Pilots have always used their laps as desks. One of the first examples was in 1903 when Charles Manly, the test pilot for Professor Samuel Langley, prepared for a flight of Langley’s Aerodrome by sewing a compass to his trouser leg. The aircraft was launched from a houseboat in the Potomac River on Dec. 8, […]
Decommissioned Florida airport fulfills the need for speed
“You weren’t driving, you were flying low.” Many a teenager or 20-something has heard this from a police officer after being pulled over for drag racing on a city street. Now drag racing is legal in Florida’s Miami-Dade County as long as it’s done at the new drag strip created on the site of the […]
BRS tests VLJ parachute system
Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. (BRS), which manufactures whole-aircraft parachute recovery systems, recently completed a series of successful tests on its Next Generation Parachute System, which is designed to handle much heavier loads, increasing the number of aircraft that could benefit from the systems, according to BRS officials. VLJs are the first target market of the […]
LEAVE OPINION OUT OF ACCIDENT REPORTS
In the Dec. 15, 2006, issue in the Accident Reports the headline reads “Contaminated fuel contributes to crash that kills two.” After reading the full narrative of the probable cause I found no reference in the report to suggest that “fuel contamination” was the cause for the tragedy. Your report also stated “there was speculation […]
Fair is fair
I am writing to express my concern over overt actions of Washington State’s Spokane International Airport Board and staff in negotiations with Spokane Airways regarding lease terms. In describing these actions, vendetta is perhaps too strong a word, but that is what comes to mind after perceiving (for better than a year) that the airport […]
The Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
“I wouldn’t be surprised if that other Meigs Field was named after some kin.” — Houston pilot Doug Meigs, who is developing a new airpark in Texas called Meigs Field Airport. “Aviation is a great motivational hook to teach kids all kinds of things.” — Lyn Freeman, founder, Build A Plane, which gives donated planes […]
Bankrupt: Tiger and Symphony close doors
The end of January was not a good one for two GA manufacturers. The companies, Tiger Aircraft and Symphony Aircraft Industries, entered bankruptcy. Both companies have been shut down and their assets will be liquidated to pay off creditors. Tiger Aircraft, based in Martinsburg, W.Va., filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Jan. 16. The company listed […]
CarterGyro achieves vertical takefoff
During flight testing of a new gyro prototype just before the New Year, Carter Aviation Technologies test pilot George Mitchell executed several vertical takeoffs. The aircraft was able to jump more than 150 feet straight up into the air, according to Mitchell. “It was phenomenal,” he said, “but it took a little getting used to. […]
Cirrus adds safety checklist: ‘Risk Assessment Tool’ includes self-assessment
Cirrus Design Corp. has upgraded the Avidyne Entegra Multi-Function Displays in its SR20 and SR22 aircraft to include a safety checklist. Similar to electronic checklists found on airliners, the MFD displays three pages of information and queries for the pilot when the plane is started. Questions range from performance issues to a self-assessment for the […]