Many faithful readers of General Aviation News know that this writer has spent a large part of his 75 years in the air and on the water. Here’s a safety hint based on that experience: Don’t wear polarized sun glasses. Why not? Polarization can mask a glint from something in the air, in the water […]
News
An interesting history of Lycoming
Hemmings Motor News, perhaps the most comprehensive source of ads for antique and otherwise-used automobiles, recently published a short piece about the history of Lycoming Engines. That should come as no surprise, since Lycoming’s earliest engines were for cars and trucks. Indeed, many automobile manufacturers during the 1910s and 1920s used Lycoming engines in their […]
The first flight to Bermuda
The first successful aircraft flight to Bermuda from the United States occurred in April, 1930. The plane was a Stinson SM-1FS “Detroiter.” According to “The Flying Boats of Bermuda” by Colin Pomeroy, published in 2000, there was an unsuccessful attempt to fly from the U.S. to Bermuda in 1928, and “It was to be almost […]
A wing (or two) and a prayer?
A March 30 ABC News story expressed safety concerns over Red Bull‘s use of a 55-year old Grumman HU-16E Albatross as a marketing tool. ABC reported that the old amphibian had been grounded twice over concerns about its “aged wings failing, but it flies over the heads of hundreds of thousands of people a year […]
TSA starts Secure Flight program
The Transportation Security Administration announced on March 31 the implementation of its Secure Flight program, which shifts watch list matching responsibilities from individual aircraft operators to TSA. So far, TSA has assumed watch list matching responsibility only for passengers on domestic commercial flights, working with four aircraft operators, but it plans to add more carriers […]
K-State forms flying club
Kansas State University’s Aviation Department has established the K-State Aviation Flying Club for any aviation enthusiasts to support the university’s competitive aviation teams.K-State at Salina has students who participate competitively in the FlightTeam, the Women’s Air Race Team, and the SkillsUSA Maintenance Team. The competitive programs help students develop flying and industry skills in addition […]
Signs of GA’s return to health
If you’re looking for good news about general aviation amid the economic doom and gloom, the Federal Aviation Administration and the UBS Business Jet Market Index are offering some. The FAA predicted that GA growth will resume in 2010, in the annual forecast it released March 31. The report was headlined: “Aviation Activity to Resume […]
What’s your big idea?
It’s no secret that pilots are an innovative group. Stop in at any FBO and you’ll no doubt hear solutions not only on how to fix your flying or your airplane, but also the world. That’s why we’re turning to the readers of General Aviation News, asking you to share your “big ideas.” Those ideas […]
Extreme training at 30,000 feet
Caroline Brozovich’s fingers and lips have turned blue-grey, her movements are sluggish, and her eyes half-shut, as though she’s peering through a fog. The oxygen around her is now as thin as the air at 30,000 feet, the cruising altitude for jet aircraft. If Brozovich were piloting an airliner, she and her passengers would be […]