Extra Aircraft’s new Rolls Royce-powered, six-seat, pressurized 500 Spirit turboprop is now available in North America. The product of nearly 30 years of building and certifying world champion aerobatic aircraft, the Extra 500 Spirit benefits from aerodynamic shapes only achievable with carbon fiber composite construction, according to company officials. The use of carbon fiber has […]
Runway Cafe at GMU prepares for takeoff
The Runway Cafe at Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) is set to open this summer. According to owner Mike Bliss, the cafe’s soups and specials will utilize seasonal produce bought locally and the daily specials will have at least one serving of fruits and/or vegetables. Bliss, who is a Clemson graduate, has been in the food […]
TrueNorth and Dallas Avionics expand partnership
TrueNorth Avionics, Inc. and Dallas Avionics have expanded their distribution agreement to meet increased demand for the Simphone-OpenCabin airborne telecommunications system, which uses a menu-driven interface and software applications to simplify smartphone use, Internet data handling and Wi-Fi security; provides an exclusive operator-controlled tool for managing service costs; and eliminates installation problems with its one-box […]
Autobrakes OK’d on Dassault Falcon 2000EX
Dassault has been granted approval by both the EASA and the FAA for an autobrake feature on the Falcon 2000EX EASy series (2000EX, 2000EX EASy, 2000DX and 2000LX). Specially designed for short runways, the feature adds greater safety margins by reducing landing distances by as much as 150 feet on normal approaches and 300 feet […]
One man’s passion
My hangar landlord has a passion. Not for women, money or fame, but I’d deduce his passion is just as ardent and just as satisfying as any of the aforementioned obsessions. Lloyd Thompson has a grand passion for Aeronca Champions, but not just any Champ. His favorite are the military versions, the L-16A and the […]
What do NextGen and the Gulf oil spill have in common?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Consider the similarities between the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the FAA’s recent announcement setting requirements for ADS-B Out equipment to fly under the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen. In both cases, everybody hopes something will work but can’t be sure; expenses are gushing out; and all […]
10,000+ aviation photos now online
This scene from the movie “Dawn Patrol” is just one of more than 10,000 photos recently uploaded to Flickr by the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Check out the collection, which has everything from photos from aviation movies to aerobatic acts to photos of plans from the Piper J-3 Cub to fighter jets. Click […]
Coalition asks for avgas extension
Leaders from the general aviation and petroleum industries recently formed a coalition to work together and develop a process to reduce lead emissions from GA aircraft, balancing environmental benefit with aviation safety, technical feasibility, and impact upon the GA industry, according to a report at AOPA.org. The story notes that the group wants to ensure […]
Pending legislation could undermine U.S. repair stations
The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) has told the Obama administration that legislation pending on Capitol Hill threatens to undermine the global competitiveness of the U.S. aerospace industry. In a letter sent recently to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, ARSA Executive Vice President Christian Klein warned that proposed language in the FAA reauthorization bill will […]