According to the pilot, the Aeronca 65 was fueled the day prior to the accident and flown 246 miles. Prior to the accident flight, which was 213 miles, he added approximately two gallons of fuel to the main fuel tanks, which provided about 13 total gallons of fuel on board for the flight. While enroute […]
Pictures of the day: Airpark living
Rebecca Duggan sent in these photos of her favorite airpark, Sugar Springs (5M6). Sugar Springs Airpark is a privately owned public-use airpark located in mid-Michigan, she explains, noting it has a 3,500-foot grass runway that is very well maintained. “It’s a wonderful community with so many amenities,” she said. “It has two large recreational lakes with […]
NOTAM like the present
Pilots and air traffic controllers think that they’re so different from each other, but they’re not. They’re really two branches of the same aviation family. And judging from the research I did for this month’s column, they all agree that they hate the NOTAM system in its present state. Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) are the […]
Video: Momentum continues on Pilot’s Bill of Rights
As support for the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 (PBR2) continues to grow, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) has taken to the Senate floor to explain key provisions of the measure (see video below). As of Sept. 25, 67 senators and 140 members of the House of Representatives from both parties had signed on to cosponsor […]
Lawmakers introduce bill to extend FAA funding
Leaders of two key committees of the House of Representatives have introduced a bill to extend FAA funding through March 31, 2016. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania), who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced H.R. 3614 Sept. 25. The bill, which […]
Memphis Belle instrument panel donated to Air Force museum
DAYTON, Ohio — Officials from the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force donated the pilot’s instrument panel from the Boeing B-17F Memphis Belle to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force during a ceremony last week. The Memphis Belle is one of the most famous aircraft in World War II history. In […]
Beyond the Powder documentary on DVD Oct. 1
The PBS documentary film “Beyond the Powder” will be released on DVD and BluRay Oct. 1. The one-hour film documents the 1929 Women’s Air Derby, and the women who continue to fly the cross-country race today as the Air Race Classic. The film highlights the societal and aviation challenges women faced in 1929, exploring the history of the […]
Pentastar Aviation unveils aircraft interior design studio
WATERFORD, Mich. — Pentastar Aviation has unveiled a new Aircraft Interior Design Studio at the company’s Oakland County International Airport (KPTK) headquarters. “With the opening of this studio, our clients can meet our experts and touch and feel the high-quality materials we use to bring aircraft cabin visions to life,” said Chairman and Owner Edsel B. Ford […]
NASAO elects 2016 officers
Members of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) have elected Gary Cathey, Chief of the Division of Aeronautics, California Department of Transportation, as Chairman of the Board of Directors for 2016. He has been a member of NASAO since January 2009 and previously served as NASAO’s vice chairman, treasurer and secretary of the board. “These […]