WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Drone Advisory Committee (DAC) held its second meeting Jan. 31 in Reno, Nevada, according to FAA officials. The DAC is an RTCA Federal Advisory Committee comprised of executives who represent unmanned aircraft manufacturers and operators, traditional aviation groups, labor organizations, radio and navigation equipment manufacturers, airport operators, state and local government […]
News
Trump TFRs paralyze Florida flight operations
A report on AVWeb notes that airport operators and flight schools in the Palm Beach, Florida, area are bracing for long-term economic loss and disruption due to the presidential TFR covering President Trump’s visits to his Mar-a-Lago resort. “For the third weekend in a row, the presidential TFR covering Trump’s visit has shut down busy […]
New expedition to search for Earhart’s plane launches
The Eustace Earhart Discovery Expedition launched Feb. 18 from Honolulu and expects to be at sea between 30 and 45 days in its search for the final resting place of Amelia Earhart’s aircraft. The group of ocean explorers, led by stratospheric explorer Alan Eustace, intend to search a wide area of the Pacific Ocean floor, which they […]
2017 National GA Award winners named
Every year for more than 50 years, the General Aviation Awards program and the FAA have recognized aviation professionals for their contributions to general aviation in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance/avionics, and safety. Recipients of the 2017 National General Aviation Awards are: Charles Gensler of Parker, Colorado — 2017 Certificated Flight Instructor of […]
Companies collaborate on optionally piloted aircraft
Stemme AG and S-PLANE Automation have entered an agreement to integrate S-PLANE subsystems into the ECARYS ES15 aircraft to create an Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV). The OPV combines the benefits of a manned aircraft with those of an unmanned aerial system (UAS), according to company officials. As a manned aircraft, the OPV can execute missions that […]
Registration for 2017 FAA UAS Symposium goes live
Registration is underway for the 2017 UAS Symposium scheduled to take place at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia, from March 27 to 29, co-sponsored by the FAA and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The event will bring together representatives from government, industry and academia to discuss topics of interest to the […]
Cockpit Gear: Testing the Lightspeed Tango
Lightspeed Aviation loaned our Air Racer in Residence, William E. Dubois, two pairs of its new wireless Tango headsets for a two-month, multi-race no-strings-attached field trial. Here’s his report on what it’s really like to use this first-of-its-kind wireless headset system in the cockpit: Something’s wrong with my engine. The tach is strong. Oil pressure good. […]
Mustangs to gather at SUN ‘n FUN
The largest gathering of P-51 Mustangs in over a decade is expected at this year’s SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo. The gathering is just part of the 30th anniversary celebrations for Stallion 51, which provides training in the World War II fighter at its base at Kissimmee Gateway Airport just outside Orlando. Every […]
Certification tests begin for Sonaca 200
Sonaca Aircraft has started assembly of the first two Sonaca 200s, a single-engine two seat general aviation aircraft, which will be used for ground and flight tests to obtain EASA certification. The first aircraft, which was assembled at Sonaca’s site in Belgium, has been entirely dedicated to ground tests. “We tested the strength of the seats, seat […]