Nine Florida lawmakers recently gathered for the inaugural meeting of the state’s first general aviation (GA) caucus. Co-sponsored by state Rep. Charles Van Zant and state Sen. Thad Altman, the caucus held its initial meeting Oct. 22, with a second gathering tentatively scheduled for January during the regular legislative session. The caucus marked the culmination […]
C-130 pilot returns to flying with Able Flight scholarship
Before he flew C-130s for the National Guard and C-17s in the Air Forces Reserves, Scott Holmes had learned to fly as a teenager in Charleston, S.C. Then he was off to earn a degree in aviation from the University of North Dakota. During his military career, two back injuries took him off flying duty […]
Clay Lacy Aviation opens 2.5 acres of new ramp space at VNY
LOS ANGELES — Clay Lacy Aviation has opened 2.5 acres of new ramp space at its Van Nuys Airport FBO, providing additional space for arrivals and departures, accommodate overnight parking and reduce the frequency of aircraft towing. The project marks the first phase of a $10 million, six-acre development and improvement plan. You can view a time-lapse video […]
FIFI slated for Florida tour
The Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF) Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, FIFI, is headed to Florida this spring for a seven city, six week tour. The only flying B-29 Superfortress in the world, FIFI will be accompanied by a variety of other World War II aircraft, including the C-45 Expeditor, Bucket of Bolts; a T-6 Texan; and a […]
Santa special guest at KFDK holiday event
FREDERICK, Maryland — Santa Claus and Turbo the Flying Dog will be featured guests at Paws and Planes: Holiday at the Airport, slated for Dec. 12 at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association headquarters at Frederick Municipal Airport (KFDK). Santa will arrive by plane at 1:15 p.m. to start the festivities. This free event is […]
Distracted seaplane pilot forgets to retract landing gear
The pilot of the amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that during the initial climb from an airport runway, he was distracted by other airport traffic and forgot to retract the landing gear. As he approached his destination, which was a lake near Emily, Minn., he stated he did not perform the before landing checklist as he […]
Picture of the day: SkiGull testing continues
Mike Kincaid sent us this photo taken during the initial water-taxi tests of Burt Rutan’s latest creation, the SkiGull. It’s now back in the hangar for modifications and then flight-testing this winter, he reports.
Putting customer service back in GA leads to success
Hendry County, Florida, is situated in the vast no-man’s land just north of the Everglades and west of Lake Okeechobee. Approximately equivalent in size to Rhode Island, the entire county hosts a population of barely 38,000 people. That being the case, this agricultural wonderland might not be the first place you’d think to find a […]
Video: Jetpack soars past Statue of Liberty
NEW YORK — An Australian entrepreneur. David Mayman, flew a jetpack in a controlled and sustained flight around the Statue of Liberty Nov. 3. The JB-9, a miniature jet-turbine back pack approved for the flight by the FAA and US Coast Guard, was developed by legendary Hollywood inventor (and winner of three Academy Awards) Nelson Tyler and […]