Two-place airplanes are often used as trainer aircraft because they are less expensive to rent than four-place designs. Yet once that private pilot ticket is in your hand, you may look for a larger airplane for cross-country flights because a two-place is just too cramped to be comfortable over long distances. But that won’t be […]
Pilots use politics to protect airport
Pilots in eastern Washington are celebrating a victory in the fight to keep Vista Field Airport (S98) open. According to John Dobson, president of the Washington Pilots Association, efforts to keep the airport from being shut down for redevelopment got a boost after the November election. “Five airport friendly candidates were elected to seven positions […]
Christmas comes early for college
Christmas came a little early to Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood, Washington, with the arrival of a 1957 Tri-Pacer during the first week of December. The vintage airplane, painted bright red, was donated to the school by Dennis Urfer of Port Angeles, Wash., who had owned it since the 1970s. “I learned to fly […]
California pilots fight power plant next to C83
Some pilots are trying to convince the California Energy Commission that power plants and pilots don’t mix. The pilots are opposed to the construction of a gas-fired power plant near the Byron Airport (C83) in Alameda County east of San Francisco. Pilots are worried that the emissions coming from the proposed smoke stack, which will […]
GA pilots flock to Dreamliner’s launch
When the Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its maiden voyage Tuesday, Dec. 15, it had quite an audience. Television stations carried the event live, while thousands of people gathered at Snohomish County Airport/ Paine Field (PAE) in Everett, Wash., for its departure and at King County International/Boeing Field (BFI) in Seattle for its eventual arrival. In […]
Pilots prepare for Winter Olympics TFRs
Pilots in the Pacific Northwest are being inundated with information about the Temporary Flight Restrictions stemming from the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver, British Columbia. For safety and security reasons, Air Transport Canada has established TFRs that will extend into the United States for the duration of the games (Feb. 12-28). The TFR […]
Free transient parking at BFI
Pilots at King County International Airport/Boeing Field (BFI) south of Seattle have been known to comment that they can get just about anything they need at the airport, except a free place to park while they pick that item up. That’s changed now that the county has altered its fees. “The first hour is free, […]
The Belite: Single-place fun
Flying is about having fun — and what could be more fun than the Belite, a single-place ultralight that’s engineered like a cross-country-capable Light Sport Aircraft? “It’s a single place ‘go out and have fun’ airplane,” says James Wiebe, founder, CEO and president of Belite Aircraft. The company opened its doors in Wichita in January. […]
Collings Foundation seeks FAA exemption to add to its historical fleet
Years ago, B-17s, B-25s, B-24s and P-51 Mustangs (pictured) existed in abundance. Today just a handful of these warbirds remain airworthy — and very few offer rides to the public. The Collings Foundation, a private group out of Stow, Mass., is one of the few organizations that provides these historical aviation experiences but, according to […]