SEATTLE — In 1924, four specially built Douglas Aircraft “World Cruisers” — one of them named Seattle — set out to become the first planes to circumnavigate the globe. In 2014, local pilots Bob and Diane Dempster plan to make the same flight in Seattle II, a World Cruiser replica of their own making. The […]
Blackhawk Caravan engine upgrade approved
Blackhawk Modifications has received STC certification for the PT6A-42A upgrade on the Cessna 208A Caravan. The XP42A Upgrade Package includes a factory-new Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A engine rated at 850 continuous shaft horsepower (SHP). In addition, the package utilizes a new, wide-chord, 100-inch diameter Hartzell four-blade propeller; new composite cowling and high efficiency inlet duct; […]
Gust leads to hard landing
Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: Cortez, Colo. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot made three prior attempts to land, but aborted each landing due to gusty crosswind conditions. On the fourth attempt, the airplane “ballooned” and encountered a strong wind gust. The pilot was unable to maintain control and the airplane landed […]
Access Aviation Project: Creating new pilots
The first step in helping someone get a pilot certificate is getting that person into an airplane. That’s the mission of the Aviation Access Project, an asset management company geared toward Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA). According to CEO Rick Matthews, to attract wanna-be pilots to the “culture of aviation, we have to make aviation friendlier.” “It […]
SMX taxiway redesignation sparks controversy
Pilots at Santa Maria Airport (SMX) on California’s central coast are learning their way around new taxiway designations — but they aren’t happy about it. Neither are the controllers who man the tower at the airport, who claim they were not consulted on the changes. According to Airport Manager Chris Hastert, a runway extension project […]
Warbird Weekend
By DAVID RAUZI GRANGEVILLE, Idaho – All it took was 30 minutes to turn a sleepy rural airstrip into roaring runway of Warbirds. Scrambled together within a few months and hurriedly promoted, the Idaho County Airport’s first Warbird Weekend event held July 14 last year exceeded all expectations: The region exploded with cars filling the […]
AOPA issues checklist: ‘What To Do If Stopped by Law Enforcement’
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has notified the head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that general aviation pilots and their aircraft continue to be subjected to what appear to be random searches while federal officials have failed to respond to a four-month-old AOPA public records request for information about the searches. […]
ICON raises $60 million to start production
LOS ANGELES — ICON Aircraft has raised its fourth and final round of equity funding, totaling more than $60 million. The round included investors from North America, Europe, and Asia, according to company officials. The company will use the funds to complete production preparations, demonstrate regulatory compliance, ramp up full-scale aircraft production, and perform R&D […]
Zenith Open House and Fly-In this Saturday
Zenith Aircraft’s sixth annual “Fly in to Summer” Open Hangar Day and Fly-In Gathering at its kit factory at Mexico Memorial Airport (MYJ) in Missouri is slated for this Saturday, June 22. This will be a fun gathering of Zenith builders, flyers, and enthusiasts, and is an informal grass-roots fly-in gathering open to all aviation […]