This March 2007 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. Aircraft: Piper Comanche. Location: Des Moines, Iowa. Injuries: None. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was making an approach to landing and attempted […]
Development approved next to SCK
“We lost this one.” That’s how one California pilot describes the recent news that a 909-acre mixed-use development will soon break ground less than two miles from the Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK). The development, known as Tidewater Crossing, will be built adjacent to the airport. It will contain a mixture of single and multi-family homes […]
McGill named flight instructor of the year for Western Pacific Region
Chuck McGill was recently named by the FAA as the Western Pacific Region 2009 CFI of the Year. McGill, who has been teaching for more than 28 years, has logged more than 11,000 flight hours. He holds the designation of Master CFI and has served as a volunteer safety counselor for the FAA San Diego […]
Lawmakers try to ban experimental aircraft at VGT
Two Clark County, Nevada, politicians are behind a measure to ban homebuilt aircraft from North Las Vegas Airport (VGT). On Feb. 9, State Senator Steven Horsford (D) and Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick (D) introduced a resolution urging Congress to authorize the Clark County Department of Aviation to ban flights of experimental homebuilt aircraft to and from […]
Women in Aviation conference ready for takeoff
The 20th annual Women in Aviation Conference gets underway Feb. 26 to 28 in Atlanta. The theme of the conference is “A New Approach to Your Tomorrow.” The conferences are prime locations for those seeking work and for those looking to hire, according to WAI officials. Exhibitors and potential employers at the show include The […]
Mandatory curfew proposed at Bob Hope Airport
Pilots at Bob Hope Airport (BUR) in Burbank, Calif., may soon be facing a mandatory curfew. The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority is petitioning the FAA to allow the airport to restrict night-time traffic as a means of curtailing noise complaints. The proposal comes after an eight-year noise study done through FAR Part 161. The airport has […]
Cessna modifies the SkyCatcher
Cessna Aircraft Co. has modified the tail on its Light Sport Aircraft. According to Cessna Manager of Communications Angela Landwher, the vertical tail was made larger and given less sweep in response to a stall-spin accident during flight testing last year. During a test flight, the LSA entered a spin from which the pilot could […]
Cessna employees brace for more layoffs
2009 is starting out on a sour note for employees of Cessna Aircraft Co., who have been warned about another round of layoffs. According to Cessna spokesman Doug Oliver, on Jan. 6 CEO Jack Pelton sent an e-mail to staff “in which he outlined the worsening economic situation and noted that because of that worsening […]
Cirrus resumes production
Production has resumed at Cirrus Design Corp. The Duluth-based manufacturer had shut down the assembly line in December and furloughed 500 employees in response to slow aircraft sales. Company officials say the return to production will be a gradual process, with employees being recalled in waves as the number of orders for aircraft dictates an […]