This February 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: Piper J3 Cub. Injuries: None. Location: Shallowater, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: While maneuvering to final approach the pilot allowed the left […]
New blog debuts: Politics for pilots
The story is a familiar one. In fact, it’s nearly universal. The local airport is languishing. From the perspective of the municipality that owns the field, it’s an underperforming business entity populated by a collection of spoiled individuals who feel entitled and tend to be territorial. Taken from the point of view shared by so […]
Women in Aviation conference kicks off
The 21st Annual Women in Aviation Conference kicks off today and runs through Feb. 27 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Buena Vista, Florida. The theme of this year’s conference is “Aviation: It’s a Small World.” Attendees are expected from more than a dozen countries worldwide, according to organizers. Speakers include FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt; […]
The world’s ‘strangest’ airports
Popular Science recently compiled a list of the 18 strangest airports in the world. Included is an airport that has an 18-hole golf course in the middle of its two runways, one with an ice runway, and one in the Alps that features a large hill in the middle of the runway. Making the list […]
Fantasy of Flight founder wins ‘Freedom of Flight’ award
Kermit Weeks, creator and founder of Fantasy of Flight in Florida, recently received the “Bob Hoover Freedom of Flight Award” at the 7th Annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards, which is often called the Academy Awards of Aviation. Other awards presented at the event were the “First Out of This World Landing and Take Off […]
By the numbers: State-by-state stats
The Scripps Howard News Service recently released a rundown of general aviation numbers in each state, including total pilots, total GA aircraft and total public/private airports. The news service compiled the stats with information from the FAA, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and the Transportation Security Administration. The bottom line? There are 651,551 pilots, 294,123 […]
‘He just messed up general aviation’
Fears of domestic terror could lead to major changes in general aviation, according to a report at KSLANews.com in Shreveport, Louisiana. Reporters there spoke to Tracy Golden, a GA pilot at Downtown Airport in Sheveport, who said his first reaction after hearing about the Austin, Texas, crash was that the pilot “owed a lot of […]
NTSB chairman testifies on aircraft icing
NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman, in testimony Feb. 24 before the House Aviation Subcommittee, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, discussed the dangers of aircraft flying in icing conditions and highlighted longstanding NTSB recommendations that have yet to be adopted by the FAA to address the issue. Reducing the dangers of flying in icing conditions has been […]
Donations sought to help cover costs for WASP Congressional Gold Medal ceremony
The Heart of Texas Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America is asking for donations to help cover the costs when the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) travel to Washington, D.C., next month to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. According to chapter officials, 100% of the funds raised will be used for the cost […]