One of the books that should be in every pilot’s library is a current copy of the Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual (the FAR/AIM). Every so often the FAA updates the FARs. This is one of those times. The FAA recently released a 50-page Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) on proposed changes to Part […]
St. Louis Airport: A study in self-sufficiency
How is your airport supported? Does it rely on contributions from the municipal general fund or is it completely self-sufficient? The staff at Spirit of St. Louis Airport (KSUS) in St. Louis, Mo., are proud to note that their facility is one of the few airports in the United States that is completely self-sufficient – […]
Jacksonville anti-airplane ordinance to be revised: Pilots to work with councilman to rework law
A showing by members of the Experimental Aircraft Association during a Feb. 27 meeting of the Jacksonville, Fla., City Council has prompted the councilman who penned Ordinance 2006-543-E to rework the measure. The ordinance, which was adopted last summer, bars anyone from building, repairing, testing, operating, modifying, or altering flying craft or airboats anywhere on […]
PBY in Lake Mead now open to divers
Divers who enjoy exploring submerged airplane wrecks have a new target in Lake Mead, Nevada. The National Park Service (NPS) has released the location of a submerged PBY Catalina. The plane sits in two sections approximately 190 feet below the surface in the Boulder Basin Area of the lake. Because of the depth it is […]
Florida flight instructor airms for space. Forget lemonade stands! How abou tthe Internet as a way to raise funds?
Ben Riecken, a 25-year-old flight instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, wants to be one of the first people to become a space tourist. Since that’s difficult to do on a flight instructor’s salary, he’s trying to raise some supplemental income by selling ads on his new website, MyTripInSpace.com. Place your ad […]
Washington’s Blaine Municipal Airport to close: Lack of funds for master plan cited as main reason
Usually the creation of a master plan is thought of as a tool to help protect an airport. But as airport officials at Blaine Municipal Airport/Dierks Field (4W6) in Blaine, Wash., have learned, a master plan — or rather a lack of federal funding for one — can lead to an airport closing. “The issue […]
Houston Executive Airport officially opens
There’s a new airport in the Houston area. Houston Executive Airport (78T) commenced operations earlier this month. Businessman and avid pilot Ron Henriksen built the airport with private funds. It is on the west side of the city and designed to give the business aviation community an alternative to the area’s crowded commercial airports. “This […]
Direct-To Avionics closes
Chelton Flight Systems of Boise, Idaho, has come to the rescue of customers who were left in a lurch by the sudden closure of Direct-To Avionics. The Bend, Ore.-based company abruptly closed its doors in December. Direct-To Avionics was a distributor of systems for kit-built aircraft. Among the components supplied were those for Chelton Flight […]
Teens vandalize airplanes at Northern Caliornia airport
Four teenage girls in Garberville, Calif., are facing criminal charges and several hours of community service after allegedly trespassing onto a general aviation airport and vandalizing at least five aircraft. “Exactly when the damage happened isn’t clear,” said Brenda Godsey, public information officer for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s office. “We were made aware of it […]