Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) President and CEO Craig Fuller told a gathering of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA) at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Fla., that the aviation industry is depending on the success of Light-Sport Aviation to bring new people into aviation and keep current pilots from dropping out. […]
MiG-29 soars over the Pacific Northwest
A former Ukranian MiG-29 fighter has become the second privately owned MiG-29 to fly, taking to the air over Washington six years after it left Eastern Europe. Capable of speeds of Mach 2.2 and altitudes of nearly 60,000ft, the Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 “Fulcrum” is a far cry from the vintage airplanes that Historic Flight Foundation […]
Need help with your ABCs?
Does Class D airspace require an ATC clearance, or is that Class B? How about TRSAs — will you ever see one at a Class C airport? If it’s been a while since you’ve thought about airspace, odds are you’re rusty on a few details, say officials at the AOPA Air Safety Institute. Now available […]
Sporty’s Academy uses Flight Training Syllabus to increase student retention
Sporty’s Academy, the flight school at Sporty’s Pilot Shop, received attention recently for having a student pilot retention rate three times better than the industry average. Sporty’s has long endorsed modular flight training as an effective method for engaging a more expansive customer base, but other tools have also shown good results, according to company […]
Regulatory Affairs Course scheduled
JDA Aviation Technology Solutions (JDA) has unveiled its 2011 schedule for its Regulatory Affairs Course, a specialized, two-day course focused on expanding knowledge of FAA oversight and surveillance processes. The course will be offered four times in cities across the United States: March 15-16 – Fort Lauderdale, June 1-2 – Dallas Sept. 7-8 – Seattle […]
Stoned pilot crashes
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: Cessna 172. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Hardin, Ky. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The private pilot, 50, had logged 102 hours of total […]
In the mail…
Deb McFarland is the proud owner of Lester, a 1948 Luscombe 8E, and part of the “Front Porch Gang” at Pickens County Airport in Georgia. It’s not often that a reader takes the time to send me a written letter through the postal service, and when he or she does, it is special to me. […]
What is the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award?
In 2004, Dick Waite was the 38th recipient of the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. At last count, 1,772 pilots around the country had earned the award. The award, created by the FAA in August 2003, recognizes pilots who have maintained safe flight operations for 50 or more years. Similar pilot awards (such as […]
Calling Chris Christiansen
LETTER TO THE EDITOR I just read Meg Godlewski’s about Chris Christiansen’s Savor homebuilt aircraft and I wanted see if we could get in touch. I am an advisor in an Aviation Explorer Post in Mesa, Arizona. We teach kids how to fly and maintain an aircraft at Falcon Field and I thought that our […]