WACO, Texas — The FAA has certified Blackhawk Modifications 867-horsepower XP140 new-engine upgrade for Cessna 208A and 208B Caravans. The more powerful PT6A-140 engine provides up to a 44% increase in available horsepower over a stock aircraft and is designed to replace the original 600/675 horsepower engine in non-G1000 equipped Caravans. Deliveries are already underway and […]
Air Combat USA returns to KISM
KISSIMMEE, Florida — Air Combat USA will return to the Kissimmee Gateway Airport (KISM) Dec. 5-7, giving adventure seekers and aspiring fighter pilots a chance to engage in realistic air-to-air combat simulation in a real fighter trainer aircraft with an instructor pilot, many of whom are experienced military aviators. Air Combat USA will be operating out of the Quantem […]
Registration opens for Sporty’s ATP-CTP classes in 2016
Registration is now open for Sporty’s FAA-approved Airline Transport Pilot Certified Training Programs (ATP-CTP) from ABX Air classes starting in January and February. Additional capacity has been added throughout 2016 for the classes, which are among the few tailored for students who are not associated with an airline or university program, according to Sporty’s officials. […]
Mechanical failure leads to gear-up landing
The pilot reported that the Cessna 210’s landing gear actuator had been rebuilt and that all ground tests were uneventful. During the takeoff for the maintenance test flight at an airport in Florence, Ore., the landing gear retracted normally. However, when selected to the extend position for landing, the left and right main landing gear […]
Picture of the day: Sunrise at High Sierra
Gary Lanthrum sent us this photo, explaining: “Sunrise on the Dead Cow dry lakebed in northwest Nevada at the High Sierra Fly-In. This was THE place to be on Oct.23-25 this year!”
The dread of sharing the skies with drones
Whenever I tell a group of pilots that I also fly helicopters, there’s always one guy in the group who says he can’t stand them. “I hate those things,” he’ll spew. “They’re unpredictable when they’re flying in the pattern. You never know which way they’re going to fly.” Helicopter pilots learn early in their training […]
Landing on a private airstrip: Who is liable?
By MIKE PURPURA If you decide to land on a private airstrip and you damage your airplane, who is liable? What if you are invited to land on a private strip and you bend something on your plane: Who is liable then? In the early days of aviation, emergency landings were common. Fortunately there was […]
Video: World View achieves milestone towards private spaceflights
PAGE, Arizona — World View, a commercial spaceflight company, recently completed a milestone test flight, keeping the company on track to meet its 2017 goal for private flights with passengers to the edge of space. This test flight carried a scaled down, replica spacecraft to a final altitude of 100,475 feet, marking the transition from […]
AOPA reveals flight training award winners
FREDERICK, Md. – Based on poll results from more than 7,100 flight students, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) fourth annual Flight Training Excellence Awards has recognized Aeroventure Institute in Southbridge, Mass., as the 2015 Best Flight School and Todd Shellnutt of Atlanta, as the 2015 Best Flight Instructor. Ten additional flight schools and 10 other instructors […]