Radial engines make a wonderful noise, but they also can make an awful mess when they are parked because gravity brings the oil into the bottom cylinders and from there it drips down the exhaust pipes and onto the ground. Dean Del Bene, the owner of a 1937 Stinson SR-9C, had some special containers fashioned […]
News
Want to fly higher?
Not exactly GA, but Florida’s Aerospace Research & Engineering Systems Institute, Inc. is giving someone the opportunity to take the ride of a lifetime to the edge of space aboard a commercial spacecraft — for free. ARES Institute is accepting applications through Dec. 31, 2012. At the conclusion of the registration period, one person will […]
NTSB issues ELT recommendations in wake of Stevens crash
The National Transportation Safety Board issued two safety recommendations Jan. 5 to the FAA requiring a detailed inspection of all emergency locator transmitters (ELT) installed on general aviation aircraft to ensure that their mountings maintain their retention capabilities during an accident. The recommendations stem from the investigation into an Alaska accident that killed five people, […]
Study on airbags in GA reveals safety issues
The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public meeting Jan. 11 to consider the results of a safety study on the effectiveness of airbags in GA aircraft. The NTSB initiated the study to 1) examine the effectiveness of airbags in mitigating occupant injury in a survivable GA accident, 2) identify any unintended consequences of […]
Are pilots prone to OCD?
Are pilots more prone to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? In a blog post at BlueSky Business Aviation News, Bud Slabbaert says OCD is more likely to be observed in our aviation community and this might be stifling innovation in our industry. Check it out for yourself here.
Little Rock Aerospace Education Center closes
The Little Rock Aerospace Education Center and its IMAX theater close Jan. 1, a victim of what its board chairman, Jim Wohlleb, called “the stagnant economy,” according to a report at ArkansasBusiness.com. But not all hope is gone. The story quotes Wohlleb: “While the AEC facility will cease operations for the time being, the board […]
GA’s role in organ transplants showcased on TV news series
“Without general aviation, heart, kidney and liver organ transplantation would not be possible,” says David Knoblauch, president of Venture Aviation, which is located at the Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) in South Carolina. “A heart can only last about four hours outside a human body, so the total travel time is very limited,” Knoblauch said, adding, […]
‘Optionally-Piloted’ Centaur gets FAA nod
Aurora Flight Sciences’ “Centaur” aircraft has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the FAA. Based on Diamond’s DA42, and powered by two diesel engines, the Centaur is being developed as an “Optionally-Piloted Aircraft” that can fly as an FAA-certificated aircraft for operations inside the National Airspace System with the ability to be reconfigured for robotic, […]
Aviation center proposed for Atlantic City Race Course
The NextGen industry is expanding in southern New Jersey with plans for an International Aviation Center for Excellence located at the site of the Atlantic City Race Course in the township of Hamilton, NJ. South Jersey Economic Development District Executive Director Gordon Dahl recently unveiled a rendering of the conceptual aviation technology center to the […]