We live in a rural community and I have been elected to the township board for the last few years. A couple of years ago, the board applied for a grant to replace all of the traffic signs in our township. We won the grant and received the new signs. A few weeks ago, I got a […]
Revised sleep apnea policy responds to GA’s concerns
More than a year of lobbying work by general aviation’s advocacy groups on the FAA’s sleep apnea policy has brought considerable revisions to the agency’s original proposal, which would have forced costly sleep studies on pilots even if they had shown no symptoms of the disorder. The new policy, which takes effect March 2, will […]
GA groups file amicus brief in SMO case
The City of Santa Monica’s efforts to absolve itself from an agreement with the federal government are “obviously intended to restrict or end operations at Santa Monica Airport in violation of longstanding federal law and a specific contract it signed,” the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) argued in a federal appeals court filing Thursday, […]
Can you guess the world’s most popular airplane?
It’s not often we get general aviation news off The Motley Fool, but the investment website teased this headline recently: Can you guess the world’s most popular airplane? (Hint: It’s Not From Boeing or Airbus). Blogger Alexander MacLennan, who writes about “Industrials, Airlines, and Financial companies,” opens his post with: “Aerospace manufacturers Boeing and Airbus […]
Letter: Dismantle the FAA’s involvement in medical certification?
By Jim Posner, Poulsbo, Wash. I have long thought that the FAA should NOT be in the medical certification business, at least for Part 91 operations. Ever since my denial – despite letters from my doctors specifically stating that I am good to go – I have tried to understand why they should consider themselves […]
Buddypilots enters aircraft management market
Owning, renting or borrowing an airplane can be complex – from both sides of the relationship – but help is available. Canada-based Buddypilots Aviation has recently launched buddypilots.com to serve everyone from FBOs and flight schools to partnerships, sole owner-operators and even non-owner pilots and mechanics. I recently met with Thibaut Souyris, Buddypilots’ VP of Business Development for […]
SD CAP Wing holds search and rescue training
Each year the Civil Air Patrol’s South Dakota Wing holds statewide search and rescue training exercises. The first for 2015 was Saturday, Jan. 24. The training is referred to as a “Split SAREX” (Search and Rescue Exercise), split because coordinated training is conducted simultaneously in the East River and West River areas. Saturday’s focus was on training […]
Personal smoke hood introduced
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Cool Travel Stuff, a travel supply company specializing in general aviation products, has introduced the Personal Smoke Hood. Resisting temperatures of up to 450°C (922°F) while filtering out toxic particles caused by fires and heavy smoke, the Personal Smoke Hood provides users with up to 20 minutes of breathable air. The Personal Smoke Hood’s […]
Accidental trim activation leads to accident
The private pilot and a CFI were on an instructional flight in a Cessna 172 near Peoria, Illinois. The airplane was equipped with an electric trim activation switch on the yoke. According to the private pilot, during the takeoff shortly after rotation, the nose pitched downward and the plane bounced on the runway. The CFI took […]