There was a beehive of activity in the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 534 hangar at the Leesburg International Airport in Leesburg, Florida, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017. Four homebuilt airplane projects were being worked on to kick off the chapter’s fall season. As you walked through the door, there were several people crowded around the engine […]
$2 million competition launched to develop personal flying devices
Just launched is a new competition to encourage innovators to create a safe and easy-to-use personal flying device. Called GoFly, the two-year competition encourages teams from around the world to leverage recent advances in propulsion, energy, light-weight materials, and control and stability systems to make the dream of personal flight a reality. Prize money of $2 […]
Museum of Flight gets largest bequest in its history
SEATTLE — The Museum of Flight has received the largest bequest in its 52-year history, a donation of more than $17 million from the estate of Betty Houston, widow of Frank “Sam” Houston. The gift will establish the Frank “Sam” and Betty Houston Education Endowment to provide educational opportunities to young people exploring aerospace and STEM […]
Sky-Tec solenoid line sold to Lamar Technologies
Lamar Technologies has acquired the Sky-Tec branded solenoid product line from Hartzell Engine Technologies. Lamar Technologies is a supplier of Original Equipment solenoids in general aviation, supplying Cessna, Piper, and Cirrus, as well as other airframe manufacturers and aviation distributors. “This acquisition will broaden our solenoid product offerings by adding multiple PMA applications to the legacy […]
Western Aircraft now AeroLEDs distributor
BOISE, Idaho – Western Aircraft has been named an authorized distributor for AeroLEDs Light Emitting Diode (LED) products. “These LED lighting products complement our current business offerings,” said Western Aircraft’s Director of Parts and Logistics Walt Johns. “We are excited to offer these high-efficiency and long-lasting lights to our Beech, Cessna, Piper and Pilatus customers.” […]
CubCrafters pilot hits trees on takeoff
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped CubCrafters CC11-16 was departing from a mountain airport in a valley in Lake City, Colo. He reported that during takeoff, he rotated at about 52-54 miles per hour, and about 20 feet above the ground, a strong crosswind from the left pushed the airplane to right of the runway centerline. […]
Celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary
Gord McNulty sent in this photo, with a note: “The 2017 CF-18 Demo Hornet of the Royal Canadian Air Force, piloted by Captain Matthew Kutryk, made an impression at the recent Brantford Air Show in Ontario. Its striking paint scheme features Canada’s traditional red and white colors to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Confederation […]
Downwind is not a state of mind
Every pilot owes their safety and security in some part to the predictable actions of their fellow pilots in flight. If only for reasons of self-preservation, it is entirely reasonable to conduct yourself as expected. Certainly, the FAA would like to believe your behavior is a reflection of your respect for its authority and wisdom. […]
House Democrats block FAA extension
A new post on Politico reports that House Democrats blocked a Republican push to fast-track an FAA extension on Sept. 25, 2017, with just days to go until current law expires Sept. 30. Democrats said they voted against the six-month extension because of unrelated Republican add-ons dealing with flood insurance, tax credits for victims of recent […]