News

Dec. 17 – the 103rd anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight – also was the 70th anniversary of another first flight that changed aviation. That was the day in 1935 that the Douglas DC-3 first took to the air. Donald Douglas apparently saw nothing remarkable in the event, although he did schedule it for […]

An African proverb says it takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village — and a pile of money — to buy an airplane. Given the amount of money involved, it pays to do your homework and assemble an acquisition team. Consulting firm Conklin & de Decker says the first person […]

The aviation services department of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) gets a lot of calls about aircraft ownership. Here are the most common: Q: How can I determine the true value of an airplane? A: You can use the AOPA website (AOPA.org) to determine an airplane’s value. Keep in mind that there are […]

Looking for an airworthy B-17? “Fuddy Duddy” is up for sale. The yellow-tailed flying fortress, which belongs to the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center in Elmira, N.Y., is one of only a dozen airworthy B-17s left in the world. Asking price: $3.5 million. Mike Hall, director of the Discovery Center, notes the decision to put […]

The largest tethered helium balloon in the world is, where else?, at Disneyland Resort in Paris. The balloon, called PanoraMagique, is made with 16,000 square feet of fabric. It is 75 feet in diameter, 118 feet tall, and has a circumference of 240 feet. It was launched earlier this year to commemorate the opening of the […]

Pilots based at Potomac Airfield (VKX) in Maryland may have their airport open again by Christmas. The Transportation Security Administration closed the airport in early November, after federal officials said it was not complying with security measures adopted for all three airports in the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Potomac Airfield Manager David […]

Steve Wood, who last July became the first British pilot to fly around the four corners of America in a homebuilt aircraft, now plans a record setting solo flight around the world, promoting British American trade, travel, culture and the Royal International Air Tattoo. The flight also is intended to support Flying Scholarships for the […]

It’s an expense all airplane owners have to pay, many grudgingly. Just why do we need insurance anyway? “Aviation is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness or neglect,” says Greg Sterling, general manager of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Insurance Agency Inc. Well then, why is it so expensive? “In the global insurance business, aviation […]

Eclipse Aviation has received its first FAA Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) on the Eclipse 500 very light jet. FAA personnel will now begin performing on-board aircraft testing for certification. TIAs are issued when the technical data required for Type Certification reach a point where it appears the item will meet FAA regulations. Over the coming […]