Jerry Trimble Helicopters (JTH) of McMinnville, Ore., held its first touchdown autorotation competition at the McMinnville airport on June 26. Twelve pilots competed in the event, with Mark Stott, a JTH flight instructor, taking first place. Adam Goad, also a JTH flight instructor, took a close second with Shannon Glenn of Apex Helicopters taking third. […]
Flight Design measures ash
A Flight Design CT was recently pressed into service, to provide airborne ash measurement, after the latest eruption of the Grimsvötn volcano in Iceland. Airborne ash from these volcanoes represents a major expense for airlines and airports, plus inconvenience for passengers. The Eyjafjallajökull eruption, in April 2010, caused the largest closure of European airspace since […]
Chuck Yeager featured at Oshkosh
One of aviation’s living legends, Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager USAF (ret.), has confirmed his plans to attend EAA AirVenture 2011. Yeager is scheduled to arrive Tuesday, July 26, and depart Sunday, July 31, with numerous special appearances throughout the rest of the week. EAA AirVenture 2011 will be held July 25-31 at Wittman Regional Airport […]
Sporty’s adds Skycatcher to training fleet
Sporty’s Academy has taken delivery of a 2011 Cessna 162 Skycatcher. This light sport airplane joins Sporty’s training fleet of late-model Cessna 172s, a Cessna 182, and Diamond Xtreme Motorglider. The Skycatcher features a modern flight deck with a glass panel Garmin G300 system. Its powered by a Continental O-200, providing speeds up to 135 […]
Avidyne expands autopilot to Piper Matrix and Mirage
Avidyne Corp. is expanding the market for the DFC90 Digital Flight Control System to include Entegra-equipped Piper PA-46 Matrix and Mirage aircraft. Avidyne officials also said they are currently accepting deposits from owners of Entegra-equipped Matrix and Mirage aircraft who are interested in reserving an early slot for the DFC90. “The attitude-based DFC90 provides considerable […]
Book signing Saturday at Museum of Flight
Seattle aviation writer and former museum curator Jay Spenser will be signing his books at the Museum of Flight July 9 from noon to 4 p.m. Spenser has been the curator at The Museum of Flight and the assistant curator at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Spenser’s books include “Whirlybirds: […]
Flying car gets exemptions
Terrafugia, developer of the Transition Roadable Aircraft (also known as the Flying Car), officially received a grant of all of the special exemptions it had requested from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Terrafugia’s Transition is the first combined flying-driving vehicle to receive such special consideration from the Department of Transportation since the Federal […]
New algorithm could prevent midair collisions
The FAA has mandated that by 2020, all commercial aircraft — and small aircraft flying near most airports — must be equipped with a new tracking system, ADS-B, that broadcasts GPS data, providing more accurate location information than ground-based radar. In anticipation of the deadline, the FAA has also charged MIT researchers with leading an […]
Wanted: Buyer for bankrupt Commander Premier
Officials at Commander Premier Aircraft Corporation, which recently filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, sought to clarify its situation, noting the company is actively seeking a buyer or a partner to help it emerge from bankruptcy. Commander Premier, and its operating subsidiary CPAC, Inc., filed petitions in the Tyler, Texas, […]