By CELIA VANDERPOOL Down a twisty, two-lane country road about an hour’s drive southeast of Nashville, Tennessee, is an uncommon sight, even for a rural airport runway. The expected pilot challenges of trees, split rail fences, a log cabin, and nostalgic-looking hangars give way to an enormous grass runway extension. There was more than ample […]
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FAA chief: Collaboration key to maintaining U.S. leadership in aviation
As his term at the FAA comes to an end early next year, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta told members of the Aero Club in Washington, D.C., the “only way forward” is to foster more “constructive relationships” in the aviation community. “The result is the safest, largest, most complex, and most efficient air transportation system the […]
Air Plains hits milestone
WELLINGTON, Kansas — Air Plains Services, which specializes in extreme performance upgrades for a variety of general aviation aircraft models, marked a milestone in September 2017 with its 2,500th 180-hp engine upgrade for Cessna 172s. The milestone 172XP Extreme Performance engine upgrade was installed on N733EA, a 1977 Cessna 172N. “The rate of climb with […]
Uncooperative weather doesn’t dampen Searey fly-in enthusiasm
Uncooperative weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the pilots and aircraft owners who attended the Searey Splash-In, Nov. 12, 2017, at Bowden’s Landing Island Lake Seaplane Base in Umatilla, Florida. Members of Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534 were instrumental in the fly-in, with host Tom Bowden a member of the chapter. Other members provided food, […]
Badass Pilot premieres
AARP Studios has launched “Badass Pilot: The Series.” The unscripted five-part series follows jet pilot Art Nalls and his journey to buy and fly one of the rarest and most elusive planes in the world, a Harrier jet. “I think the title of this show says it all. Art is, in fact, a badass pilot, […]
College admission letters delivered by drone
Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, kicked off the College Admission season with a special delivery to eight Romeoville High School students. One of the university’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems program drone delivered college admissions acceptance letters Nov. 13 to the students at their high school. “Being the first delivery of this kind in the nation demonstrates […]
90 years and counting…
PHOENIX, Arizona – Third generation family owned businesses are not very common these days, much less one that has been in business and prospered for 90 years. Cutter Aviation is one such business. William P. Cutter started the company in 1928 when he flew into Albuquerque as a traveling barnstormer, met a girl and knew […]
Airplane shipments up, but billings down so far this year
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The latest numbers from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association show that airplane shipments increased by 1.7% through the third quarter of 2017, but billings declined 2.8%. The news was better for rotorcraft, which saw a 7.7% increase in shipments through the third quarter, with an 8.8% jump in billings. Airplane billings totaled $13.2 […]
NBAA files final brief over SMO closing
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has filed its final brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit challenging the legality of the settlement agreement reached earlier this year between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica, California, over the future of Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO.) The Nov. […]