Aircraft: Bellanca Viking. Injuries: None. Location: Kansas City, Mo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The accident happened during landing. According to the pilot, the airplane touched down, then suddenly veered off the left side of the runway and into the Precision Approach Path Indicator light system. The post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that a rod end […]
Sell the sizzle, not the steak
WASHINGTON, D.C. — There is not much talk openly about it here, but the steady decline in the number of general aviation pilots has some GA advocates concerned. General aviation has had several boom and bust periods. From the time the Wright brothers’ first flight until the first commercial airline began flying from St. Petersburg […]
Cessna Citation fleet passes 30 million flight hours
Cessna reports that the fleet of Citation Jets is passing the 30 million flight hour mark. More than 6,600 Citations have been delivered to customers around the world since the first Cessna Citation business jet was put into service more than 42 years ago. Cessna recently celebrated a number of milestones, including the certification of […]
Twirly Birds to hold annual meeting
DALLAS — International helicopter pilot organization, Twirly Birds, will again hold its annual membership meeting in conjunction with the Helicopter Association International (HAI) Heli-Expo in Anaheim, Calif., on Feb. 25. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the Anaheim Marriott Marquis Ballroom Northeast. General membership qualification requirements are to have flown solo in a helicopter […]
Cirrus 2013 deliveries drive strongest performance in five years
DULUTH, Minn. — Cirrus Aircraft reports that in 2013 it delivered 276 new aircraft, nearly a 10% increase over 2012, marking its best aircraft shipment performance since 2008. With these results, Cirrus Aircraft’s annual market share has grown to an all-time high of 37% and the SR22/22T model remains the best-selling four- or five-seat airplane […]
New space shuttle exhibit opens at Air Force museum
DAYTON, Ohio — National Museum of the U.S. Air Force visitors will be cleared for liftoff when the museum’s new Space Shuttle Exhibit opens to the public on Feb. 26. The exhibit, which features NASA’s first Crew Compartment Trainer, allows visitors to experience the size and shape of an actual space shuttle orbiter by entering […]
Sandel upgrades SG102 AHRS
VISTA, Cal. – Sandel Avionics has released its latest upgrades to the SG102 (MOD2) AHRS, which is a solid-state, three-axis instrument certified for primary heading reference and standby attitude. Enhancements include a three-times faster initialization time (one minute), and added selectable low- and high-speed ARINC 429 output, which allows for additional interface options with radar […]
Astronaut to be guest speaker at Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame
WETASKIWIN, Alberta, Canada — Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield will be the guest speaker at the 41st annual induction ceremony of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame. The former commander of the International Space Station, Expedition 35, Hadfield spent six months in Earth orbit. The Hall will induct four new members at the gala, to be held May […]
Aircraft systems training initiative launches
The National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University and RTCA have formed a partnership in which NIAR will develop and conduct training for RTCA, focusing on the testing standards for equipment installed on aircraft. The “Environmental Testing for Airborne Equipment” course will cover the requirements for minimum standard environmental test conditions and corresponding […]