The student pilot reported that he was practicing solo ground reference maneuvers about 1,600 feet above ground level when the Diamond DA-20’s engine began operating erratically. He added the airplane might have entered an aerodynamic stall. He advanced the throttle to full forward, but the engine did not respond and subsequently experienced a total loss of […]
Snow hits the south
Our good friends at Greenville Downtown Airport (KGMU) in South Carolina took some time out from clean up and shoveling efforts to take some photos of the snow that hit the southern airport earlier this month.
An Alaska Logbook: Excursions to Chena Hot Springs and Talkeetna
Last summer, while on a flying trip to Alaska, I visited two popular tourist destinations in the backcountry. One of them, Chena Hot Springs, was half an hour by air from our home base at Chena Marina Airport (AK28) in Fairbanks. The other, 184 air miles south, was the historic town of Talkeetna, aerial gateway […]
Report blasts FAA for not being prepared
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new Department of Transportation Inspector General (IG) report outlines deficiencies in the FAA’s ability to adequately prepare for and respond to major disruptions to the air traffic system. The IG pointed to shortcomings in the agency’s contingency planning, controller training, technology, and system redundancy and resiliency. The report also highlights the related impacts […]
Aircraft Spruce acquires Poberzny estate
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. has purchased the former home of Experimental Aircraft Association founders Paul and Audrey Poberezny in Oshkosh, Wis., and will make the home available to the EAA for tours and special events. The original stone farmhouse is over 100 years old and was Paul and Audrey’s home from 1991 until his death in […]
FAA grants additional TSO for Sandia Quattro
The FAA has granted Sandia Aerospace an additional TSO on its SAI 340 Quattro multi-function indicator. In addition to attitude, altitude, airspeed and slip, the SAI 340 is now TSO’d for (I)VSI: Instantaneous Vertical Speed. Unlike a standard VSI that has a six to eight second lag, the SAI 340 gives virtually immediate vertical speed indications, according to […]
King Schools releases drone training course
King Schools has just released a training course for drone pilots who want to fly for non-recreational purposes. The new online Drone Pilot Ground School and Test Prep Course prepares drone pilots to pass the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Knowledge Test, according to King Schools officials. “That’s all drone pilots need to do to start using their […]
Cardinal Aviation introduces towbar
Cardinal Aviation has begun production of a light, but strong towbar that pulls all kinds of airplanes. After years using many different types of tow bars, Mark Howell, a partner in Cardinal Aviation, found himself needing a light, but strong towbar to move different types of general aviation aircraft by hand or using a lawnmower […]
First solo goes awry
The student pilot was attempting to land at the airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after his first solo flight. He thought his airspeed was high. The Cessna 152 landed hard and bounced three times, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear. The nose of the airplane and the left wing hit the runway. A post-accident examination […]