One of the more confusing aircraft at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo was the Warner Aerocraft Sportster. At first glance people thought it was a one-place vintage metal airplane, but closer inspection revealed that the fuselage is made of fabric. The design can be converted to a single place aircraft by changing out the canopy. […]
Leave the politics aside
LETTER TO THE EDITOR What Mr. Mortensen demonstrated in his letter to the the editor (Global warming debate: Is it over?) was the role politics and emotion play in the global warming debate. The debate is not over when the underlying science of global warming is undermined by “e-mailgate” and some of the hyperbolic statements […]
Western Aircraft name Piaggio Avanti service center
Western Aircraft of Greenwich AeroGroup has been selected by Piaggio Aero to become an Avanti Authorized Service Center. Piaggio Avanti aircraft owners and operators will now have an additional service facility in the western United States to assist them with maintenance, modifications, avionics and interior refurbishments. Located in Boise Idaho, the company is also an […]
Emergency Location Safety feature introduced by Latitude Technologies
Latitude Technologies Corp. of Victoria, B.C., has added a configurable “G” switch accelerometer to the UDG100 and S100/S200 SkyNode product lines. The configurable 6 axis accelerometer will have basic factory settings mirroring the common aircraft emergency locator transmitter but can be customized to user defined settings, according to company officials. “This new safety feature is […]
Colorado jetCenter joins Avfuel network
Colorado jetCenter at Colorado Springs Airport (COS) in Colorado (COS) has joined the Avfuel-branded network of FBO dealers. As an Avfuel-branded FBO, Colorado jetCenter now supplies Avfuel aviation fuel and related services to the Rocky Mountain area. The FBO serves both domestic and international customers with a variety of conveniences, including on-site US Customs. Ground […]
Icing encounter kills three
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: Lancair ES. Injuries: 3 Fatal. Location: Albany, Ore. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The non-instrument-rated private pilot filed an instrument flight plan for […]
Knickerbocker’s 1943 time machine
“I decided that I wanted to have some fun after all these years.” That’s how Shawn Knickerbocker of Jacksonville, Fla., explains his decision to buy a 1943 SNJ-5. Knickerbocker, who has been a pilot for 40 years, doing everything from flying for the U.S. Customs Service in Blackhawk helicopters to being a pilot examiner, acquired […]
Personalizing her plane
Monogramming a prized possession is nothing new. With pilots, this distinctiveness comes in the form of vanity tail numbers for their aircraft. Rose Pelton, wife of Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton, went this route when she took delivery of the very first SkyCatcher. The tail number is N450RP. Her plane was on display […]
Wings of Hope take off from Texas
General aviation’s relief efforts in Haiti were the subject of a column written by NBAA President Ed Bolen for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, in which he notes that news images of the aftermath of the earthquake’s destruction rarely show how medical help, food and other supplies are delivered. He says: “The logistics may be out […]