Some common wisdom that’s good to revisit now and then: 1. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory. 2. If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get bigger […]
A rare bird for sale
What probably is the only Douglas A-20 capable of flight is for sale. It’s a rare bird — so rare that the asking price is $1,150,000. The A-20 Havoc was forerunner to the better-known A-26, later designated B-26 and often confused with the Martin B-26 bomber which, by the time of the renaming, was out […]
Socata takes on VLJs
Will Socata survive the arrival of Very Light Jets? “That’s a question we get a lot,” said Stephane Mayer, president of the French aircraft manufacturer, on opening day of Sun ‘n Fun. “But as the order book for the TBM 850 grows, less people are asking that.” While the buzz in the industry is about […]
Mission accomplished
Bruce Bohannon’s Flyin’ Tiger has completed its mission for ExxonMobil Corp. A highly customized RV-4, the Flyin’ Tiger set 30 records in the past seven years under Exxon sponsorship. “The primary purpose of the sponsorship was to increase awareness of Exxon Elite in the general aviation marketplace and demonstrate the quality and reliability of Exxon […]
Prove it!
When I was a small boy, if a schoolmate made a statement with which another disagreed, the accepted rejoinder was “Prove it!” Later on, having discovered an interest in science, I learned that this is an appropriate response to any theory. “Prove it.” Today, however, theories abound, proofs are as scarce as hens’ teeth, and […]
New Piper: A company in transition
“There are a lot of exciting things happening at Piper,” said CEO Jim Bass at this year’s Sun ‘n Fun. “We’re a company in transition and a company which we think has an incredible amount of potential.” The question on a lot of minds is whether The New Piper Aircraft Co. will build a jet. […]
Toward a flying car at last?
Jay Carter’s FutureFlight-I vehicle looks more like a flying motorcycle than a flying car, but it demonstrated the concept impressively during an April flight from Georgia Tech in Atlanta to Sun ‘n Fun. The three-day flight included stops at two motels and several restaurants, where parking lots served as airports; a Harley-Davidson dealership; the University […]
Cessna Center dedicated
The newest permanent building on the Sun ‘n Fun campus at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Florida was dedicated opening day of this year’s fly-in. The Cessna Center will be used to support year-round education programs at Sun ‘n Fun, according to Greg Harbaugh, Sun ‘n Fun vice president. “This will foster the next generation,” […]
Beat the heat
Necessity is the mother of invention. Just ask Greg Turton, an Atlanta businessman who owns a Cirrus. Often spending 30 minutes or more waiting to takeoff in the crowded Atlanta airspace, he realized he needed air conditioning. But at $25,000 to $30,000, it was just too expensive. “I wouldn’t pay that much for it,” he […]