As winter — and the weather — drags on, seeing this Zenith CH701 in — and above — the beautiful Caribbean waters is almost more than I can take. Amazing to see how much flex there is in the Full Lotus floats.
Bonanza stories: First solo
By John DeThomas It was Oct. 2, 1965 — my first solo flight in the T-34B Mentor as a young ensign starting flight training in Pensacola, Florida. I just verified that date in my musty old Navy log book. Most of you will know that the roaring, snorting T-34B Mentor was a modified single-engine, piston […]
2 millionth Young Eagle solos
The Experimental Aircraft Association‘s 2 millionth Young Eagle, Jodie Gawthrop, completed her first solo March 9, less than a year after her flight with former Young Eagles Chairman Harrison Ford. “Soloing was an empowering experience and being in complete control of the aircraft was unlike anything I had ever felt before,” Jodie said. “It featured […]
Career Fair to be held during SUN ‘n FUN
The fourth annual SUN ‘n FUN Career Fair will be held April 5 during this year’s fly-in, which is slated for April 4-9, 2017. The Career Fair, which will be open to pilots, mechanics, avionics technicians, dispatchers, flight attendants and other professionals in the aviation field, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in […]
Avidyne certifies synthetic vision for FMS line
Avidyne Corporation has received FAA Technical Standard Order (TSO) approval and an Approved Model List- Supplemental Type Certificate (AML-STC) for its new IFD550 FMS/GPS/NAV/COM with Attitude Reference System (ARS). The certification also includes FAA approval of Release 10.2 (R10.2) software, which includes new features, including Synthetic Vision and two-way wireless connectivity with Avidyne’s new IFD100 iPad App. […]
Missing bolt leads to landing problems
The pilot made a soft-field landing to a grass runway in Williamson, Georgia, and the initial touchdown was on the main wheels with the Cessna 172 in a nose-up attitude. As the plane decelerated, the pilot lowered the nosewheel and felt a “significant” shimmy after it touched down. He thought the shimmy damper had failed, so he […]
Mission accomplished
David Ulane, director of the Colorado Division of Aeronautics, sent us these photos with a brief note: “Elizabeth, 9, is the daughter of my co-worker at the Colorado Division of Aeronautics, and is absolutely obsessed with all things flying and aviation. When I learned that she wanted nothing more than to see the sunrise from […]
Flying the backcountry in a Bonanza
Aviation outposts like Benchmark and Cavanaugh Bay will never be confused with LaGuardia, LAX or even Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport where Eric Davis and a group of his boyhood friends once roamed the terminal imagining themselves as world travelers. A simple airstrip with a simple name like Schafer Meadows contains none of the traffic and congestion […]
Fuels: What to expect in 2017
We are now well into 2017, so I thought I would review all of the significant advancements in the world of general aviation future fuels, especially the development of an unleaded 100 octane avgas. But there were none. We have had a lot of talk about the candidate fuels, testing, new specification, etc. We have […]