The GAfuels Blog is written by two private pilots concerned about the future availability of fuels for piston-engine aircraft: Dean Billing, Sisters, Ore., an expert on autogas and ethanol, and Kent Misegades, Cary, N.C., an aerospace engineer, aviation sales rep for U-Fuel, and president of EAA 1114. According to AirNav, since Dec. 1 2010, the […]
Opinion
GA groups cross fingers for FAA reauthorization
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Leaders of general aviation groups here are quick to praise the speed with which Congress is moving to give the FAA its first long-term authorization since 2003, while at the same time crossing their fingers that differences between Senate and House bills won’t again prevent agreement on a bill that both Houses […]
A lifetime of flying
Deb McFarland is the proud owner of Lester, a 1948 Luscombe 8E, and part of the “Front Porch Gang” at Pickens County Airport in Georgia. Young Bobby Burns was infatuated with flying and airplanes, and on his 13th birthday his parents fed the fire with a 10-minute flight in an Aeronca Champ at San Fernando […]
Florida’s Seaplane Mecca
Drew Steketee was president of BE A PILOT, senior vp-communications for AOPA and executive director of the Partnership for Improved Air Travel. He also headed PR and media relations for Beech, GAMA and the Airport Operators Council International. Things seem to be rolling now for Tavares, Florida, to actually become the “Seaplane City” of its […]
A new perspective on an old problem
Jamie Beckett is a CFI and A&P mechanic who stepped into the political arena in an effort to promote and protect GA at his local airport. We’ve seen it in Santa Monica, Calif., where the city has gone to war with the airport over noise emanating from turbine-powered aircraft. We’ve seen it at Buffalo-Lancaster Regional, […]
FAA forecasts some GA growth over next 20 years
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FAA’s annual forecast, released today, sees general aviation increasing over the next 20 years but at a rate of less than 1% a year. Fixed wing piston aircraft will have the slowest growth, increasing only 0.2% a year, the forecast predicts, while fixed wing turbine aircraft are forecast for the biggest […]
The first sport planes
Dennis Parks is Curator Emeritus of Seattle’s Museum of Flight. In the May 13, 1920, issue of the English magazine Flight, a survey of a new type of aircraft they called the “sporting aeroplane” was published. The article provided a list of these aircraft of 50 horsepower or under, along with drawings of each. Though […]
FAA reauthorization introduced in House
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reauthorization of the FAA was introduced in the House of Representatives today calling for a four-year period, cuts in funding after fiscal year 2011, and a sunset time for the Essential Air Service to small communities. The bill saves $4 billion compared to current funding levels, requiring the agency to do more […]
Congressman proposes guaranteeing NextGen equipment
Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) issued a proposal Friday to have the U.S. government provide grants and loan guarantees to enable general aviation, airlines and other aviation participants to begin installing technology for NextGen (the next generation air traffic system). “We can’t handle the air traffic tomorrow with technology that dates back a half-century,” he said. […]