Profiles in History, an auctioneer of Hollywood and other memorabilia, recently auctioned items totalling $5 million, including $141,600 for the goggles Amelia Earhart wore during her historic 1932 solo transatlantic flight. Also sold at the auction were astronaut Gus Grissom’s Mercury flight suit ($47,200) and the baseball cap Neil Armstrong wore after splash-down and recovery […]
Feature
Runway incursions down by 50%
WASHINGTON, D.C. — FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt reports that serious runway incursions were down 50% for the most recent 12-month period compared to the previous year. There were 12 serious incursions in fiscal year 2009, which ended Sept. 30, compared to 25 in fiscal year 2008. A runway incursion occurs when something or someone intrudes […]
Don’t rush your preflight on cold days
Reprinted with permission from Darcy Kaapke of CourtesyAircraft.com Winter is just around the corner. It is 20° with a 10° wind chill and you are out on the ramp preparing for your next flight. But just because you are freezing your tail off, ready to get in that plane, get that engine started and crank […]
Survey reveals cost of FAA inconsistencies
A survey conducted by the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) to gather data on inconsistent FAA regulatory interpretations has yielded troubling, yet expected, results, association officials say. “This survey clearly demonstrates the high, unnecessary costs, delays and obstacles aviation businesses suffer due to the FAA’s inconsistent interpretation of the federal aviation regulations,” said NATA President […]
Coalition urges Senate to pass FAA reauthorization
The Senate’s inaction on FAA reauthorization has prompted a coalition of aviation groups to lobby lawmakers to get to work. In a letter to all members of the Senate, the groups stress “the importance of passing a comprehensive, multi-year reauthorization of the FAA.” “The recent passage of the seventh extension in the last two years […]
Glasair sets Reno speed record
Reno racer Jeff Lavelle set a new speed record at the 2009 National Championship Air Races in Reno. His Glasair III set a new Reno Sport Class qualifying record of 357.683 mph. Lavelle’s Glasair III is a factory stock airplane powered by a twin turbocharged Lycoming TIO-540 engine developed by Grant Semanskee of Snohomish, Wash. […]
ISM completes $2.5 million in projects
Florida’s Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM) has completed three projects totaling $2.5 million. The Warbird Adventures Hangar II includes a 12,000-square-foot maintenance hangar and 5,000-square-foot office. Warbird Adventures, an aviation business located at the airport, matched a grant the airport received from the Florida Department of Transportation to fund the $1.1 million project. Also recently completed […]
Preparations underway for AERO 2010
Preparations for AERO 2010 Friedrichshafen, Germany, are in full swing. Project manager Thomas Grunewald says he is convinced that the air show, now an annual event, will be a success: “The encouragement and the feedback from the exhibitors have us feeling optimistic.” The 18th edition of AERO, to be held at Lake Constance from April […]
Cecil Field celebrates 10th anniversary
Cecil Field (VQQ) in Jacksonville, Florida, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. It was a decade ago, in October 1999, when the U.S. Navy handed over ownership of the sprawling Cecil Field Naval Air Station to the city of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Aviation Authority as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations. The […]