News

There are a lot of books about military airplanes on the market, but somehow that market never becomes saturated. There always are those among us who never get enough. One of the newest, “Combat: The Great American Warplanes” by Jim Wilson, is more than a picture book, delving into such historic questions as why the […]

A new report from the Congressional Research Service, “Securing General Aviation,” notes that GA is not a threat, adding that a “one size fits all” approach to security is not practical. The report notes that GA planes’ ability to carry explosives is small compared to trucks and other vehicles. It also points out that airspace […]

The Society of Air Racing Historians is gearing up to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the post-World War II National Air Races. The society’s 22nd Annual International Symposium of Air Racing History is slated for May 5-7 in Brook Park, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, where the races were held from 1946-1949. “The society has […]

For the first time in history, a helicopter will be used to monitor the Great Wall of China. The helicopter will be used to take photos and videos of the 4,000-mile wall. A database will be created from the images so future inspections can be done by air to look for changes. Members of the […]

Cessna Aircraft Co. received a Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) in December from the FAA for its Citation Mustang, a significant step toward certification and first customer delivery in late 2006. TIA signals the FAA’s approval for the Mustang prototype to begin accumulating flight hours that will apply toward official certification.”Our goal for achieving TIA was […]

Certification of the Eclipse 500, scheduled for March, has been delayed until “late in the second quarter” due to what CEO Vern Raburn described as “supplier delays.” While no supplier was named, earlier discussions indicated that a key avionics source had fallen behind its planned production schedule.

SportairUSA’s StingSport now sports airbags. The LSA, which already features a Ballistic Recovery parachute system, now includes AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraints (AAIR).

Potomac Airfield (VKX) near Washington, D.C., has reopened. The Transportation Security Administration closed the airport in November, claiming Airport Manager David Wartofsky was not following TSA-approved security procedures established in 2002 for the three airports in the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Wartofsky countered the measures that were used at Potomac went beyond the scope […]

The new year will see Excel-Jet Ltd. relocating from Colorado to the Oklahoma City suburb of Guthrie. The company manufactures the single-engine Sport-Jet. Excel-Jet will set up shop in a 10,000-square-foot hangar at Guthrie/Edmond Municipal Airport (KGOK) in the next 90 to 120 days. It is estimated that when it is operational the facility could […]