Christopher Ward recently unveiled two new aviation watches, the C5 Malvern Aviator Mk II and the C8 Pilot Mk II. The C5 Malvern Aviator Mk II is taking the place of the limited edition (1,936 pieces) C5 Mark I, which has sold out. The C5 Malvern Aviator Mark II has a 38mm diameter case and […]
‘Too much energy’ ruins landing
This July 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: Pipistrel Virus 912. Injuries: None. Location: Bend, Ore. Aircraft damage: Substantial What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to land in his powered glider. […]
A trip back in time
I’ve been working on a book about my newspaper career. A major portion of my time in the business — more than 50 years in total — has been spent in the world of aviation. As I ventured into different aspects of my life in aviation, I tried to recall what airplanes I had flown […]
Book chronicles efforts to buy a 150 and fly around the world
Books by pilots about their experiences vary dramatically from very good to, well, being polite, not as good! When a friend brought me a book written by a friend of his about the friend’s efforts to buy a plane and fulfill a lifelong ambition to fly around the world, I kinda rolled my eyes. And, […]
Piper to shut down for a week
Piper Aircraft will shut down operations for the week of Aug. 9, according to a report at Aviation International News. With some exceptions, all staff, including company management, will be unpaid for that week, the story notes, adding the exceptions will be workers developing the PiperJet and those devoted to delivery of essential parts and […]
WASPs honored at museum gala
Six WASPs (Women’s Air Force Service Pilots) of World War II were recently recognized at the Museum of Flight’s Hangar Gala at Seattle’s Boeing Field. In addition to the WASPs, the gala was held to recognize the anniversary of the B-17, built at the Boeing plant in Seattle. The WASPs (each wearing a red ribbon […]
NAFI breaks away from EAA
After an extended period of discussions, EAA and the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) board of directors have agreed that NAFI will become a fully independent organization no later than March 1, 2011. “We endorse NAFI’s decision to position itself as an independent professional association for the flight instructor community,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA […]
Taurus LSA takes off
Pipistrel has unveiled the Taurus LSA, the first-ever high-performance two-seat self-launching glider with all advantages of the LSA category. The Taurus LSA is equipped with a 50-hp retractable powerpack, allowing for unassisted powerful takeoffs on supershort runways and glider fields, company officials note. Takeoff distance is less than 600 ft., even when fully loaded and […]
Cirrus introduces retractable gear sim
Cirrus has unveiled a new option for SR20 and SR22 aircraft used in a training environment: a means to simulate the use of retractable landing gear. Vice President of International Sales Ian Bentley noted the importance of this new Cirrus innovation. “Across the world more and more flight schools are accelerating the pilot learning process […]