Britain’s Royal Navy marked its first century of aviation with a celebratory fly-past over HMS Illustrious, anchored in the River Thames, May 7. Forty naval aircraft flew directly over Illustrious, an aircraft carrier nicknamed “Lusty,” which was moored near the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich, just downstream from London. Prince Andrew, commodore-in-chief of the […]
Lindbergh film premieres at Sun ‘n Fun
They are risky missions with an important purpose. The game wardens who fly for the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) routinely fly low and slow in airplanes over the parks of Kenya to protect their endangered inhabitants from the threat of poachers and human encroachment. The flying is demanding and the caliber of training required to […]
The coolest thing on the ramp
Wilting in the heat? Then check out the new portable air conditioners from Arctic Air. The company produces portable air conditioners for GA airplanes. The first generation air conditioners run on ice, while the latest generation are “real” air conditioners with compressors, according to Greg Turton, president. Turton, a Cirrus driver from Atlanta, developed the […]
NASA grant to inspire next generation
Opening day of Sun ‘n Fun brought big news: A $1.4 million grant from NASA to enhance the Central Florida Aerospace Academy, which is on the Sun ‘n Fun campus at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport, as well as other programs throughout Polk County Public Schools. The local school system was one of only nine in the […]
LoPresti signs lease at Sebastian Municipal Airport
LoPresti Aviation has signed a 15-year lease for production space at Sebastian Municipal Airport on Florida’s east coast, the company said on May 5. The firm hopes to move into its new facility by mid-June and employ as many as 45 people within 18 months, as it builds prototypes for a new airplane known as […]
LoPresti Innovation Award goes to Bede
LoPresti Aviation has granted its 2009 Roy LoPresti Prize for Innovation in Aviation to Bede Inc. for its SpeedTrac wheel pants. The prize was created in the late Roy LoPresti’s name and in his memory by the LoPresti family, to recognize ideas which truly and profoundly offer innovations to general aviation. Each year, “one great […]
U.S. mayors release letter to Obama
Seventy mayors and county executives from across the country held a conference call with reporters on May 6, announcing their release of a letter to President Barack H. Obama communicating the crucial importance that small, general aviation aircraft provide to small towns and local economies across the country. During the call, Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer […]
Deadline near for new border-crossing rules
If you fly either into or out of the United States, you need to remember that the deadline for compliance with a new rule from the Department of Homeland Security, requiring pilots of private aircraft on international flights to submit reports to Customs and Border Protection, is May 18. The rule requires GA pilots to […]
First Flight Society honors Wright brothers
The First Flight Society is one of the world’s oldest organizations of aviation enthusiasts. It celebrates December 17 each year to memorialize the first powered flight. Pilots, military men and women and other fans gather around the Wright Brothers National Memorial to commemorate that historic moment in aviation. The event is sponsored by the First […]