The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) has been awarded accreditation from the American Association of Museums. Accreditation is the museum profession’s primary formal acknowledgement of quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability, museum officials explained. It grants national recognition for a museum’s commitment to excellence, governance, collections stewardship/management, public programs, financial stability, exceptional professional […]
Avidyne adds features to autopilot
Avidyne Corp. has unveiled additional features for its new DFC100 Digital Flight Control System, which is on schedule for certification by the end of 2010 for Entegra Release 9-equipped Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft. In addition to the features found on Avidyne’s recently certified DFC90 autopilot, including Flight Envelope Protection and the ‘Straight & Level’ […]
Aero-Lift relocates
ARM Aerospace, provider of Aero-Lift aircraft storage hoists, has moved its company headquarters from Tuscon, Ariz., to Steamboat Springs, Colo. Manufacturing of the Aero-Lift and all its components was also geographically centralized in Wisconsin, allowing for more control over the entire manufacturing process, company officials said. “We’re excited about these new opportunities,” ARM Aerospace owner […]
Pilot flies into freezing rain
This December 2008 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 Six. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: North Canton, Ohio. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot, who had logged 510 hours, obtained […]
Gweduck: The experimental dream machine
If you are not from the Pacific Northwest the term Geoduck — pronounced “Gooey duck” — probably conjures up an image of a mallard in molasses. Actually, it’s a form of shellfish native to Washington state. Recently, the term became synonymous with an experimental aircraft. The Mahon-Ellision Gweduck — note the phonetic spelling — is […]
Pilots comment on Mogas and ethanol
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. The number of signatures on our petition requesting the EPA to prohibit the use of […]
Heavyweights not concerned about FlightPrep patent
AOPA and Jeppesen, two of the largest players in the online flight planning business, say a patent obtained by FlightPrep doesn’t affect their products and they are not willing to discuss it, according to a story at AVweb.com, which notes that AOPA says it’s “business as usual” for its flight planning product. Read the full […]
Java benefits GA
Flying High Coffee, LLC is contributing a minimum of 15% of all profits from coffee sales to fund youth scholarships and general aviation programs. Ponder for a moment how much coffee the aviation industry consumes, says Rob Riggen, a CFI and owner of Flying High Coffee. Now imagine if every time anyone in aviation drank […]
Advice for mounting tires
Taking time to stretch and add a dose of talcum powder may sound like a gymnast getting ready for the high bar, but those practices also apply to mounting aircraft tires. Essential to providing proper tire life, correctly mounting aircraft tires requires following the detailed mounting procedures provided by tire and wheel manufacturers for both […]