General aviation plays an especially important role in Alaska, where state residents rely on it for medical evacuation, pipeline patrol, firefighting, wildlife surveys and search and rescue – not to mention the essential function that general aviation performs in the state’s oil, mining, construction, fishing and tourism industries. On Sept. 17, the significance of GA […]
Flight Design and Sandel Avionics join GAMA
The board of directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has approved Flight Design and Sandel Avionics as the association’s newest members. GAMA now has 78 member companies worldwide. Flight Design, GmbH is based in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, and is the manufacturer of the CTLS and the developer of the Flight Design C4. Since production […]
VA benefits now available for Jeppesen dispatcher training
For unemployed U.S. military veterans seeking a career in aviation, a new Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) now available through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs allows veterans to participate in Jeppesen’s FAA Dispatcher Certification training program. Under the FAA Dispatcher Certification program potentially eligible for VRAP benefits, Jeppesen provides licensing of dispatchers along with […]
Poor preflight leads to fatality
This August 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: Stinson 108. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Andrews, S.C. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot, 66, held a student pilot certificate, which was […]
FAA extends rTTF comment period
The comment period on the FAA’s “Policy Regarding Access to Airports from Residential Property” (rTTF) has been extended to September 14, 2012. From the proposed rules summary, “This action proposes a policy, based on Federal law, concerning through-the-fence access to a federally obligated airport from an adjacent or nearby property, when that property is used […]
Deteriorated parts blamed for Reno crash
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that deteriorated locknut inserts found in Jimmy Leeward’s P-51D that crashed during the 2011 National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, allowed the trim tab attachment screws to become loose, and even initiated fatigue cracking in one screw. This condition, which resulted in reduced stiffness […]
Ethanol under fire, on fire
Ethanol producers have found themselves under more pressure than ever in recent months, with numerous efforts afoot to grant waivers or even repeal the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) production mandates encompassed in the EISA 2007 Act that have resulted in the nearly complete adulteration of our nation’s fuel supply in recent years. The latest drought […]
General aviation an ‘economic powerhouse’
General aviation in the U.S. is an “economic powerhouse” that offers countries a model as they nurture their emerging aviation sectors, said Craig Spence, secretary general of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA), in a speech in Shenyang, China. In a report at AOPA.org, Spence is quoted as saying general aviation […]
AOPA launches Android version of FlyQ Pocket app
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has released the Android version of its FlyQ smartphone app. FlyQ Pocket, free to AOPA members, provides airport information, aviation weather, and flight planning capability. “Our members have been asking that we release an Android version of the app. We launched the Apple edition of FlyQ Pocket earlier […]