By BRIAN WYNNE Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), also known as remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) or drones, have grown in the past few years from a niche tool to a must-have holiday toy and business asset. The increasing availability of this technology has led many new enthusiasts to take to the skies, sometimes in places where […]
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San Diego pilots win Hayward Air Rally
An early summer heatwave in Northern California presented challenging flying conditions for 20 airplanes competing in the 51st annual Hayward Air Rally, held June 11-13. The longest continually-held flying event of the type in North America, this proficiency challenge offers aviators the opportunity to demonstrate their airmanship skills of fuel planning and cross-country flight without […]
Video: New accident case study released
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s (AOPA) Air Safety Institute has released “Final Approach,” the latest in a series of accident case studies. This episode explores the dangers of flying in low instrument conditions with a dwindling fuel supply. The January 2013 accident involved a Piper Arrow that struck trees while attempting to make a dead-stick emergency […]
New Avidyne software removes AD
Avidyne has received FAA certification of Release 10.1 software for the IFD540 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM systems. Release 10.1 (R10.1) includes the software required to remove the Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) regarding limitations on GPS approaches with specific leg types that was issued in May to existing owners of Avidyne IFD540 systems. With the R10.1 upgrade, this AD can […]
Carbon Cub Builder Assist program launches
YAKIMA, Wash. — Backcountry aircraft manufacturer CubCrafters has launched a new builders assist program for the Carbon Cub. The Carbon Cub FX Builder Assist immerses new owners in the construction of the aluminum, steel and composite parts that make up the Carbon Cub, allowing the customer to know their aircraft in the way only an aircraft builder can, […]
NASA picks six ‘wild ideas’ to study
It never hurts to ask. In that spirit, six teams of NASA’s aeronautical innovators are about to take the plunge and ask if the novel ideas they have come up with have the potential to transform aviation as we know it, extending the frontier of what’s possible with flight. Imagine an electrically-propelled airliner whose fuselage […]
Pilots urged to comment on sim time NPRM
The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) is asking all pilots to comment on the FAA’s new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that proposes increasing loggable simulator time toward an instrument rating from 10 hours to 20 hours. An earlier effort to implement the change with a FAA direct-to-final rule failed due to adverse comments […]
Registration open for free Teacher’s Day at Oshkosh
Registration for Build A Plane’s annual Teachers’ Day is now open online. This free event brings teachers together from across the nation to examine ways of using aviation to motivate kids to learn science, math, engineering and technology and is held each year on the show grounds during the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture. Dick Rutan, pilot […]
Commercial drone rules should be in place by this time next year
Commercial drone operations could take flight on a large scale by this time next year, according to a Reuters report. FAA Deputy Administrator Michael Whitaker told a Congressional committee the agency expects to finalize its regulations within the next 12 months. Previous forecasts had anticipated rules by the end of 2016 or the beginning of […]