This February 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: Cessna 182. Injuries: None. Location: Kelleys Island, Ohio. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot, who had a commercial pilot certificate, was attempting […]
Flying the Flight Design CTLS on floats
Flight Design CT has the lion’s share of the Light Sport Aircraft market, with approximately 1,500 aircraft flying around the world. The airplanes, manufactured in Germany, are especially popular with the LSA crowd in the United States. The versatility of the airplane was recently expanded with the addition of amphibious floats. “This is the only […]
How the shift in magnetic north affects your flying
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Money is now and will be a major subject in the federal government for months to come as attempts are made to resolve at least some of the financial issues of the deficit, meaning general aviation has a direct interest in attempts to pass a long-term FAA reauthorization bill, as well as […]
Back to the reservation
Drew Steketee was president of BE A PILOT, senior vp-communications for AOPA and executive director of the Partnership for Improved Air Travel. He also headed PR and media relations for Beech, GAMA and the Airport Operators Council International. Sun ‘n Fun is coming, so GA now focuses on Florida. I’ve been eyeing residential airparks there. […]
Best duct tape story ever
While I can’t attest to the veracity of this story, the photos are pretty amazing. An e-mail that’s probably been sent around the world tells the story of a fly-in fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness where the pilot and fishermen made a cardinal mistake: Leaving a cooler stocked with bait in the plane. You […]
SeaRey’s success
Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, is an expert on Light Sport Aircraft. Progressive Aerodyne and its popular SeaRey amphibian represent a current-day success sufficient to generate envy in most airframe sellers. Consider these results: The company delivered 31 kits in 2010, an average of 2.5 per month during a lousy year. […]
FAA: So far so good for aircraft re-registration
The FAA’s aircraft re-registration initiative that began Nov. 1, 2010, is going about as expected, according to a report at EAA.org. In fact, the report notes that Walter Binkley, manager of aircraft registry in Oklahoma City, says it’s going fairly well – even better in some respects, such as more people than expected are using […]
Finish your flight training at Sporty’s Academy
Thousands of aspiring pilots begin a flight training program but never finish. Demands of work or family, finances, illness, a conflict with a flight instructor or a learning hurdle can keep even dedicated students from their goals. Sometimes it’s just a pause; sometimes it’s years before the student returns, and sometimes the student never does. […]
Flight School Business newsletter returns
Recognizing how important it is to communicate with flight schools, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is bringing back its newsletter, Flight School Business. The newsletter will be part of the AOPA-led industry-wide Flight Training Student Retention Initiative, which is intended to find ways to reverse a student pilot drop-out rate as high as 80%. […]