency.
Source: FAA press release, October 30, 2026
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 Washington 的联邦航空局（FAA）总部 Wilbur Wright 大楼。GSM 联邦机构固定图库照片，Matthew Bisanz 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Wilbur Wright Building, headquarters of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Washington. GSM federal agency library photo by Matthew Bisanz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
