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: Cessna 172. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Lompoc, Calif. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The private pilot, who had logged about 793 hours, was […]
Going home
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. Last post I regaled the world with the great flying weather during the first part of October in the southeast. Two fly-ins, two weekends of travel and two Luscombes keeping […]
GPS Direct?
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. Again, consumer electronics will be king this holiday shopping season, driven by vast leaps in features and […]
Tough year ahead, industry leaders say at on-air summit
A panel of representatives from five aviation associations said Tuesday at the Wichita Aero Club’s on-air summit that cooperation and activism are keys to solving many of the industry’s problems. According to a story from the Wichita Business Journal, the panelists — representatives from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, National Business Aviation Association, Experimental Aircraft […]
CAP celebrates anniversary
Today the Civil Air Patrol celebrates its 69th anniversary. The all-volunteer, nonprofit organization of more than 61,000 members was founded Dec. 1, 1941, less than a week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor led to America’s involvement in World War II. Its members soon proved their worth by conducting aerial patrols on their own, […]
Build A Plane launches online auction
Build A Plane, a non-profit organization working in partnership with the FAA to promote aviation education, has launched its online holiday fundraising auction at BuildAPlane.org. “We always find a lot of really great items to auction off each year,” Build A Plane’s Executive Director Katrina Bradshaw says. “This is the place to go for the […]
Congressmen say FAA failures threaten NextGen
The FAA has failed to make critical decisions and set clear goals for the development of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), according to a new government report. These failures threaten to stall the modernization of the nation’s aviation system, according to Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republicans. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) prepared […]
New CEO at Diamond Aircraft
Dr. Gerd Berchtold been named CEO of Diamond Aircraft GmbH, Austria, responsible for design, production and customer support. He will report directly to the former CEO and company founder Christian Dries. Marketing, distribution and aircraft finance will continue to report directly to Dries. “The Diamond Group has grown and diversified significantly in the last several […]
The dangers of in-flight icing
As winter grips most of the nation, pilots need to be aware of the dangers of ice. If the temperatures aloft are cold enough and there’s visible moisture ahead, it’s a safe bet you’ll soon be picking up airframe ice. Learn how to avoid icing conditions and what to do if you fly into them […]