The 2009 China International General Aviation Convention will be held in northwestern Shanxi Province from Oct. 16-19. The convention will be held in Pucheng County and the provincial capital of Xi’an. Pucheng will host several air shows and an aircraft static exhibition, while Xi’an will host an aviation equipment exhibition and forums. More than 100 […]
Feature
Cessna 310R: More twin for the buck
By GUY R. MAHER In the spring of 1954, Cessna received a Type Certificate for the 310, launching a production run that lasted until 1981 of general aviation’s most desired light twin-engine airplane. The most famous was the 1958 310B used in the TV series “Sky King.” Through the years, the 310 evolved to become […]
Spreading the word
Cirrus Aircraft CEO Brent Wouters is working hard to convince people to take up flying. In an interview at Wired.com, he says that getting that message out to “the broader community is where the challenge is.” The story notes: That “broader community” is the vast majority of the public that thinks buying an airline ticket […]
Mission aviation hitches a ride on the Space Shuttle
Astronaut Patrick Forrester is taking a bit of missionary history onboard Space Shuttle “Discovery,” which is scheduled for liftoff from Kennedy Space Center Aug. 25. The item comes from martyred missionary pilot Nate Saint’s Piper PA-14, which is on display at the headquarters of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in Nampa, Idaho. Saint and four other […]
Should GA airports receive a security score?
Is it time for a security scoring system at GA airports? A recent post by John Infanger of Airport Business Magazine shines light on the concept, which he heard about from two security professionals, Bob Jandebeur, a former FBO operator who now heads his own security firm, and John Sullivan, a former chair of the […]
Concerns about ultralight training grow as deadline looms
When Sport Pilot was developed, it was thought that training for ultralight pilots would be in Special-Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA). Until sufficient S-LSAs could be produced, the FAA said pilots could train in ultralights certified as Experimental-LSAs until Jan. 31, 2010, according to a story at EAA.org, which notes: The FAA envisioned this timeframe would […]
NAFI Master Instructor Program puts more emphasis on ‘active instruction’
The National Association of Flight Instructors’ Master Instructor program has been “enhanced” after a year-long review, according to officials at the Oshkosh-based organization. The FAA also has continued its recognition of the program, allowing NAFI Master Instructors to renew their certificates through the NAFI Master Flight Instructor program. “NAFI members, NAFI Master Instructors and the […]
One supportive spouse
Theresa Bettale went along on one of her husband’s (Patrick) flight lessons. She posted her thoughts (and a number of pictures) on her blog. If everyone with a dream to fly could be partnered with such a supportive spouse, the industry couldn’t handle them all. Thank you for sharing, and supporting, Theresa.
Color blind? New test opens new opportunities
A new test could help people with poor color vision advance into careers which their sight would have previously prevented them from entering, including aviation, according to a report in Optometry Today. The Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test, which was developed by researchers at London’s City University, was commissioned by the UK Civil Aviation […]


