Dick Silva, president of Seawind Aircraft, said on Sept. 13 that the company has suspended operations after losing one backer, but is seeking replacement funds. So far, about 70% of what is needed to resume operations has been committed, he told General Aviation News. Operations were suspended after the mysterious crash of the Seawind 300C […]
An Appreciation: William T. Piper Jr., a pleasant man of accomplishment
He was a son of William T. Piper, who made the Piper Cub a synonym for any airplane that was neither military nor an airliner, but he did not live in the shadow of his more famous father, having made his own, if less-known, name in aviation and beyond. Bill Piper Jr., a man of […]
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 […]
RotorWay debuts A600 Talon
RotorWay International, the world’s oldest and largest kit helicopter manufacturer, debuted its next generation helicopter, the A600 Talon, at this summer’s AirVenture. The two-seat A600 Talon is slated to become the first helicopter to be certified by the Arizona-based company. “The A600 Talon is the first of a new generation of RotorWay machines,” said CEO […]
Top 10 Pilot Mistakes: the view from the tower
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 […]
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 […]