A distinctive watch is often associated with being a pilot. Many of these designs have an E6-B on the face and are able to display multiple time zones, but these are fairly large timepieces, even for a man’s wrist. If you are a woman, especially one with a smaller wrist, wearing a man-sized watch has […]
Central Oregon: A hotbed of GA activity
One of the perks of this job is that I get to travel. Mostly it’s to fly-ins and conventions such as AirVenture, Sun ‘n Fun or AOPA Expo, but sometimes I get to make a trip to meet and greet the players in the aviation industry. May of this year took me to central Oregon. […]
Pilot’s Report: The Diamond Twin Star
The Diamond DA42, also know as the Twin Star, is arguably the most advanced light twin on the market today. Since its introduction to the United States in 2004 it has been gaining a foothold in flight schools around the country. I recently had the opportunity to fly one courtesy of Galvin Flying Services at […]
Cessna SkyCatcher to be built in China
You can add the Cessna SkyCatcher to the list of Light Sport Aircraft manufactured outside the United States. On Nov. 28 Cessna Aircraft Co. announced it is partnering with Shenyang Aircraft Corp. (SAC) to build the SkyCatcher. SAC is a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry Corp., which is a government-owned consortium of aircraft manufacturers. “The […]
Boom times. Kentucky opens three new GA airports, with another set for next month
GA is booming in the Bluegrass State. According to Steve Parker, Deputy Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Aviation, state officials are in the midst of a push to enhance existing GA airports and add to the number of GA airports in the state. “Kentucky has been a little behind in the number of general […]
New Jersey airport sold to make way for ball fi elds. Massive tax increase forces long-time owners to sell
William and Jean Weasener of Pennington, N.J., have spent the better part of their lives operating Twin Pine Airport (N75), but a massive increase in property taxes is forcing them to sell the privately owned, public use airport. “The township did another tax assessment and increased the property taxes from $14,000 to $55,000,” said William […]
Growing pains: Random hangar inspection creates controversy at Utah’s Vernal Regional Airport
How carefully did you read your hangar lease before you signed it? Does it stipulate what can and cannot be stored in the hangar? Does it allow the airport owner and the FAA to inspect your hangar at any time, no notice necessary? Officials at Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) in Vernal, Utah, claim that is […]
Randy’s Red Rocker: Want attention on the ramp? Start with candy apple red paint, then add a flaming skull or two for accents
There is something about a red airplane. It can be sitting perfectly motionless but it will catch your eye. Randy Pflanzer, from Indianapolis, agrees. He says he gets a lot of attention when people see his candy apple red F-1 Rocket. “It took me about two years to build and I have been flying it […]
P-38 found on the beach: Recovery efforts expected next year at secret site
Can you imagine walking down a beach and literally stumbling across a World War II airplane? That’s what happened to someone in Wales last summer, when shifting sands exposed a Lockheed P-38 that had been on the beach since it crashed there in 1942. The airplane is largely intact and does not have much corrosion, […]