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 […]
News
Excel-Ket to set up shop in Oklahoma
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 […]
B-17 ‘Fuddy Duddy’ has a new home
The Wings of Eagles Discovery Center of Elmira, N.Y., has sold its B-17 “Fuddy Duddy.” The new owner is Martin Aviation, an aviation maintenance company based at John Wayne Airport in Orange, Calif. While details of the sale were not disclosed, museum officials said they were able to retire more than $3 million in debt […]
2005: A look back
Last year was one of triumph and tragedy as Mother Nature walloped the country from floods in Southern California that closed airports to the devastating triple threat of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. GA came to the rescue in all those situations, as pilots volunteered for countless rescue and relief missions. The Civil Air Patrol, […]
ADIZ public meetings set
Two public meetings on a proposal to make the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) permanent will be held this month. The meetings, scheduled by the FAA, also will be attended by officials from the departments of defense and homeland security. “This represents the first time since Sept. 11 that security officials and the […]
The Year of the Sport Pilot
2005 was “The Year of the Light Sport Aircraft and the Sport Pilot Certificate.” The LSA rule was approved in September 2004 and by April 2005 FAA certification of aircraft was well under way. Among the first to get the nod were European imports qualifying as Special-LSAs, ready to fly models that can used for […]
Legends race to Cleveland
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 […]
Legend Aircraft expanding
Construction is underway at American Legend Aircraft Co. in Sulphur Springs, Texas, to house the company’s expanding business. Based at Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport (KSLR), American Legend is building a 20,000-square-foot hangar to house manufacturing, assembly, and research and development functions. Also in the works is a 5,000-square-foot hangar for sales and marketing. The company, […]
The meter’s running
There’s a lot of talk about the future of air taxi operations. But the future is now at the Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) in Greenville, S.C. That’s where Smart Air Travel Solutions, or SATSair, is headquartered. Operated by Rhino Aviation, a 20-year-old charter business, the air taxi operation has taken off since its inception in […]