Involved in a devastating car fire in April 2004, 9-year-old Walter Gomez, Jr. and his 7-year-old sister Ebony will fulfill their dreams of flying by taking the controls of a Bonanza in the skies above Los Angeles Wednesday, Sept. 15. The free flight will be made possible by the non-profit Children’s Burn Foundation, which is […]
DC-3 featured on Sporty’s 2010 Christmas ornament
Sporty’s 2010 Crystal Christmas Ornament, the 26th annual edition, features the Douglas DC-3. “The DC-3 is a much-loved airplane — and an important one as well,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “We think it’s the perfect choice this year, since 2010 marks the 75th anniversary of the DC-3’s first flight.” The DC-3 silhouette is […]
‘Flying Platform’ prototype up for sale
AirBuoyant is offering its prototype flying platform, the VertiPod 2 (N6172N, formerly the PAM 100B Individual Lifting Vehicle), for sale. With its contra-rotating rotors below the pilot and a new protective pilot’s “cage” installed, the twin-engine VP2 is ready for flight or further development, according to officials with the Anderson, Indiana-based company. With some 200 […]
Weldcraft offers gas lenses
Weldcraft now offers multiple styles of precision-machined gas lenses,which help to optimize shielding gas coverage and help ensure consistent, quality TIG welding performance, according to company officials. With styles available for both its WP Series and Crafter Series air- and water-cooled TIG torches, Weldcraft’s gas lenses also dissipate heat for longer, trouble-free performance. Weldcraft offers […]
2011 FAR/AIM Series now available
ASA’s 2011 FAR/AIM Series is now available. Both the FAR for Flight Crew and FAR for Aviation Maintenance Technicians are currently available. The FAR/AIM book will be available Sept. 15. ASA consolidates the FAA regulations and procedures into three reference books with information pertinent to pilots, flight crew, and aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs). In all […]
Lednicer joins Raisbeck Engineering
Computational Fluid Dynamics guru David Lednicer has joined Raisbeck Engineering’s aircraft design team. He previously held a similar position at AMI (Analytical Methods, Inc), where he worked more than 20 years. Prior to AMI, he was an aerodynamicist at Sikorsky Aircraft for over five years, and a consultant to Scaled Composites and Beech Aircraft at […]
VFR flight into IMC kills pilot
This September 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: Pitts S-1D. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Ridgely, Maryland. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The private pilot bought the homebuilt aircraft in 2006. Soon […]
Three years + 120 hours = a new pilot
Many teens heading into their senior year of high school consider themselves lucky if they have a driver’s license. Austin Rennard of Santa Rosa, California, heads back to class in possession of a private pilot’s license. In January 2009 we introduced you to 16-year-old Rennard who, at the time, was flying a Zodiac XL across […]
Homecoming for first Colonial Skimmer
John Staber, who spent 11 years painstakingly restoring the first Colonial Skimmer C-1, flew it to Sanford Regional Airport (SFM) in Maine earlier this month to show off the plane to her designer and builder, David B. Thurston, and to Jack Tarbox, who was chief engineer for Colonial Aircraft Corporation in Sanford. The plane was […]