On April 19, 1919, Leslie Leroy Irvin made the world’s first free fall parachute descent using a rip cord, rather than a canister or tether line attached to the aircraft to pull open the parachute. Working with the US Army Air Service parachute research team, Irvin made the historic jump from a plane over McCook […]
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Lawyer calls Zodiac CH-601XL ‘Corvair of the Air’
The recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board to ground Zodiac CH-601XL Special Light Sport Aircraft caught the attention of Lawyer Ladd Sanger, whose law firm describes him as “a leading air crash litigation attorney.” That could be bad news for Zodiac designer Chris Heintz, even though he lives in Canada, and for his U.S.-based […]
New Smyrna Beach’s unfriendly skies
Residents of Florida’s New Smyrna Beach are “abuzz over airport noise,” wrote Mark Johnson in the Daytona Beach News-Journal recently. “A breeze barely moves the palm fronds as Ken Petrie Jr. enjoys a beer on his pool deck when a muted drone interrupts the pleasant evening on the shores of Turnbull Bay,” Johnson wrote. “A […]
Historical marker for 1953 ANG crash
A few minutes after midnight on December 6, 1953, four F-84D jet aircraft of the Georgia Air National Guard 128th Fighter Bomber Squadron crashed on their approach to Dobbins Air Force Base near Marietta, Georgia. Recently, a historic marker was placed near this site, to mark the crash and the subsequent findings that changed aircraft […]
AOPA launches GA promotion featuring Harrison Ford
General aviation is an economic engine that pumps $150 billion into the United States economy each year, states an April 20 AOPA news release. In local communities, it brings outside business in, and lets local businesses extend their reach. It provides more than a million jobs nationwide and it provides services to all Americans through […]
Memorial Day forum slated at Flying Heritage Collection
A special Memorial Day forum at Paul G. Allen’s Flying Heritage Collection will feature a panel of veterans and military experts discussing the pivotal role that World War II bomber crews played in the outcome of the war. During the forum, slated to begin at 11 a.m., veterans will be honored at a ceremony. Veterans […]
Air show to benefit Alan Henley April 18-19
Alan Henley, the lead pilot of the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, was injured at home in July of last year when a chin-up bar gave way. He is paralyzed from the chest down. The idea for a benefit was born as the AeroShell team flew in a three-ship formation at last summer’s AirVenture. The image disturbed […]
6th annual Chili Fiesta fly-in set
If you like chili, grass airstrips or, better yet, both you’ll want to be at the Massey Aerodrome and Museum on May 9. Massey Aerodrome, which delights in its designation as MD1, is a turf airstrip in the northeastern corner of Maryland’s Eastern Shore where three retired airline pilots and a group of volunteers have […]
Where business aviation thrives
According to the Gulf News, published in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates business aviation sector is growing at a rate of 18% a year as the country becomes a hub for regional and international markets. “The current and projected growth of our aviation sector defies the odds of the global economic slowdown,” Sultan Bin […]