Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has become the first sitting governor to fly in a fully automated aircraft. The 8-minute flight took place May 19, 2017, following the opening of NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Research Center unmanned aerial systems (UAS) runway on Virginia’s eastern shore. The governor solidified his commitment to supporting emerging UAS technology by flying […]
Sheltair opens new hangar at KORL
Sheltair has officially opened its new multimillion dollar hangar facility at Orlando Executive Airport (KORL) in Flrorida. “This milestone represents the first phase of our expansion plans for our Orlando location, allowing us to open two hangars totaling 22,600 square feet, with 3,600 square feet of office space that includes state-of-the-art administrative support,” said Todd Anderson, Sheltair […]
Sporty’s introduces plaques to display UAS certificates
Now available from Sporty’s, the UAS Elite Plaque displays the UAS certificate, which is printed onto an aluminum alloy plate using a sublimation process. The resulting high gloss finish is fade- and scratch-resistant. “We know UAS pilots are as proud of their certificates as manned aircraft pilots, so this plaque is a perfect memento for […]
Plane hits power lines
According to the pilot, while flying over a river at an altitude of about 100 feet above water and ground level, at 250 knots, the Aero Vodochody 39 hit unmarked power line wires that spanned the river near Grand Junction, Colorado. The power line wires are clearly identified on the Visual Flight Rules Sectional Aeronautical Chart. The […]
Double arrival
General Aviation News contributor Bill Walker looked at his GoPro shots of a landing at Stanton’s Barbecue Fly-In Restaurant near Bennettsville, S.C., and saw double. The camera caught the shadow of his tailwheel Skyhawk ready to touch down while his aircraft was still 6 feet off the ground. It turned out to be a good arrival for the […]
Rationalization vs. reason
I came over the fence at 100 mph in the Cessna 172. Even the traffic reporter sitting to my right knew I was way too fast. I saw her hands tighten around her seatbelt harness, her knuckles whiten. Halfway down the 3,000-foot runway, I’d only bled off 20 mph. Normally I’d have firewalled the throttle […]
GAMA/Build A Plane Design Challenge winner revealed
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and Build A Plane announced that Olney High School in Olney, Texas, is the winner of the fifth GAMA/Build A Plane Aviation Design Challenge. As the prize, four students, one teacher and one chaperone will travel to Glasair Aviation in Arlington, Washington, to build a plane from […]
Stratos 714 completes first phase of flight testing
REDMOND, Ore. — Stratos Aircraft has completed the first flight test phase of its Stratos 714 single-engine personal jet. In logging 52 hours and 33 flights, the Stratos 714 was flown at weights up to 8,300 pounds, over a range of center of gravity positions. During the initial flight program, the aircraft was flown to […]
SUN ’n FUN’s Top Gun Citation of Merit awarded
LAKELAND, Florida — Jensen Houck, a senior at Central Florida Aerospace Academy on the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (KLAL), was awarded SUN ’n FUN’s 2017 Top Gun Citation of Merit. Jensen, who received a $4,000 scholarship, plans to attend Polk State University in the fall with a focus on a […]