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: Beech Musketeer. Injuries: None. Location: Lafayette, Ind. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot obtained a full weather briefing and filed an instrument […]
Sell the sizzle, not the steak
Washington, D.C. — We learn from history that we learn nothing from history. But having been born just 19 years after the Wright brothers made the first controlled flight, personal experience might help in the current attempts to gain greater acceptance for aviation. (Note the word “general” is not included.) In the 1960s when William […]
Boom years ahead for GA?
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. I still think most people underestimate the role of World War II in the modern growth of […]
Book review: Black Wings
If you are looking for a book that shows the contributions of African Americans to aviation, telling as well of their challenges and grit, “Black Wings: Courageous Stories of African Americans in Aviation and Space History,” is for you. Written by Von Hardesty, a curator at the National Air and Space Museum, the book begins […]
Still publishing after all these years…
Charles Stockton was unpacking Christmas decorations this year and discovered a copy of General Aviation News he picked up 15 years ago while traveling though Seattle. He and his lifelong friend, who was dying of cancer, were on a whirlwind one-year tour of the country. Boeing was on the list to see and while there […]
GA’s ‘five Ts’ for 2011
In the spirit of the aviation mnemonic that uses “the five Ts” to remember what comes next on an instrument approach, a report at AOPA.org noted that taxes, technology, training, tetraethyl lead, and tracking of aircraft by Internet users highlighted a checklist of issues facing general aviation in 2011. Check it out here.
NTSB sets agenda for hearing on airshow safety
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has set the preliminary agenda for a one-day hearing on airshow and air race safety. The hearing, which is open to all and free to attend (there is no registration), will be held Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012. The NTSB has invited to the proceedings, titled “Air Race and Air […]
Kestrel may land in Wisconsin
Kestrel Aircraft Co. — led by founder and former head of Cirrus Aviation, Alan Klapmeier — may soon be building a manufacturing plant in Superior, Wis. According to the Superior Telegram, the Klapmeier has been in negotiations with the Wisconsin city since mid-July about the project. Read the full report here.
RAF Winter newsletter online
The Recreational Aviation Foundation has posted its 12-page Winter 2010-2011 newsletter online.