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 […]
Colorado snowboard school manager wins King Schools sweepstakes airplane
Rhonda Doyle of Ridgway, Colorado, is the winner of King Schools’ Future Of Flight airplane sweepstakes. The Cessna 172S Skyhawk she won includes a G1000 WAAS panel and features the GFC700 autopilot. “I was sitting at my desk, studying for my Instrument Rating, and watching John King on my computer, when suddenly the phone rang […]
An advocate in OKC
LETTER TO THE EDITOR I read with interest the article on special issuance renewals, “Waiting for a letter from OKC to fly again?”), where you state that it’s not as bad as a few years ago. As a pilot who has been on a special issuance for over 20 years, I would like to add […]
NTSB’s ‘Most Wanted’
The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public meeting Thursday, Feb. 18, to review its list of “Most Wanted” safety recommendations directed at federal agencies. The Most Wanted List was developed in 1990 to focus attention on safety improvements the board believes will have the greatest impact on transportation safety. Some of the issues […]
Million Air goes for the gold in Vancouver
The final preparations are complete at Million Air Vancouver at Vancouver International Airport (CYVR) to welcome attendees to the 2010 Olympic games. “Equipment is in place and staff members are flying in from Dallas, Albany, Anchorage, Burbank, Topeka, Houston, Medford, San Antonio, and Toronto prepared to make this event a grand success,” says Roger Woolsey, […]
Airport sets stage for economic growth
Vermont’s Burlington International Airport has spent millions over the last several years developing not only better facilities for air passengers, but general aviation, laying the groundwork for a strong economy that could help the state out of the recession and set the stage for long-term growth, according to a story at WCAX.com. The story notes […]