This October 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. Aircraft: Beech Baron Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Clarion, Iowa. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: According to a witness, the airplane suddenly entered a counterclockwise […]
Back in formation
By RaeAnn Slaybaugh A retired military and TWA pilot trades in the big jets for his own vintage Chinese training aircraft — and rediscovers a 41-year-old passion for deceptively challenging formation flying. If you’ve ever attended the annual COPPERSTATE Fly-In & Aviation Expo, held every October at the municipal airport in Casa Grande, Ariz., the […]
Cessna tops LSA market list
Anticipation is always high for the latest market share information and I am happy to provide an update, thanks to my European associate Jan Fridrich who does the hard work of sifting through FAA’s database. I remind you that his efforts are not merely tallying whatever FAA publishes. In fairness, Jan has to evaluate many […]
FAA establishes Center of Excellence for General Aviation
WASHINGTON D.C. – The FAA has selected a team of universities to lead a new Air Transportation Center of Excellence (COE) for general aviation. The COE will focus research and testing efforts on safety, accessibility and sustainability to enhance the future of general aviation. “The United States has the largest and most diverse general aviation […]
Pilot proposes through emergency checklist
A Chicago pilot’s airborne proposal took his girlfriend’s breath away when he pretended his Diamond was in trouble and asked her to read an emergency checklist that contained instructions for a “ring engagement procedure.” According to a report at ABCNews.com, he filmed the entire episode on hidden camera, and posted the video, “In Descent Proposal,” […]
A potential new green anti-corrosion agent for aviation
The search for a “greener” way to prevent corrosion on the kind of aluminum used in airplanes has led scientists to an unlikely source, according to a report in ACS’ journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. It’s the juice of the date palm — those tall, majestic trees that, until now, were noted mainly as […]
Eurocopter, Nextant join GAMA
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The board of directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has approved Eurocopter and Nextant Aerospace as the association’s newest members. GAMA now has 80 member companies worldwide. Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group offers […]
Poor maintenance brings down Navion
This September 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. Aircraft: Navion G. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Dublin, Ga. Aircraft damage: Substatial. What reportedly happened: The airplane was in cruise flight at 7,000 feet MSL […]
Morristown Municipal Airport celebrates 70th anniversary
By STEVE SCHAPIRO On Friday, Sept. 21, an extraordinary aviation event took place in Morristown, N.J. It didn’t include any aerial demonstrations or engineering feats or new products. What took place in Hangar 6 at Morristown Municipal Airport was a celebration of the airport’s 70th anniversary. Having grown up around aviation, this simple event for […]