On Nov. 13, 1907, French engineer and bicycle maker Paul Cornu made history by becoming the first man to fly in a rotary wing aircraft. The primitive helicopter — a twin-rotor craft powered by a 24-horsepower engine — only lifted Cornu about 1.5 meters off the ground, holding him there for 20 seconds at Coquainvilliers, […]
Sebring’s DroneZone to feature one of largest drone races in the world
The U.S. Sport Aviation Expo‘s DroneZone 2018 will feature one of the largest drone races in the world with participants from all major continents. This is the second year for the DroneZone at the expo, held at the Sebring Regional Airport (KSEF) in Florida. The event is slated for Jan. 24-27, 2018. Highlighting the excitement will […]
Survival in the Skies
Every day, pilots and astronauts face life-or-death situations when they risk their lives to test the capabilities of physics and science. With limited time, harsh conditions and the pressure of survival, they must do everything they can to make it back on the ground safely. A new television series, “Survival in the Skies,” tells the […]
Loss of control for unknown reasons kills two
At the conclusion of a cross-country flight, the instrument-rated pilot was cleared for an instrument approach in actual instrument meteorological conditions. About two minutes later, the Beech F33A entered a right descending turn away from the airport. The controller attempted to contact the pilot, but received no response. The airplane hit a reservoir about eight […]
Picture of the day: The secret to staying young
Lee Beery sent in this photo of him flying upside down in his Corby Starlet. He says: “I think this is an interesting photo of a very old man, 86, having fun flying his Corby Starlet over Clear Lake in California. You will find him out over the lake having fun several times a week. […]
Flying through time
Ryan Lihs of Sioux City, Iowa, is an enthusiastic-yet-humble sort of aviator. When he flew his handsome black-and-gold biplane to Antique Airfield for the 2017 Antique Airplane Association Fly-In in Blakesburg, Iowa, this past Labor Day, numerous admirers were irresistibly drawn to it. He happily shared the history of his 1929 Pitcairn PA-6. In fact, […]
Videos: My Metal Mistress
Our friends at FunPlacesToFly.com recently posted a couple of videos about Mike Laney’s restored 1956 Cessna 172 that he calls “My Metal Mistress.” The first documents an early morning flight, while the second gives an indoor tour of the classic airplane.
KBZN opens new 5,050 runway
A new 5,050′ asphalt runway at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (KBZN) will help separate general aviation from the airport’s commercial traffic, creating a more efficient environment for transient aircraft operations and flight training. According to Airport Director Brian Sprenger, the new runway was first envisioned in 1972. It was completed this year at a cost […]
MooneyShares takes off
Aircraft manufacturer Mooney International and Partners in Aviation (PIA) have formed a new partnership: MooneyShares. The new program is designed to match prospective owners to share ownership and operation of the aircraft. “Customers with varying needs and requirements can now come together, through PIA, and realize acquisition costs as low as 50 cents on the […]