A district court judge for Washington, D.C., has ruled that aircraft tail numbers submitted to the FAA for blockage from distribution to sources outside the FAA under the National Business Aviation Association’s Blocked Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program must be made available in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The […]
New name for FAA magazine
Starting with the March/April 2010 issue, FAA Aviation News is changing its name to FAA Safety Briefing. “We’re changing the name to more accurately reflect the magazine’s mission: Safety,” said John Allen, director, FAA Flight Standards Service. “Briefings are used in health care, in the military, and in aviation, and are essential to get crucial […]
CFI renewals over the web
The FAA gave approval Feb. 26 to AVSeminars to offer the nation’s first CFI Renewal through a “live” webinar. The process of renewing a CFI certificate is “virtually” identical to attending a live FIRC, without the travel and hotel costs, company officials said, noting all that’s needed are a PC or Mac, a web-cam and […]
Aviation Weather Manuals go digital
Find-it Fast Books now offers a new choice for pilots and aviation professionals attuned to the digital world of today. A library of electronic books (eBooks) can now be instantly downloaded into laptops, desktops, and handheld devices equipped with .pdf readers. Available eBook titles include Preflight Weather Analysis Made Easy, The METAR & TAF Quick […]
‘Pistons and Pixels’ demonstration slated
Sierra Industries, a South Texas aircraft modification company, will host a “Pistons and Pixels” demonstration to showcase its avionics and airframe upgrade capabilities for a variety of high-performance aircraft. The event will be held at Gillespie County Airport (T82) in Fredericksburg, Texas, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 13. Owners and operators of […]
Rotax renewal course held
On Feb. 20, California Power Systems (CPS) held a first-of-its-kind Rotax Renewal Course, welcoming back the elite of the Rotax maintenance technicians, according to officials with the San Leandro, Calif.-based company. These technicians have reached 24 months of field service and were back to renew their ratings under the LSA directives for Rotax Aircraft engines. […]
Flightwise PlaneXML Flight Tracking API available
Flightwise, a web-based flight tracking service, is now offering direct access to its aircraft positional data via the PlaneXML Flight Tracking API. The API is a standards-based, XML/SOAP web service, making it easy to integrate with existing application development platforms, according to officials with the Orlando-based company. “We’ve spent the last decade building the infrastructure […]
Cross rigging leads to accident
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: Stinson 108. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Chugiak, Alaska. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The ATP was departing on a first flight after an […]
A fun weekend of ski flying
Reader Blake Hermel sent us some photos of a gathering this weekend of a group of ski pilots from Mankato, Minn., who got together to “put on some mileage.” “We headed for Hayward, Wis., to see the American Birkebeiner cross-country ski race, and followed it up by spending Sunday flying around the Mankato area,” he […]