Blackhawk Modifications of Waco, Texas, and Wipaire, Inc. of South St. Paul, Minn., have received FAA approval of the Blackhawk XP42A engine upgrade for Cessna Model 208 and 208A Caravans on Wipline floats. This approval enables owners of these aircraft to install a new 850 horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A turboprop engine in place of […]
VFR into IMC kills two
Aircraft: Cessna 210. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Morgan, Utah. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: There was no record of the non-instrument pilot obtaining a weather briefing prior to departure into mountainous terrain. Weather information at the time of the flight reported mountain obscuration and precipitation. The pilot took off to pick up a passenger. After picking up […]
Pilot Report: SAM LS
SAM LS Designer Thierry Zibi and I met at Sandpiper Aviation at Meacham Airport in Fort Worth during October’s AOPA Summit. We chatted for about an hour prior to climbing aboard the tandem two-seater — named for Zibi’s son — for a flight around the area. Thierry told me SAM LS prototype we were going […]
FAA reports on drones and NextGen
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FAA has made some strides in moving towards modernization, but is behind schedule and not fully geared for some other important issues, a Congressional committee discovered Wednesday, Feb. 5, in a hearing designed to check on the FAA’s progress in the two years since reauthorization. Rep. Frank LeBiondo, chairman of the […]
Collier Trophy competitors revealed
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) has unveiled the names of the nine aviation and aerospace projects that will compete for the 2013 Robert J. Collier Trophy. For 102 years the Collier Trophy has been the benchmark of aviation and aerospace achievement, NAA officials say. Awarded annually “…for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or […]
SUN ’n FUN Radio celebrates milestone
The annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-in & Expo is hitting a benchmark April 1-6. Also hitting a milestone this year is SUN ’n FUN Radio. Twenty years ago, as the SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-in & Expo feted its 20th year, a media volunteer launched a new communications service for guests at the fly-in. […]
Chasing Reno Gold
An air racing symposium will be held Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, Calif. It will feature top winning race pilots, who will share some of the best air racing stories from the last five decades, museum officials promise. The event is based on the “Chasing Reno Gold” DVD that […]
Avidyne certifies plug-and-play Mode S transponder
Avidyne Corp. has received Technical Standard Order (TSO) and European TSO (ETSO) approval of its new AXP340 Mode S Transponder with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out. The AXP340 transmits ADS-B information via Extended Squitter (ES) to ground stations and other ADS-B In-equipped aircraft. “The AXP340 is an easy-upgrade solution that meets the requirements for ADS-B […]
NavWorx ADS600-B tested successfully at 95,000 feet
NavWorx recently participated in near-space balloon tests with the successful use of its ADS600-B UAT (Universal Access Transceiver) at 95,000 feet. The tests were designed to validate the application of ADS-B technology on satellite-based delivery stations. Tests were performed by Near Space Corp. of Tillamook, Ore., with the support of NASA and FAA. The ADS600-B […]