Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has declared June “General Aviation Month.” Across the state of Illinois, general aviation generates $4.4 billion in economic activity annually, and supports over 54,000 jobs. “We thank Governor Quinn for recognizing the critical role general aviation airports have in communities throughout Illinois,” Selena Shilad, Executive Director of the Alliance for Aviation […]
Sierra Industries celebrates 30th anniversary
UVALDE, Texas – June 2013 – Sierra Industries is celebrating its 30th year in business with the release of its 2013-14 product and services catalog. The catalog cover features an in-flight photo of one of CEO Mark Huffstutler’s favorite aircraft, a 1945 P-51D fighter. The new catalog will be mailed shortly to a broad cross-section […]
FedEx donates 727 to USAeroTech
GREENVILLE, SC. — On Wednesday, June 19, a FedEx Express aircraft will be permanently grounded at a new home at USAeroTech Institute in Greenville, S.C., where it will serve the training needs of aviation students. After arriving from the FedEx hub in Indianapolis, the 727 will be towed to its permanent home at USAeroTech, where students […]
Hayward Air Rally slated
HAYWARD, Calif. – From all over the West Coast, 27 aircraft and pilot crews are preparing for competition in the 49th annual Hayward Air Rally, set for June 21. This proficiency challenge offers aviators the opportunity to demonstrate their airmanship skills of fuel planning and cross-country flight without the use of advanced navigation equipment, according […]
Pilot knowingly flies malfunctioning airplane
Aircraft: Cessna T210. Injuries: 4 Fatal. Location: Armonk, N.Y. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: Witnesses observed the 4,150-hour pilot doing multiple engine run-ups both on the parking ramp and at the end of the runway prior to departure. They reported that the engine initially idled rough. Shortly after takeoff from runway 34, the pilot […]
The new FAA: Nimble
[Start sarcasm]: The FAA has seen the light. With its budget challenged by sequestration, FAA brass came up with a “pay for play” program to extort — er… I mean bill — the nation’s fly-ins for traffic control. This is a great thing. You see, FAA leadership has realized now what uncertainty means. So in the future, when ICON […]
The FAA’s broken record?
As General Aviation News reported yesterday, the FAA has issued a long-anticipated request for proposals for a lead-free drop-in replacement for avgas. As described in the agency’s press release from June 10, “The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today asked the world’s fuel producers to submit proposals for fuel options that would help […]
Connecticut joins fight over first to fly
Connecticut legislators have passed a bill insisting that a Connecticut aviator flew two years before the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, N.C. According to an Associated Press report, the measure is the latest twist in an effort to credit the first successful airplane flight to German-born aviator and Bridgeport resident Gustave Whitehead. The legislation is […]
New seaplane dock opens in Tacoma
A new seaplane dock recently opened on Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway. The local daily newspaper, the Tacoma News Tribune, featured a page 1 (above the fold) story and photo about the opening and a question and answer interview with Greg Corrado, vice president of the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association and Chuck Perry and Craig O’Neill, Kenmore Air‘s chief pilot and […]