WASHINGTON, D.C. — General aviation will feel the heavy impact of the mandated 8.2% sequestration funding cut for the FAA if Congress doesn’t act to avert the across-the-board cuts. A report from National Air Traffic Control Association (NATCA) says the cut would cause furloughing between 2,000 and 2,200 air traffic controllers. This is about 12% […]
Russian ‘Beetle’ takes off
News from Russian sport aircraft producers is rare. Though the old USSR had a vast military aircraft complex, that hasn’t translated to recreation aircraft the way it did in the formerly Soviet Czech Republic, where many of our LSA originate. However, that doesn’t mean efforts are absent. We’ve seen some uptake of LSA (like Pipistrel) […]
Pilots needed for research project
Alaskan aviators are encouraged to volunteer to be interviewed for an aviation weather project, which aims to determine best practices for accessing and using weather data while flying in Alaska. The University of North Dakota and University of Alaska Anchorage are jointly conducting research with funding from the FAA, according to a report from the […]
Public comments wanted on new airport mapping tool
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Officials with the Washington State Department of Transportation is encouraging aviation enthusiasts and pilots to test the features and functions of a new, web-based Airport Mapping Application. The department designed the Airport Mapping Application with a goal of making the airport and land-use compatibility decision making process easier, officials said. WSDOT asks […]
Soloy Aviation Solutions now Cobham/S-TEC dealer
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Soloy Aviation Solutions is now a Cobham/S-TEC dealer. “Since our Avionics Services became operational two years ago we have experienced increasing interests from general aviation clients, especially Cessna 206 owners converting to our MKII turbo prop, for Cobham/S-TEC autopilot sales, maintenance and repair,” Dave Stauffer, Soloy’s CEO said. “Adding Cobham to our […]
Wipaire opens Southeastern Service Center
Wipaire has established a southeastern service center in at the Leesburg International Airport (LEE) in Leesburg, Florida. The facility will offer onsite aircraft and float maintenance, avionics repair and installations, aircraft interior refurbishments and float installations as well as installations of select Wipaire modifications. The service center’s hangar can accommodate aircraft ranging in size from […]
Bounced landing for Cessna
Aircraft: Cessna 195. Injuries: None. Location: Williamson, Ga. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land on a grass runway. The approach was fast and the airplane bounced. The pilot inadvertently applied brakes and the airplane nosed over. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadvertent application of the brakes during a bounced landing […]
Flying the Curtiss Pusher
The twin airfoil canard out front looks like a box kite, one of the prominent building materials is bamboo, and there was never a Pilot’s Operating Handbook of any kind produced for the airplane. However, when Kermit Weeks lines the Curtiss Pusher up on a 5,000-foot grass strip to take his first hop, heads turn […]
Long, winding approval tale — SLSA #128
A most remarkable thing happened recently. I refer to a recent approval of a brand new Special LSA. Why is that noteworthy, especially as it is #128 on our SLSA List? Everyone in the business of LSA and most other alert readers have followed the long, winding, still-evolving path of FAA approvals in the fall […]