Fly-ins, swap meets and aviation supply shops aren’t the only place you can get those hard to find items for your aviation wants and needs. eBay, the online auction house, is another venue for locating aviation collectibles, artwork, clothing, headsets, books and even vintage cockpit instruments. All it takes is a little luck, a little […]
Ultralight pilots file discrimination complaint against Paso Robles Airport
City and airport officials in Paso Robles, California, are facing scrutiny from the FAA because of a discrimination complaint filed by a local ultralight group. The brouhaha began when FAA and California Department of Transportation officials told the city that aircraft could not use ramps or taxiways as runways. Traditionally, ultralights at Paso Robles Municipal […]
From farm boy to bomber pilot
During World War II, bomber pilots called the easier missions “milk runs,” but did you know there were also ice cream missions? That’s one of the side notes in “Pilot from the Prairie,” the memoirs of Edgar J. Allen. Allen, who now lives in Burien, Washington, flew 30 missions as a B-24 pilot. The book […]
‘Weaving the Winds’ tells the tale of one of the first female airline pilots
These days it is not uncommon to see a woman at the controls of an airliner, but what many people do not realize is that it took some 59 years for an American woman to become an airline pilot. Leading the way was Emily Howell Warner, who on Feb. 6, 1973, entered the cockpit of […]
Making time in a Citabria
I enjoyed “The Aviator.” It was a great aviation adventure. High-end special effects. Great acting. Big names. Big budget. Then I turned around and watched “Time Chasers,” a 1994 film about a Citabria that has been turned into a time machine. “The Aviator,” it was not. I knew what I was getting into because I […]
Developer sets sights on Pine Mountain Airport
Officials in Harris County, Georgia, are in a quandary. A developer of a resort hotel — essential, they say, to the success of the county’s main tourist attraction, Callaway Gardens — wants to close Pine Mountain Airport (PIM). But county officials — and the FAA — want the airport to stay open. The airport, Callaway […]
Aviat improves on its Husky
The Aviat Husky is known for its STOL capability and nimble handling. How could anyone improve on that? By changing the aileron and flaps on the aircraft, says Stu Horn, owner of Aviat Husky, Inc. The first thing Husky fans will notice, says Horn, is that the spade that hung off the wing has been […]
Mooney’s new CEO to highlight Women in Aviation conference
If there is one constant in aviation, it is that the industry is constantly evolving. The evolution covers not only aircraft and engine design, but also the people who run the businesses. Gretchen Jahn, the CEO of Mooney Airplane Co., is a good example. Jahn, who joined the Kerrville, Texas-based company in late 2004, is […]
North Carolina airport woos GA with new hangars
Aircraft won’t be the only thing taking off at Albert J. Ellis Airport (OAJ) in Jacksonville, North Carolina, this spring. Airport officials say they’re almost finished with the infrastructure work that will support new general aviation hangars. “The hangars will be built by corporations or private individuals, we’re just putting in the infrastructure,” explains airport […]