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 […]
Bondhus adds Torx Plus Blades to screwdriver line
Bondhus has added blades with Torx Plus tips to its line of torque limiting screwdrivers. These ClickSet screwdrivers offer a solution to the problem of stripped screws and damaged carbide inserts, according to company officials. The screwdriver handles are available in 10 standard pre-set torque levels ranging from 4.4 in lbs. (0.5Nm) to 31.0 in lbs. […]
Shaw Aerox expands to new facilities
Shaw Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems is relocating its manufacturing and engineering facilities starting June 12, with the move expected to be completed June 16, 2017. Operations will resume on June 19, 2017. The Shaw Aerox operations will now be comprised of two locations: The Manufacturing Center located in Bonita Springs, Florida; and the Engineering Center located in Portland, Maine. “Loyalty […]
Battery results in stuck aileron
The pilot reported that, while climbing after a touch-and-go landing, the Bellanca 8KCAB began an uncommanded left bank. He perceived that the ailerons were jammed and attempted to regain control of the airplane; however, he was not successful, so he performed a forced landing to the airport in Superior, Wisconsin. A post-accident examination of the airplane found […]
What’s really at the end of the rainbow
Neal Cavalier-Smith sent in this photo, with a quick note: “Now I know what really lies at the end of the rainbow — this is my new Robin DR401 155CDI soon after delivery at Shoreham Airport (EGKA) in England and a flight through the rainbow to give her a clean.”
Donald Shimoda is my co-pilot
In the mid-1980s I was a professional musician. I lived in in the Greenwich Village section of New York City with my best friend and musical collaborator, Michael Mazzarella. Our apartment sat on Bleecker Street, just around the corner from MacDougal. We walked on sidewalks Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Paul Simon had walked. We […]