The 49th Arlington Fly-In ran July 7-9. Those of you near a calendar will notice the fly-in ran Friday to Sunday instead of the past Thursday to Saturday. With Chamber of Commerce weather, the fly-in parking area hosted a healthy number — and wide variety — of aircraft. One of the great things about smaller events is the ability to see a wide range of […]
Control is an illusion, except when it’s not
I find it fascinating to watch people attempt to control what is often beyond control. If only a non-profit, non-government entity was in control of air traffic, the ills of airline travel would magically disappear. Or so Congress — and the airlines – would like us to believe. As if… According to the Bureau of Transportation […]
A pair of Patrols
For 23 years now, Donna Svoboda and Dennis Reynolds have traveled the country together, in different airplanes. She in her Citabria, him in his Pacer. No longer. Sort of. After nearly four years of building, Donna and Dennis now fly the skies in their matching — but different — Bearhawk Patrols. Delivery of their kits was in February 2013 […]
“The solution is simple”
“If we truly want to fix the real problems facing the FAA today, the solution is simple,” claims Oregon Representative Peter DeFazio. Really? “Congress can and should pass targeted reforms.” Cool. That is simple. Umm. So… why haven’t you passed “targeted reforms” Rep. DeFazio? After all, you’ve served as a member of the House Transportation […]
New version of Hangar Swap released
Hangar Swap has unveiled its newest version of its online parts marketplace. The overhauled site is mobile friendly, which allows users to buy, sell and manage inventory from a smartphone or tablet. Sellers who organize their inventory in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet will enjoy the new system’s upload ability. Newly uploaded inventory is tagged pending, but […]
Horrific story of survival leads to ELT
As the saying goes, “aviation regulation is written in blood.” In the case of the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) regulation, I suppose it would be more accurate to say “written in horrific survival.” I just finished Ross Nixon’s detailed and informative book, “Finding Carla,” which tells the nightmarish story of 15-year-old Carla Corbus, her mother […]
The FAA gets its knuckles rapped
The FAA’s drone registry is unlawful. So says the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Way back when the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act was passed, the legislation stated “that the FAA ‘may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft.’” Circuit Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote, “Statutory interpretation does not […]
Long Island sun sets on Gulfstream
Chris Yanaros, an A&P student working as a lineman at Long Island, New York’s MacArthur Airport (KISP), snapped this photo of a Gulfstream G4-450 as the sun set behind the plane.
Recreational drone registry ruled unlawful
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled the FAA’s drone registry is unlawful. The ruling was handed down Friday, May 19, 2017. As of March 2017, more than 770,000 operators had registered with the FAA. Nearly all paid a $5 fee. On Dec. 24, 2015, Maryland-based lawyer and model aircraft hobbyist […]