WASHINGTON, D.C. — You will be sharing the airspace with unmanned aerial vehicles more and more in the coming year and ahead. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) — more commonly called drones — have been operating in various parts of the nation since 1990. Since then, the FAA has authorized limited use for missions in the […]
Opinion
DHS-ICE and Foreign Student Flight Training
By DAVE HOOK. When it comes to teaching students from other countries to fly, it’s no longer good enough to be a Part 61 flight school or an independent flight instructor. That’s according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If you’re just as shocked as I was to learn this, […]
Predictions: Aviation fuel in 2013
Early January is a time to review what transpired in the past year and make plans for the coming one. Fuel being consistently named by aircraft owners as their number one concern, it’s appropriate to review trends in recent years and make some predictions for 2013. The U.S. Energy Information Administration provides a wealth of […]
Huerta approved as FAA administrator
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington aviation groups were quick to announce their approvals for the Senate confirmation of Michael F. Huerta as FAA administrator. He was named acting administrator following the resignation of Randy Babbitt on Dec. 6, 2011. He was deputy administrator under Babbitt. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association was first out with congratulations. Pete […]
E95 adds mogas
Ron Wiener, a Cessna 182 owner from Tucson, recently reported to us that the Benson Municipal Airport (E95) in southeastern Arizona now has 88.5 AKI mogas for sale. This was confirmed in a phone call with Roy Jones, manager of the FBO there, Southwestern Aviation. Not only is Benson the first airport to offer mogas […]
Hope for the new year
I recently had the good fortune to sit around a rather large table with a group of aviation believers. These are people who know aviation, have faith in it, and understand its importance to the economy of our nation and the world. They are also aware of the tremendous educational benefits aviation provides to its […]
To win, you’ve got to play the game
“I’m seeing a virtuous cycle,” said National Business Aviation Association president Ed Bolen at this year’s NBAA convention in Orlando. He was speaking of The Alliance for Aviation Across America. Ad hoc Washington coalitions are often just “inside baseball” (and manufactured “causes” by corporate front-groups are downright deceptive), but the Alliance’s cumulative results since 2007 […]
What should GA expect in 2013?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — What can general aviation expect in the coming year? That question has aviation-focused personnel in Washington wondering. Uncertainty is not limited to aviation. The grim financial situation of near $17 trillion debt and political debates on what to do about it bring uncertainty to a point where “but what if” is tempering […]
What fuel does Santa burn?
As Christmas approaches, we wondered what fuel Santa Claus will be using this year? With the average price of avgas having risen from $1.81 in December 2008 to nearly $6 in December 2012, the nice folks up on the North Pole must be thinking about alternatives, just as many pilots are these days. The image […]