The University of North Dakota (UND) Flying Team recorded their 15th National Championship at the recently concluded National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) SAFECON competition in St. Louis. “The NIFA National Championship is equivalent to the NCAA Championships for athletics,” said Bruce Smith, dean of UND Aerospace. “It is a benchmark for measuring the overall excellence […]
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Fantasy of Flight adds World War II torpedo bomber
A TBM Avenger, a World War II torpedo bomber like the one once flown by former President George H. W. Bush, has joined the collection of rare and vintage aircraft at Fantasy of Flight near Polk City, Florida. Fantasy of Flight founder Kermit Weeks piloted the nearly 70-year-old aircraft on its flight from Miami, where […]
Aviation groups fight airport badging rule
Five aviation associations have asked the Department of Homeland Security to scrap a Transportation Security Administration directive that would require badging and background checks for everyone with unescorted access to secure areas of commercial airports, Aviation News reported on May 26. Their appeal came as the industry faces a June 1 deadline to meet the […]
A new airport in Virginia?
A committee charged with studying whether Virginia’s James City County should go into the airport business has recommended that the county should build a new airport rather than buy and operate the existing Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport, the Newport News Daily Press reported on May 27. The Community Airport Committee, formed to determine how important the Williamsburg-Jamestown […]
Historic aircraft move to Atlanta aviation park
Four historic military airplanes moved to the future site of the Aviation and Discovery Center at Marietta, Georgia, on May 26. The planes, an A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair II and an F-14 Tomcat, were moved from the Naval Air Station at Marietta, Jason Luker, curator services director for the Aviation and Discovery Center, […]
Canada resents new U.S. security rules
As the June 1 deadline approaches for requiring passports at the U.S.-Canada border, relations between the two countries have been strained by mounting security concerns, according to Macleans, the Canadian newsweekly. Nothing highlights the tensions like the flap over general aviation, the magazine stated in its May 25 issue. International screening points in Ireland, Bermuda […]
Cessna 150 rudders series focus of AD
The rudders on Cessna 150s and 152s are the focus of a new Airworthiness Directive. The AD, issued May 13, is the result of two accidents caused by aircraft entering a spin and the pilots not being able to recover because the rudders traveled past the normal limit. One of the accidents occurred in Canada, […]
Santa Monica jet ban may head to federal court
The FAA has determined that a city ordinance banning jets from Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) in California “unjustly and unreasonably” discriminates against certain aircraft. City officials are expected to appeal the FAA decision. If the decision is not reversed, the city will likely file an appeal in federal court. Santa Monica officials contend the […]
Prominent advocate for aviation educators joins SAFE
Silas “Cy” Peterson has joined the Society of Aviation & Flight Educators. A retired Northwest Airlines pilot from Northfield, Minn., Peterson has long been actively involved with aviation education. He served as NAFI treasurer from 1990 until retiring from the board in 2004. For more information: SafePilots.org.