The GAfuels Blog is written by two private pilots concerned about the future availability of fuels for piston-engine aircraft: Dean Billing, Sisters, Ore., an expert on autogas and ethanol, and Kent Misegades, Cary, N.C., an aerospace engineer and aviation journalist. A group of concerned citizens in Vero Beach, Fla., calling itself the Airport Oversight Committee, […]
Celebrating a pioneering African American aviator
On Feb.1, pioneering African American aviator Mildred Hemmons Carter will be saluted with a program honoring the 70th anniversary of the day she received her pilot’s license. The program will be held at 2 p.m. at the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center in Tuskegee, Ala. Carter earned her ticket in 1941 from the […]
Name change for CAMC
The Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council (CAMC) has changed its name to Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace (CCAA). The name change reflects the council’s work for the entire aviation and aerospace sector, according to officials. “Although its origins are in the aviation maintenance segment of the industry, the work of the council increasingly encompassed other […]
DRE debuts portable intercom
DRE Communications has released its DRE-205e premium quality portable intercom. A complete redesign of the DRE model 201, the DRE-205e can be used as a portable intercom or permanently installed in the panel. Accessory inputs allow the unit to be connected to a suite of other devices, including engine monitors, collision avoidance equipment and other […]
Formation flight ends fatally
This January 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: Nanching CJ-6. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Justin, Texas. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The 2,500-hour pilot was leading a three-ship formation to the […]
Support to end 3rd Class Medical grows
GUEST EDITORIAL By DAVID WARTOFSKY In addition to many great e-mails and telephone calls from around the USA, my petition to replace the 3rd class medical for aircraft under 6,000 lb. with a driver’s license, like for LSA pilots, has gathered almost 800 supporting comments so far. I’ve even heard the FAA has been floating […]
IndUS breaks ground in China for LSA manufacturing facility
Dallas-based IndUS Aviation reported at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Fla., that progress is being made with Chinese partner IPI Technologies and private investors in China to move production of the Thorpedo Light Sport Aircraft to the new LuYangHu General Aviation Development Zone in Weinan, China. Dr. Ram Pattisapu reports, “I just returned […]
Too many LSAs?
Dan Johnson, president of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, is an expert on Light Sport Aircraft. How many is too many? As the Light-Sport Aircraft industry has now reached 114 FAA approved models, some have started to say, “Enough!” True, a small number have already left the roster, but even those may not be permanent […]
Carter’s PAV takes flight
Carter Aviation Technologies President Jay Carter has a vision of a world where people fly around in small, car-sized autogyro-airplane hybrids that can take off and land without a runway. According to a story in the Times Record News of Wichita Falls, Texas, the idea may have seemed like fantasy some 16 years ago when […]