The pilot stated that during an approach to landing in gusty crosswind conditions at the airport in West Plains, Missouri, the Arion Lightning LS-1 encountered turbulence about 10 feet above the runway and suddenly lost altitude. The plane landed hard, and collapsed the nose landing gear, then exited the right side of the runway and collapsed the […]
A stack of Stearmans
Annemarie Bain sent us this photo of John Bianco in his Stearman doing a fly-over at Bayport Aerodrome (23N) in New York. She explains it is one photo made up of several frames called image stacking.
Can you fly IFR in an LSA?
Think about IFR in an LSA this way: Can you fly IFR in a homebuilt aircraft? Can you do so in a Cessna 172?
Fully manufactured LSA and IFR
ASTM’s F37 committee is composed of people with technical knowledge who achieved a challenging task: Start with a blank sheet of paper and create aircraft standards for the Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) sector. That this group did so in just a few years on the leanest of budgets is a credit to their dedication. These volunteers from […]
High school kids build Redbird sim
The Lakeland Aero Club on the campus of SUN ‘n FUN at Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport (KLAL) has added a Redbird FMX full motion flight simulator to its fleet. This installation will be different from the norm as club members will perform the installation themselves. Two of the club’s student leaders, Katie Esker, a sophomore, and […]
Your check ride ends in crash: What happens next?
By BOB MACKEY The designated pilot examiner (DPE) and student pilot were conducting a private pilot check ride. The DPE reported that, during climb-out, he retarded the throttle to simulate an engine failure. The student attempted to recover the airplane by lowering its nose to maintain controlled flight. However, the airplane descended. The DPE terminated […]
New DVD saves time, money on aircraft preventive maintenance
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — A new how-to video from the Experimental Aircraft Association gives certificated aircraft owners a better understanding of preventive maintenance and ways to save money by personally completing some of the tasks. “Aircraft Ownership: Understanding Owner Preventive Maintenance” is a multi-part video series combined on one DVD that shows certificated […]
Georgia Tech wins first Collegiate Drone Racing Championship
Georgia Tech won the first-ever Collegiate Drone Racing National Championship hosted by Purdue University on April 15, 2017, scoring more than $15,000 worth of equipment and prizes. Gusty winds and a winding track were no match for the 48 pilots and their homemade drones. The races went off without a hitch, despite challenging 19-20 mph winds, according […]
Hard landing bends Bellanca
During the landing flare at the airport in Campbellsville, Kentucky, the pilot reported that it “felt like the air was sucked out from under the plane.” The Bellanca 1730-A landed hard on the main landing gear, bounced and touched down again, buckling the nose landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot […]