Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, is an expert on Light Sport Aircraft. What do sugar cane harvesting equipment and light aircraft and engines have to do with one another? The former was the original work of Jabiru founders Rod Stiff and Phil Ainsworth. The latter is what occurred after a trip […]
Opinion
A time for reflection
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. This time of year, more than any other, strikes me as a good time for reflection on the world around us. Sandwiched in between the traditional Thanksgiving feast and […]
Photos on pilot certificates not new
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FAA has issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making to require photos on pilot certificates. But did you know that this isn’t the first time photos were on pilot certificates? Details of the proposal are now being studied by various aviation groups, with the deadline for comments set for Feb. 17, […]
The Devil is in the details
The gal working the desk listened to my story and, after a call to the airport manager, arranged for me to be topped and then gave me a crisp $20 bill so I would have some money in my pocket.
The problem isn’t ethanol, it’s BOB
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 and aviation journalist. The aviation alphabets and pilots need to understand something about ethanol-blended gasoline and blending laws: […]
Aviate to recreate
AOPA‘s Aviation Summit is the end of our fly-in/event season. Phew. I’m glad we’ve wrapped for the year. Being last in our schedule, however, certainly doesn’t make Summit least. Not in my opinion anyway. This year a Flight Training Summit kicked things off the day before opening day. A lot of data — enough to […]
So long GPSMAP 496, Hello aera!
Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, is an expert on Light Sport Aircraft. Over the years, Garmin has become a staple of LSAs. Stick your head inside the cockpit of virtually any SLSA and you’ll probably see a Garmin 296, 396, 496, or 495. The handheld gizmos are ubiquitous, often nestled securely […]
Coming clean in the TSA era
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. The conversation turned to the TSA at my morning coffee gathering today. Pretty much everyone at the table flies for business or pleasure, at least occasionally. So it is […]
Birds fly, men drink
In 1948, the local park was transferred to the U.S. Parks Service and became a national park, where today it provides an inspirational legacy for more than 600,000 visitors each year.