It is true that a pilot of one type aircraft may not know much about nor (therefore) care much about another type aircraft. Ultralight pilots and turbine pilots may not seem to have much in common. Sailplane pilots and crop dusters, likewise. Powered parachute enthusiasts seem on the opposite side of the spectrum from airline […]
Fatigue, human error, bad management?
By DALE FORTON. Recently the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a statement regarding the December 2011 air tour helicopter crash near Las Vegas. The NTSB states the crash was the result of the operator’s “improper reuse of a degraded self-locking nut in the servo control input rod and the improper or non-use of a […]
Wings Club to present award to Patty Wagstaff
NEW YORK — The Wings Club will honor Patty Wagstaff, champion aerobatic pilot, with the fourth annual Outstanding Aviator Award. The Outstanding Aviator Award was created by the Wings Club in partnership with the International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA). The mission of the award is to recognize pilots whose actions have made major contributions to […]
U-Fuel receives patent for Box fuel station
U-Fuel has received a US patent on the third generation of Aboveground Fuel Stations. The Box Station is currently being installed in the United States, China, Vietnam and other parts of the world. The Box Station is being used to provide traditional gasoline, diesel, avgas and jet fuels, as well as alternative fuels including ethanol […]
Fantasy of Flight to host Splash-In
For the fifth year in a row, Fantasy of Flight will once again host the Splash-In of the 39th annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo, held in nearby Lakeland, Fla., April 9-14. The Splash-In site at Lake Agnes, adjacent to Fantasy of Flight, will be operational Wednesday, April 10, through Friday, April 12. […]
PK Floats owner dies
Alton Bouchard, the owner of PK Floats at Lincoln Regional Airport (LRG) in Maine, died unexpectedly Feb. 17. He was 59. Bouchard’s passion for aviation, especially seaplanes, began when he was just a young boy. His family reports that he owned more than a hundred in his lifetime. In 2000, he bought PK Floats from […]
Hard landing for Liberty
Aircraft: Liberty XL-2. Injuries: None. Location: Burlington, N.C. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: According to the student pilot, he was attempting a second touch-and-go landing and takeoff. As he turned onto final approach, another airplane was crossing the runway threshold for a full stop landing. The pilot continued the approach, but slowed the airplane […]
Is it time to re-think TFRs?
“A TFR is a regulatory action issued via the U.S. Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system to restrict certain aircraft from operating within a defined area, on a temporary basis, to protect persons or property in the air or on the ground.” So says AC91-63C, an advisory circular issued with the intent of illuminating the public […]
A five, or seven, year ‘loophole’… some context
President Obama has called for changing the depreciation schedule for newly aquired non-commercial aircraft from five to seven years. Jay Carney, the president’s press secretary calls the current two-year schedule difference a special tax loophole. As you might imagine, this has pushed the aviation alphabet groups into damage control mode. Being of limited ability to comprehend “Washington speak” […]