David Wartofsky, owner/operator of Potomac Airfield, closest of the Maryland 3 airports to downtown Washington D.C., who has filed petition to replace the FAA’s 3rd class medical with a driver’s license for private flying, passes along this recent comment to his petition from Dr. Donald Senter. You can read the full comment below, but we […]
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Alternative energy?
Thanks to GAN’s fuel expert Ben Visser for sending this link to a video of the Besler Steam Powered Airplane. Demonstrated by the Besler brothers April 12, 1933, over Oakland California, the plane was powered by a steam boiler that was so quiet that spectators on the ground could hear the pilot calling to them. […]
PlaneTalk Radio’s next show out of this world
PlaneTalk Radio, an Internet radio program started by Florida layer Stewart Lapayowker to promote an appreciation and understanding of business aviation, will feature George Whitesides, president and CEO of Virgin Galactic, the winner of the X-Prize and the first to give civilians the opportunity to experience space travel, Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. (EST). Also […]
First flight of Elektra One may be this month
PC-Aero, a German company that is developing the Elektra One prototype electric powered aircraft, reports it successfully performed the static tests on the one-seater for German Ultralight Certification Dec. 22. The structure of the aircraft (wing, fuselage and tails) was loaded up to limit load, officials report, adding first flight is expected to take place […]
EAA No. 2 Carl Schultz Dies
Carl Schultz, EAA 2, who helped found the Experimental Aircraft Association and served as the organization’s first vice-president, died Dec. 25, according to a report at EAA.org, which notes that Schultz was already an established businessman in the Milwaukee area in 1953 when he helped Paul Poberezny start EAA. Read his obituary here.
Four inducted into Canada’s Hall of Fame
Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame (CAHF) will induct four Canadians, and recognize a Belt of Orion recipient, at its 2011 annual gala dinner and ceremony at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Hamilton, Ontario on May 26. The 2011 inductees are: John Crichton, the current president and CEO of NAV Canada, and previous president of the […]
FAA Safety Briefing celebrates 50 years
The new issue of FAA Safety Briefing celebrates the publication’s 50th anniversary by looking back on the state of General Aviation safety and highlighting a half century of safety focus and progress. The magazine, initially called FAA Aviation News, was first published in January 1961, just three years after the creation of the FAA. Its […]
The flight planning battle continues
In the days before Christmas, the offices of FlightPrep at the Aurora State Airport in Oregon were inundated with calls — and not ones wishing happy holidays. Instead, the calls were from pilots angry that the company’s attempts to enforce its patent for online flight planning forced the closure of a popular flight planning website, […]
Freedom Flight prepares for takeoff
Beginning Jan. 15, two Able Flight pilots will fly more than 1,000 miles to meet with wounded veterans in four states to tell them how they can receive an Able Flight scholarship. Heather Schultz and Sean O’Donnell were paralyzed as a result of spinal cord injuries and both earned their pilot licenses with Able Flight scholarships. […]