SHORT FINAL By DEB McFARLAND The forecasters were wrong. I don’t generally pay attention to forecasts until a day or two before my flight because, frankly, here in the South, weather predictions bob up and down nearly as bad as the float on my old fishing pole when cast in a pond of bored fish. […]
Opinion
NextGen computer doesn’t keep up
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said a recent test of the computer system for the NextGen at the Salt Lake Center worked well with light traffic, but failed when traffic volume picked up. Called En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM), the system is the cornerstone of NextGen. NATCA officials say there are numerous bugs […]
House group calls for no user fees
Democrats and Republicans in the House are trying to keep user fees out of the President’s proposals for the 2011 budget. Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, and Ranking Member Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) are circulating a letter, which is being signed by other members of the House, that calls for no […]
Study proves only that ‘watchdog’ group doesn’t understand GA
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Another alleged independent group has come out with a study of airport financial grants and revealed that they, too, know little about aviation. The study, released by a “watchdog” group that looks into government spending, says it found “billions of dollars flowing to low priority airports.” A release from Subsidyscope, an initiative […]
Continuing education
GUEST EDITORIAL By PAULA DERKS, president, Aircraft Electronics Association My son graduates from college in December. His father and I could not be happier. Of course, we are proud he is obtaining a college degree, but I must admit we are more than a little thrilled that it means no more tuition payments, no more […]
Reaching out to help GA grow
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON We all discuss the declining numbers of pilots in FAA‘s database. Despite widespread concerns, efforts to bring more people into aviation have fallen short. Several worthy projects have attempted to reverse the drop in the pilot population. Over the years, EAA’s Young Eagles program has put nearly a million and a […]
A nationwide chain of airports
Flight & Flyers By DENNIS PARKS During the two years following Lindbergh’s success across the Atlantic, the United States saw the swift transition of aviation from an experimental posture to a recognized part of the world of transportation and commerce. Air mail had become an accepted fact and passengers could fly coast-to-coast. The Curtiss Company, […]
Ask Paul: Wide deck vs. narrow deck engines
The difference between a Narrow Deck (ND) and a Wide Deck (WD) configured engine is easily determined by checking the specific engine serial number.
First Midwest LSA Expo a success
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON Plenty of aviation enterprises face challenges, but one of the toughest has to be starting a new airshow event, such as last weekend’s Midwest LSA Expo at Mt. Vernon Outland Airport (MVN) in Mt. Vernon, Ill. Not only must organizers get myriad details right and try to satisfy a broad range […]