We recently asked pilots on our Facebook page to share the story of their first solos. Here’s Bill Lyon’s story: I soloed at 7 or 8 hours instruction, from a then grass and gravel strip at Farmville Virginia, 68 years ago. My instructor, one Jesse Edwards, was substantially overweight; I was a 120 pound stripling. […]
FAA proposes ‘radically higher prices’ for digital chart data
AVweb is reporting that the FAA’s AeroNav charting division told vendors this week that it proposes to charge end users of digital charting producers about $150 a year to close a $5 million shortfall in its budget due to declining paper chart sales. The report notes that the new fee, if adopted, would presumably more […]
Wounded vet brought home in Cessna’s ‘American Patriot’
Cessna Aircraft Co. welcomed home to Wichita wounded veteran Private First Class Shawn Williams for Cessna’s third Veterans Airlift Command mission. Williams came home to a crowd of several hundred Cessna employees, his family and the local American Legion Riders. Williams’ stepfather is a Cessna employee. This is Williams first holiday season home with his […]
Stuff those pilot stockings
Sporty’s is featuring a sleigh full of gifts for the pilot on your holiday list. Know a pilot who uses an iPad? Give that pilot a Pilot’s iPad Cleaning Cloth that is also imprinted with aviation information ($4.95) or the iPad Stylus/Pen ($9.95). What else? Any pilot on your list would enjoy an AOPA Survival […]
LightSquared still interfering with GPS
Federal officials said Wednesday that recent tests of start-up LightSquared Inc.’s proposed national wireless-Internet network showed it would still knock out a “majority” of GPS devices. A report in The Wall Street Journal quotes Anthony Russo, director of the National Coordination Office for Spaced-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing, a government and industry advisory board, as […]
High-ranking Chinese aviation official visits Florida
The secretary general of one of China’s most successful aviation industrial city complexes visited Central Florida last week seeking economic development partnerships in general aviation. Jin Qian Sheng, secretary general of the China Aviation Industrial Base in Xian, met with economic development and county officials and Enterprise Florida, the state’s public-private economic development organization. Several […]
Warbird calendar now available
Historic Flight Foundation, in concert with several Cascade Warbirds photographers, has published a 2012 calendar featuring warbirds. The calendar (pictured below) is offered for $20, with 25% of the proceeds donated to the Cascade Warbirds Memorial Scholarship Fund. To order your calendar, mail $20 per calendar along with a copy of this email and your […]
Southeast Aviation Show set to expand in 2012
The South Carolina Aviation Association has approved plans for a regional aviation event in 2012, which will be similar to the Southeast Aviation Show that was held at the Greenville Downtown Airport in South Carolina Oct. 29, with a few significant changes. The inaugural event exceeded expectations, according to South Carolina Aviation Association (SCAA) President […]
Breitling celebrates 100th anniversary of Naval Aviation
As part of Breitling’s year-long salute to the 100th anniversary of naval aviation, the Swiss watchmaker has produced a special timepiece: the Naval Centennial Limited Edition Airwolf. The first piece of this series has been on a journey that took it across the globe and into space, and will conclude with an auction to benefit […]