Hurricane Irma came to visit the other day. Unbidden and unwelcome, she stomped up from the south through 200 miles of the sandbar I call home, came right up to our door, knocked with great vigor, and moved on to north. As of this writing I have no electricity, no Internet connection, very spotty cell […]
8 things you might not know about a remote tower system
Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport (FNL) is the busiest non-towered airport in Colorado. Air traffic is a busy mix of commercial air service, military operations and a wide variety of private aircraft. FNL will also set the standard for remote tower systems in the United States. In late July, the Federal Aviation Administration selected Ottawa, Canada-based […]
Mobile air traffic tower sent to St. Thomas
In the wake of Hurricane Irma’s destructive path through the Caribbean, the FAA is supporting storm recovery efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands with a fully-staffed mobile air traffic control tower at Cyril E. King International Airport in St. Thomas. The tower is supporting relief flights by the U.S. military, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, […]
ADS-B for $249
Seattle Avionics has introduced Merlin, a two-channel ADS-B receiver with GPS and AHRS for $249.99. “Simply connect the included battery pack (or power the Merlin with the included USB cable), connect your iPad to its wireless network, fire-up FlyQ EFB and get weather and traffic on your iPad,” company officials note. Features Dual-channel ADS-B In […]
New FBO opens at KHHR
Hawthorne Hangar Operations (HHO) recently opened its new FBO at Jack Northrop Field/Hawthorne Municipal Airport (KHHR) in California. One of the FBO’s greatest features is its location near Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Long Beach, according to company officials. “Hawthorne Hangar Operations is a key location for the Avfuel network because it’s in the middle of […]
Helio Courier pilot loses control on takeoff
The pilot of the float-equipped Helio Courier stated that after takeoff from a lake near Bethel, Alaska, about 30-50 feet above the treetops, the plane encountered a downdraft and descended uncontrolled into trees and terrain. The nearest weather reporting station was 7 nm to the north, and reported that the wind was 350° true at […]
If James Bond flew an RV…
Penny Hamilton sent in these photos, snapped when two different aircraft with a James Bond theme visited Granby/Grand County Airport-Emily Warner Field (KGNB) in Colorado. “A James Bond 007 fan painted his RV to celebrate the British super agent,” she noted. On another day, a Cherokee 235 stopped by the airport, sporting the Pussy Galore Flying […]
Totally eclipsed
By CELIA VANDERPOOL Eyebrows raised when I mentioned flying to Idaho from Southern California to view the eclipse from the air. There were a lot of questions: “That’s a long way to go for two minutes.” “You’ll have to be night current.” “How do you know what altitude to fly?” “How will you protect your […]
Tips when flying in support of relief efforts
Want to help in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey? While general aviation pilots are being sought to provide relief efforts, it is imperative that these missions are performed safely. That’s why Patient Airlift Services (PALS) and Sky Hope Network developed some basic guidelines for volunteer pilots wishing to fly in support of relief efforts following […]