Larry Neal, a Texan and inventor of the “flying motorcycle” demonstrated at Sun ‘n Fun last year, received a U.S. patent for it on Dec. 27. “And I’m flying it now!” said the ever-enthusiastic Neal, president of The Butterfly LLC company that builds gyroplane kits. “Every flying vehicle we design and build will be based […]
News
Feds get an ADIZ earful
The federal government has proposed making permanent the huge restricted airspace over and around the capital, Washington, D.C., and its adjoining states of Maryland and Virginia. Stated purpose is to reduce the number of “careless and inadvertent” violations – the only kind that have occurred – and to reduce the risk of terrorist attack. An […]
Historic warbird week in Miami
A visit by World War II bombers and a weekend air show are highlights of the Wings Over Miami Air Museum’s Warbird Week, Feb. 15-19. The Collings Foundation B-17 “Nine-O-Nine” and B-25 “Tondelayo” will be on static display and will do a fly-over of Miami during their arrival on the 15th. Flights aboard the B-17 […]
German FK series LSAs coming to U.S.
FK Lightplanes of Speyer, Germany, has appointed FK Lightplanes USA as its American agent. The Florida company will import the FK9 Mark IV high wing Light Sport Aircraft, which recently won approval as a Special LSA. FK Lightplanes also will introduce to the U.S. the German manufacturer’s other models, which are the folding bi-wing FK12 […]
‘Wings Field Autobiography’
Charlie Spence, who covers the Washington, D.C. scene for General Aviation News, grew up in a close relationship to Wings Field, as did this reviewer. Wings Field, a short distance from Philadelphia at Ambler, Pa., is where the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) got its start in 1939 and where many a Philadelphia-area pilot […]
Pilot in a week?
Can you become a pilot in a week? Just ask Davin Coburn, a science editor at “Popular Mechanics,” who started his flying lessons at Mid-Atlantic Sports Planes (MASPL) in Alexandria, Va., with one objective in mind: to complete the Sport Pilot flight requirements and take his check ride in a week. He succeeded. One week […]
New books about the great American warplanes is well worth the price
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 […]
GA not a threat, new government report states
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 […]
FAA offers online airspace course
The FAA is offering an online training course to help pilots understand the flight restrictions around the nation’s capital. The free course, at FAASafety.gov, provides detailed information on the procedures required to operate in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Flight Restricted Zone, the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), and other restricted airspace. Pilots who complete […]