According to the pilot of the Evektor Sportstar, during the takeoff from the runway in San Jose, Calif., the cockpit canopy began to open and rotate forward. The airplane had lifted off and was about 10 feet above the runway when the pilot reached up with his right hand to grab the canopy and hold […]
Picture of the day: Get your kicks on Route 66
William Dubois sent in this photo of a vintage Ercoupe 415-CD at the historic Route 66 Airport in Santa Rosa, N.M. He adds: “Yep! One of the runways used to be Route 66 itself!”
Web cams help fight the fog
What do you get when you combine a group of enthusiastic pilots, web technology experts, and some of the foggiest weather on the planet? If you live in Humboldt County on the north coast of California, you get web cameras at six airports to help with weather observation. Humboldt County, located some 200 miles north of San Francisco, is […]
Last flight of a seaplane legend
Pulling up to his ramp in back of a Piper two summers ago, the front-seater asked if the energetic kid who had raced up to pull the floats onto the slippery wood could be trusted around the prop. That “kid” was 92-year-old Bill Brooks, looking and acting youthful as a seaplaner. I convinced the pilot […]
Bede LSA enters Phase 1 of flight testing
Officials at Bedecorp report that the New BD-22 Light-Sport Aircraft has begun Phase I of its flight testing program. Tim Becker, an engineer with Bedecorp, said he believes the BD-22L will meet or exceed all of the company’s design expectations. The BD-22L is the big brother of the BD-17L, which incorporates the same bonded honeycomb fuselage. (The […]
New flight school opens at BUY
BURLINGTON, N.C. — CFI Chris Whittle, who has logged more than 10,000 hours of flight time, has opened Elon Aviation, a flight school and aircraft rental company at Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport (BUY). Elon Aviation trains students to obtain their private, commercial, instrument, multi-engine and Certified Flight Instructor certifications. Additionally, Elon Aviation rents aircraft, including a Cessna C-172SP and a […]
Snap-On introduces line of tire gauges and inflators
Proper tire inflation is key for safe takeoffs and landings, as well as steady brake predictability and effectiveness. To ensure proper tire inflation, Snap-on Industrial now offers a complete line of aircraft tire gauges and inflators specifically designed for aviation mechanics and technicians. The new line features digital and analog tire gauges, inflators and strut […]
PY Aviation debuts SlopeVIEW and OISVIEW
PY Aviation has introduced SlopeVIEW and OISVIEW, enabling “quick and accurate evaluations of FAR Part 77 imaginary airport surfaces and those nasty 20:1 penetrations which are causing night operations to be NOTAMed out of service,” according to company officials. “Many customers have already benefited from deploying SlopeVIEW and OISVIEW,” company officials noted in a press release. […]
Fuel flow problem for Glasair II
According to the pilot of the Glasair II, when the plane was in cruise flight near Spanish Fork, Utah, it experienced fuel flow problems. He activated the fuel system boost pump, putting it on the high-boost setting. As he neared the destination airport, the engine quit. The airplane did not have enough altitude to glide to […]