The pilot of the AX8 105 hot air balloon reported “a gust of wind created a false lift effect on the balloon” during takeoff near Intercourse, Pennsylvania. Heat application to increase lift was insufficient to avoid colliding with a building. During the collision the hot air balloon sustained substantial damage to 44 of the 384 balloon […]
Springtime in Alaska
David Baldwin sent in these photos documenting flying in the spring in Alaska. He says: “Absolutely beautiful, smooth and crystal clear ‘Spring time’ flight, 6,500 feet and 16°, across the top of the mountains and over Whittier, Alaska, which can only be accessed by boat or through the longest shared vehicle/train tunnel. “Whittier is a […]
A new nemesis
Dispatch from 2,500 feet above Georgia: I’m so bored I could puke. This is an air race, but watching paint dry would be more exciting. I’m about 150 miles into the Sunshine Express 400, a cross country “race” across South Carolina, Georgia, and down the Florida peninsula. I hate cross country races. It’s all about precision […]
Work continues towards an unleaded avgas
At this year’s SUN ‘n FUN, visitors saw a fuel truck with Swift Fuels emblazoned on its side. It was there to promote the company’s unleaded UL94 avgas, the first of the company’s products to make it to market. “We introduced the 94 fuel two and a half years ago to make it clear that this stuff is […]
Reaching the next generation
Keith Smith recruits students for the Central Florida Aerospace Academy on the SUN ‘n FUN campus at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport in Florida with an unusual opening question: “I ask what are you going to be doing when you’re 26 years old?” According to Smith, the chief administrator at CFAA, that question provokes a lot of […]
Video: WAI’s conference
Women in Aviation International has released a short video documenting all the activity at its 28th Annual International Conference held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, in March 2017. With a theme of Connect. Engage. Inspire., this year’s conference hosted more than 4,500 participants. “We’re thrilled that this video accurately captures […]
Appareo granted patent for ADS-B antenna
Appareo has received a U.S. Patent for its Radio Frequency Feedthrough to a Portable Device technology, which was initially designed for use in the company’s 1090 ES transponder, Stratus ESG. The patented technology, named Portable Connect, is a system where a signal received on the externally-mounted transponder antenna is passed through the transponder to a connector […]
GlobalParts.aero named LoPresti distributor
GlobalParts.aero has been named an official distributor for LoPresti Aviation’s next generation landing and taxi light systems. LoPresti’s high-intensity discharge (HID) BoomBeam lighting systems produce 500% more light and outperforms both older halogen lights and factory-installed LED lights, according to company officials. The system has Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) and Parts Manufacturing Authority (PMA) approval […]
Tailwind landing goes awry
After completing one landing at the airport in Portland, Tennessee, the pilot decided he wanted to practice landing with a tailwind. After departure he maneuvered to perform a circling power-off landing on the opposite end of the runway. During the landing he touched down fast, about 500 feet from the departure end of the runway, […]