What do you do when you can’t find an easy-to-use manual for your GPS? If you have a background in aviation and technical writing, like John Dittmer, you write one of your own. That’s what the instructor pilot did about 11 years ago when his clients had trouble learning to use the Bendix/King KLN90B GPS. […]
Avionics for the little guy: Dynon Avionics finds its niche in homebuilts and LSA
Selecting the right avionics package for your airplane can be almost as stressful as selecting the aircraft itself. You’ll probably ask your friends what they have and if they recommend it. It is just that kind of word-of-mouth advertising that helped Dynon Avionics expand from the homebuilt market into the realm of Light Sport Aircraft. […]
Alaska governor sponsors bill for avionics upgrade
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is trying to make flying safer by sponsoring a bill to help pilots obtain the latest in satellite-based avionics. The bill establishes a new loan program in the state’s Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development. Under the program, low interest loans will be provided for the purchase and installation of […]
All in the family: The third generation of the Middlebrook family takes Penn Yan to new heights
For many pilots, the names Middlebrook and Penn Yan Aero are synonymous with aviation. The Middlebrook family has owned and operated the engine maintenance facility in Penn Yan, New York, for three generations. “It really began with Harold ‘Eagle’ Middlebrook in the 1930s,” says Patricia Middlebrook, who is part of the second generation and mother […]
Financial woes at Adam Aircraft: Company lays off 300employees as it tries to raise more capita
Adam Aircraft laid off 300 people in January in what is described by company officials as a “strategic adjustment.” The company, based in Englewood, Colo., manufactures the A500, its distinctive centerline piston twin, and is in the process of certifying its VLJ, the A700. A few days after the layoffs, Adam Aircraft President Duncan Koerbel […]
Quest makes first Kodiak delivery
Quest Aircraft delivered its first Kodiak to officials from Spirit Air on Jan. 25, in a presentation at Quest’s headquarters in Sandpoint, Idaho. Spirit Air, which plans to use the Kodiak for flights into the Alaska wilderness and Idaho back country, and for commuter and small package runs, was the lead commercial customer for the […]
Northwest Aviation Conference celebrates 25 years
The Northwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show celebrates its silver anniversary this month. Part trade show and part educational conference, the show is slated for Feb. 23-24 at the Puyallup Fairgrounds near Tacoma, Wash. The 25th anniversary event boasts a variety of seminars, including certificate renewal clinics and lectures on several topics, such as avionics […]
LSAs flock to the Sunshine State: But where was the sun?
Of all the things that can make a dent in an air show’s attendance, weather probably is the biggest one. A cold front kept people away on the first day — and the last day — of the fourth U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, held Jan. 17-20 at Sebring Regional Airport in Florida. When the temperature […]
Pilot creates blog to celebrate airport, increase communication
One of the greatest challenges at an airport is creating open lines of communication between airport tenants and the airport sponsor. In today’s busy society it can be difficult to get the parties in the same room for a discussion, much less on the same page. One way to facilitate communication is to have conversations […]