Officials with the National Business Aviation Association have urged a federal appeals court to legally void a deal between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica, California, that allows the city to shorten the runway and close the Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) after 2028. At issue is a January 2017 agreement between the […]
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Test underway to improve process of delivering instrument clearances
A MITRE team has been researching ways to reduce frustration for general aviation by improving the process of delivering instrument clearances. In 2014, the MITRE researchers began investigating how mobile devices could be used to deliver IFR clearances at airports that are not equipped with Pre-Departure Clearance/Data Comm Clearance (PDC/DCL) equipment. Manassas Regional Airport (KHEF) […]
New ASTM standard calls for ice detectors on GA aircraft
A new ASTM International standard aims to enhance small aircraft safety by supporting non-essential ice detectors. The new specification (F3310) was developed by ASTM International’s committee on general aviation aircraft (F44). According to ASTM International member Dennis Regnier of CAV Ice Protection, such devices can help notify a pilot when the plane encounters icing conditions. “Typically, […]
More than 70 schools to implement AOPA aviation curriculum
More than 70 schools will implement the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association‘s (AOPA) high school aviation science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum in the 2018-2019 school year. AOPA’s aviation STEM curriculum offers students four-year aviation study options aligned with rigorous math and science standards used in many states nationwide. The program aims to provide […]
Mark Hardin Air Race takes off May 26
For the last eight years air racers have looked toward Terrell, Texas, on Memorial Day weekend. The Mark Hardin Memorial Air Race has grown in the last eight years, becoming a charity event. Now, with the support of the city of Terrell, it is ready to present an amazing and worthwhile educational experience for all […]
LA County Airshow honors the Skunk Works
The fifth annual Los Angeles County Airshow marked my season opener this year, taking place March 24-25 in the high desert locale of Lancaster, California, where I was joined by tens of thousands of airshow fans at General William J. Fox Airfield, commonly known as Fox Field. This region is intimately linked to aviation history […]
Customs and Border Protection launches pilot program for remote seaplane arrivals
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has launched a pilot program allowing seaplane pilots to clear U.S. Customs remotely at two locations in Minnesota, using an app downloaded to a cell phone or tablet. According to a story by Dan Namowitz of the Aircraft Pilots and Owners Association, pilots can use the Reporting Offsite Arrival-Mobile […]
Do you know your aircraft’s best glide speed?
A new fact sheet has been released by the FAA covering Best Glide Speed. The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee determined that a significant number of general aviation fatalities could be avoided if pilots were better informed and trained in determining and flying their aircraft at the best glide speed while maneuvering to complete a […]
Purdue Able Flight program features Paralympian, hopeful astronaut
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana — A silver medalist from the Rio Paralympics and an aspiring astronaut are just two of the people selected to take part in this year’s Able Flight program at Purdue University. Students in this year’s Able Flight program arrived on campus on Tuesday, May 15, and went through orientation in Hangar 6 […]