When GA pilots hear about the NextGen air traffic control system, the first thoughts are that it’s mainly for airlines, followed by how much is it going to cost? But blogger Scott Spangler at Jetwhine.com says there’s actually reason to rejoice: NextGen could actually open up hundreds of airports buried under Class B airspace to […]
New president for PAMA
The Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) has a new president: Dale Forton. The selection of Forton as president comes after two years of reinvigorating the organization’s leadership structure and refocusing on the strategic plan, according to association officials. “The selection of Dale Forton as president completes the last remaining piece of PAMA’s new leadership structure,” […]
Author to speak at Oakland museum
Peter Stekel, author of “Final Flight: The Mystery of a WWII Plane Crash and the Frozen Airmen of the High Sierra,” will speak at the Oakland Aviation Museum in California Saturday, April 23, at 1 p.m. In 2005, two mountaineers climbing above Mendel Glacier in the High Sierra found the mummified remains of a uniformed […]
Seginus gets FAA nod for latest PMA part
Seginus Inc., a manufacturer of FAA PMA replacement aircraft parts, has received approval of its latest PMA parts submission for carbon brushes. Seginus manufactures bearings and electrical carbon brushes for aircraft accessories, such as starter generators, ventilation blowers, and landing gear actuators. The following items are now available for sale: Carbon Brush for Goodrich Starter […]
Pilot loses control during descent
This April 2009 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: Piper Comanche. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: San Diego, Calif. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: During the pilot’s preflight weather briefing for the cross-country […]
The flying bicycle
Dennis Parks is Curator Emeritus of Seattle’s Museum of Flight. Before they pioneered the airplane, inventors such as Orville and Wilbur Wright and Glenn Curtiss had another technical fascination: Bicycles. Both the Wrights and Curtiss serviced, designed and raced this new technological triumph at the end of the 19th Century. While they were all businessmen […]
A dose of optimism for Wichita (and the rest of GA)
Aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia was the inaugural speaker when the Wichita Aero Club formed in late 2008. At that time, the industry decline was just beginning. More than two turbulent years later, Aboulafia made a repeat appearance at the organization’s monthly luncheon on Tuesday, April 12, and this time his presentation had a different angle. […]
Cessna continues to grow in China
Cessna Aircraft Co. opens its exhibit in China for the Shanghai International Air Show as one of the leading general aviation companies in the country in terms of deliveries, according to company officials. “The China market is very special to Cessna and we continue to focus our efforts here in terms of sales, manufacturing and […]
New law could lead to more airstrips in New Mexico
Governor Susana Martinez of New Mexico signed into law House Bill 12 on April 6, which adds “operation of aircraft” to the state’s existing Recreational Use Statute. “This is a great step for recreational pilots, the backcountry, and of course, the state of New Mexico,” said New Mexico Pilot Association (NMPA) President Joyce Woods. The […]