Elinor Smith (Sullivan), aviation pioneer and record-setting pilot, died Friday, March 19, in Palo Alto, California, at the age of 98. One of the youngest and most daring pilots of the 1920s, Smith set numerous records for endurance, altitude, and speed. She also worked as a test pilot. But she is perhaps best remembered as […]
TSA nominee sails through confirmation hearing
Major General Robert A. Harding (ret.) recently appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for a confirmation hearing to be administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. He sailed through with high praise. Sen. John “Jay” Rockefeller (D-WVa), committee chairman, declared a highly qualified, […]
X-Air now selling factory direct
X-Air is now selling its Light Sport Aircraft directly from the factory. The company is offering demo flights, flight training, sales and service at its headquarters in Bend, Oregon. The company also is planning to establish a number of flight centers around the United States. “We have been selling aircraft through Sportsplanes.com,” said Matt Verdieck, […]
Orlando Flight Training adds Sport Pilot training
Orlando Flight Training (OFT) at Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM) in Florida is expanding its service offerings to include a sport pilot training program with the addition of four new Cessna Skycatcher aircraft to its fleet in Summer 2010. “These new aircraft will allow our team to provide students with additional flight training program options,” said […]
MT-Prop certified on Merlin IIB
MT-Propeller recently received an FAA STC for the next generation five-blade scimitar composite propeller MTV-27-1-E-C-F-R(G)/CFR210-58d on the M7 Aerospace SA 26-AT (Merlin IIB). The propeller installation improves the overall performance, reducing outside and cabin noise, while giving more ground clearance, according to company officials. For more information: MT-Propeller.com
EAA SportAir Workshops slated
SportAir Workshop programs return to the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh as well as Griffin, Georgia, in the upcoming weeks. On April 9-11, the E-LSA Repairman Inspection course will be held in Oshkosh. The course allows participants to earn an FAA Repairman/Inspection certificate for their experimental Light-Sport Aircraft (E-LSA). Those who successfully complete the FAA-approved […]
StandardAero to reopen SPI engine shop
StandardAero will reopen the engine shop at its service center at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI) in Springfield, Ill., in the third quarter of 2010. Initially, the shop will be capable of providing major periodic inspections (MPIs) for TFE731 engines. The capabilities of the shop will be reassessed periodically with a possibility of adding other […]
Bounce breaks nose gear
This March 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: None. Location: Batavia, Ohio. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The student pilot had a total of 97.5 hours, including 5.8 […]
The Flying Fortress: Celebrating 75 years
This summer marks the 75th anniversary of one of the most famous aircraft of World War II: The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. The B-17 was originally designed to meet a bomber specification issued by the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1934 for a 250-mph bomber with a range of 2,000 miles and an operating ceiling […]