What are the top 10 pilot mistakes? Ask any pilot or flight instructor and they’ll have their own lists. But what do air traffic controllers see as the biggest problems? Controllers laid out what they think are the top 10 mistakes at this year’s AirVenture in a Letterman-styled list: #10: Not Knowing Where You Are. […]
Are three parachutes better than one?Start-up company is betting on it
A family owned company is developing a emergency landing system for GA planes that uses three parachutes. The ASR TriChute Landing System features one parachute for the plane’s fuselage and a parachute for each wing. “The fact is, three parachutes are better than one,” explained Dario Manfredi, a finance executive who is the son of […]
BRS continues work on jet chute
When new airplanes are unveiled these days, Larry Williams and the gang from Ballistic Recovery Systems are invariably at the announcements. That’s because many new planes offer the BRS whole-airplane parachute system as standard equipment, while the rest offer it as options. That held true at this year’s AirVenture, where several new aircraft joined the […]
Duck and cover
You can tell a lot about a pilot by the pitot cover on his airplane. While there are many who go with the classic sleeve and the red REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT placard, there are those who — at least at airshows such as AirVenture — take the opportunity to get whimsical. Rubber ducks (sporting aviation […]
The stars of the show
Getting a T-shirt from a big show like AirVenture is cool enough for most kids, but 8-year-old Katherine Schwerman, from Genesee, Wis., took it to the next level. When the self-proclaimed aviation enthusiast went to the WASP exhibit, she got a lot more than she expected when she bought a shirt and some replica WASP […]
Seawind crash kills test pilot: All employees laid off as owner looks for answers and investment capital
The amphibious Seawind 300C certification test airplane crashed Aug. 16, killing the company’s test pilot and destroying the aircraft. A “temporary interruption of business has been instituted,” said the company’s founder and CEO, Richard Silva, a few days after the crash. “It will be in effect until we can determine the cause of this event […]
The Albatross Lady: Julie Fetco and her flying yacht
Her name is Julie Fetcko, but those who have met her at air shows call her “The Albatross Lady.” She and her husband, John, own and fly the spectacular Grumman Albatross of that name, turning up at air shows and fly-ins all across America, summer after summer. They bought the Albatross as a “flying motor […]
Avemco lowers rates again: Broadens coveragefor homebuilts andlow-time pilots
Avemco Insurance Co. has lowered its rates and broadened its coverage on models ranging from technically advanced aircraft to homebuilts. Rates have been reduced for all Cirrus and Columbia models, as well as Diamond’s DA-42 Twin Star and select homebuilt aircraft, according to Jim Lauerman, Avemco’s chief underwriting officer. “We’ve made several moves to ensure […]
“Preaching to the choir”: GA advocates and elected officials rally Air Venture crowds against user fees
In the fight for user fees, the airlines are using a time-tested tactic: Divide and conquer. “We’ve been told that the bulk of GA won’t have to worry about user fees,” EAA President Tom Poberezny said during one of several forums on user fees at last month’s AirVenture. “That’s called divide and conquer. We’re all […]