The Oct. 15 crash of an airplane participating in a Young Eagles rally in Everett, Wash., was not the first fatal accident tied to the program. According to information obtained from the National Transportation Safety Board, a Grumman American AA-1B crashed in September 1998 during a Young Eagles event in Yoder, Colo., killing the pilot […]
News
The gift of flight: It starts with instructors
Learning to fly is a life-altering experience. While many flight instructors teach as a means to build time for other aviation jobs, there are some who are dedicated to bestowing the gift of flight on others. “If I teach a student, I have taught one person to fly. If I teach a flight instructor, I […]
Sea turtle migrates via corporate aircraft
Turtle is synonymous with slow, but Ace the sea turtle is an exception to the rule. On Oct. 7, the turtle made the journey from Connecticut to Florida with an average cruise speed of 200 knots and at flight level 280, no less. Ace made the journey from the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration […]
Those who cannot fly, build
In the early days of aviation many aircraft designers and builders were also pilots. Glenn Curtiss, Glenn L. Martin, Howard Hughes and Bill Boeing all had time in their designs. Donald Wills Douglas was the exception. Although he designed many pioneering airplanes, and his DC-3 (actually designed by Arthur Raymond) was the preferred choice of […]
Cirrus outsells Cessna — again
Year-to-date shipments released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) confirm Cirrus Design Corp.’s “dominant position” as the market leader in high-performance, single-engine, four-place airplanes. “For the past three years the Cirrus SR22 has been the world’s best selling airplane,” said John M. Bingham, executive vice president of sales and marketing. “We’re pleased that our […]
Mooney delivered 23 units in Q3
That good news is shared at Mooney Airplane Co., which delivered 23 aircraft valued at more than $9 million in the third quarter of this year. So far this year, the company has delivered 66 planes worth about $28 million, which places it on track to more than double 2004 deliveries. Last year, the company […]
A legend is poised to fly
Robert Garcia is nearly ready to fly the legendary biplane that he has been restoring for six years. It’s an airplane that is doubly legendary. First, it is an elegant 1944 Beech D-17S, the legendary Staggerwing. It also fulfills the fantasies of all who love historic airplanes: Garcia found it in a St. Petersburg, Fla., […]
SJ30-2 certificated
The SJ30-2 bizjet received type certification late last month, following a 20-year development program. The type certificate approves the new twin-engine light business jet for day, night, VFR, IFR, single-pilot and “full performance envelope” operations. Remaining approvals, such as certification for flight into known icing and operation of cabin interior systems, will be completed before […]
Million Air New Orleans reopens after Katrina
Million Air New Orleans recently became the first FBO at Lakefront Airport to officially reopen its doors in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Louisiana/Mississippi coast in late August. The FBO set up 2,100 square feet of modular office space, installed new skidded fuel tanks and purchased new fuel trucks. The airport received […]