News

From Howard Hughes to the WASP program of World War II to today, the history of William P. Hobby Airport includes many riveting stories. The airport that made Houston an international travel destination is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.  Hobby Airport brought the beginnings of commercial aviation to Houston when it was opened in 1927 […]

Does age affect a pilot’s ability to fly? That question was asked of scientists at several clinical research centers in California. Their answer, after three years of study, was reported in the Feb. 27 issue of Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Their findings showed that older pilots performed better than younger […]

Shipments of every type of general aviation airplane increased in 2006, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, which is dubbing 2006 a “banner year” for GA. The strong numbers have led to another record high in industry billings, reaching $18.8 billion, a 24% increase over 2005. Year-end, worldwide shipments of general aviation airplanes totaled […]

CubCrafters, manufacturer of the Top Cub and Sport Cub, has been awarded a Production Certificate from the FAA. Receiving the certificate, only the second ever issued in the state of Washington, is a milestone for the company, according to Earl Barnes, director of quality assurance. “While we are not yet quite as large as our […]

Cirrus Design Corp. was one of those companies setting records in 2006, delivering 721 airplanes, up 20% from a year ago. The company also posted record sales of 760 planes. About 25% of the company’s deliveries were to international markets, according to Cirrus officials, who note that Brazil was the company’s largest export market.

Eclipse Aviation and Avidyne have decided to “terminate their relationship,” according to Andrew Broom, Eclipse’s director of public relations. “Avidyne will no longer supply components for the Avio Total Aircraft Integration system in the Eclipse 500,” Broom said. “We have agreed it is in the mutual best interest of both companies, and our customers, to wind […]

Meanwhile, Diamond Aircraft delivered 33% more aircraft in 2006 than in 2005. “Diamond has sustained this level of growth over the last five years,” reported Christian Dries, CEO of Diamond Aircraft. Fueling the growth is the production ramp-up of the DA42 Twin Star and DA40XL, he noted.

Our focus in this issue is flight training and education, obviously something important for all pilots, not just the students among us. In fact, as legendary pilot Johnny Miller, who is still flying at 101, says, “you are never too old to learn.” We open with a story on learning the ins and outs of […]

Liberty Aerospace, Inc., which manufactures the Liberty XL-2, made its first delivery to Australia. The XL-2 recently won Australian certification. The first delivery to Australia is “an important accomplishment in our global expansion plans,” said Anthony Tiarks, Liberty’s CEO.