Can it really be 30 years since the first gathering of the Western Association of Mooney Mites? That’s what the calendar shows. On May 18, members of WAMM and their friends will flock to Porterville Municipal Airport (KPTV) north of Bakersfield for the annual fly-in. The Mooney M-18 Mite is a low-wing, single-place monoplane. It […]
Tough planes, tough pilots, tough flying: Montana Mountain Flying Museum showcases the best of aviation in the Big Sky State
Residents of Montana jest that there are only two seasons in the Big Sky State: winter and forest fire season. There is some truth to the joke and that is why the Montana Mountain Flying Museum in Missoula has a great deal of material related to aerial firefighting. “Montana is where smokejumping — that is, […]
A rose by any other name? Quirks in rental aircraft inspire nicknames
There is a learning curve that must take place when you go from being an aircraft owner to a renter. A number of my clients are learning this. Some of them are between airplanes. Others decided that it is a better financial decision to rent airplanes than to own them at this time. They all […]
Developer’s plans shot down by pilots — and everyone else
When a developer started eyeing a piece of property for a housing development less than a mile from Centennial Airport (APA) in Centennial, Colo., just outside Denver, it wasn’t just the aviation community that raised the alarm. The business community and local homeowners association raised the cries of opposition, as well. The proposal was to […]
Airport vs. an old-growth forest: Which will be left standing?
Every pilot thinks that his airport is special. Sky Harbor Airport (KDYT) in Duluth, Minn., is special for several reasons, or so say pilots, the people who live near the airport and the government agencies that are charged with managing and protecting not only the airport, but the surrounding area. Sky Harbor Airport, as the […]
F-14’s seized by Uncle Sam
Four retired and stripped F-14 aircraft were seized recently by the federal government as the result of a 17-month investigation into the illegal sale of aircraft parts to Iran. The aircraft, including three that were at museums at the Chino Airport in Southern California and one that was a Hollywood prop, had been in civilian […]
New jet center markes new age for California airport
Two years ago pilots and airport officials at Buchanan Field (CCR) in Concord, Calif., were fighting a developer’s plan to close the airport to make way for homes and a shopping center. When the FAA and the local community raised objections, the developer dropped the idea. It was then that — finally — airport officials […]
Catching up with Kitfox
Last May, John and Debra McBean, former SkyStar employees and owners of Sport Plane LLC, an Idaho-based builder’s assist center, purchased the assets of SkyStar Aircraft Corp., makers of the popular Kitfox. The McBeans announced their intentions to continue manufacturing kits. But as anyone who has been in the aviation business for even a short […]
Cirrus facing wrongful death lawsuit in Lidle crash
An attorney representing the families of New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and flight instructor Tyler Stanger, who died in the crash of the Cirrus SR20 in Manhattan, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Cirrus Design Corp. The complaint alleges product liability, negligence and breach of warranty against Cirrus. Teledyne, Hartzell Propeller, S-Tec, Honeywell […]