Textron Inc., parent to Cessna Aircraft Co., posted a fourth-quarter profit, with revenues increasing at both Cessna and Bell Helicopter, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, which quotes Textron Chairman and Chief Executive Scott Donnelly: “We’re particularly encouraged by the pick-up in business jet and commercial helicopter demand, driven in part by […]
LEX wins FAA award
Blue Grass Airport (LEX) in Lexington, Ky., has been presented with the Airport Safety Mark of Distinction Award by the FAA. Awarded at the FAA Southern Region 2011 Airport Safety and Certification Conference in Atlanta, the airport received this honor for construction of its new general aviation runway and associated taxiways and for the development […]
Lightspeed Aviation Foundation’s grants top $100,000
Twenty aviation-related charities are the beneficiaries of more than $100,000 in grants awarded by the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation for 2010. Midnight, Feb. 11, is the deadline for charities to apply for 2011 grants. In April 2010, the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation submitted 20 finalists to the aviation community. Pilots then selected their favorites among these charities […]
Authors convene at 2011 WAI Conference
Aviation authors and their devoted readers will get a chance to talk during the 22nd Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, which will be held Feb. 24-26, at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. “Both the authors and our members enjoy meeting one another,” says WAI President Dr. Peggy Chabrian. “Authors get feedback about […]
C. R. Smith Museum celebrates 100 years of black aviation
American Airlines C. R. Smith Museum hosts a “Celebration of 100 Years of Black Aviation” with special presentations by Donald Elder, an original member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, and C. B. Rice, a historian and author. The Jan. 29 event at the Dallas-area museum is a kick-off for Black History Month in February. There […]
Rare flight for A-26 at Lyon Air Museum
The Douglas A-26 Invader “Feeding Frenzy” attack bomber aircraft, a highlight of Lyon Air Museum’s collection, will rumble out of the museum’s hangar at John Wayne Airport in Southern California, roar down the runway and take to the air at noon on “A-26 Day,” Sat., Feb. 12, weather permitting. “A-26 Day” is part of Lyon […]
VFR flight into IMC kills one
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: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: 1 Fatal, 2 Serious. Location: Indiana, Pa. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The 113-hour pilot called the airport earlier in […]
The art of formation flying
“How hard can it be?” You’ve probably heard this remark, or a variation of it, when hangar flying conversations turn to the topic of formation flying. FAR 91.111 states that no person may operate an aircraft so close to another aircraft as to create a collision hazard, and no person may operate an aircraft in […]
FAA Reauthorization top priority for new Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reauthorization of the FAA is one of the main concerns for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the House of Representatives, according to its new chairman, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). The FAA has been operating on a series of short-term extensions since 2007. The last full authorization for the agency was passed […]