LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Re: Is there a better name for general aviation?: I suggest “Mainstream Aviation.” On first consideration, one might think that commercial aviation better fits this moniker. But most of the thousands of passengers who fly commercially have no actual connection to or stake in aviation as a field of endeavor. They […]
Wondering where to get yours?
When reporter Meg Godlewski wrote about a T-shirt she saw at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, it generated a lot of interest with our readers. The T-shirt is covered with acronyms that pilots are so familiar with, such as ATP, CFI, and more. The shirt also has pilot slang terms, such as $100 hamburger. While […]
Harrison Ford’s Haiti relief flights
Actor Harrison Ford flew his Cessna 208 Caravan to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Saturday, Feb. 6, to command an airlift of Operation Smile medical volunteers and supplies into Hinche, Haiti. Ford volunteered his time, piloting skills and aircraft in response to an urgent request from Operation Smile, Inc. for logistical support after the organization announced […]
The year of engagement
It takes more than alphabet groups speaking up to teach opinion leaders and decision makers about GA — it takes each pilot and aircraft owner stepping up and becoming actively engaged with their community leaders. “As I see it, some of the top issues for the coming year and beyond must include protecting our nation’s […]
GA advocate Vern Ehlers retires from House
General aviation will soon lose one of its staunchest supporters in the U.S. House of Representatives as Vern Ehlers (R-Mich.) announced his retirement Feb. 10. Ehlers, 76, has served the state’s 3rd District (Grand Rapids area) for 16 years. He will retire at the end of his eighth term. “Rep. Ehlers is a champion of […]
GA groups object to increased test fees
EAA, along with AOPA, NATA, and NAFI, is asking the FAA, Computer Assisted Testing Service Inc. (CATS), and LaserGrade to re-examine the implementation of a proposed increase in testing fees. Effective April 1, pilots taking an FAA knowledge test could be charged an extra $50 in administrative fees. The testing companies say they are implementing […]
‘We will see good times again’
There’s no doubt that Wichita’s aviation industry has been battered in the last year or so, but “the future has not been canceled,” Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson told told members of the Wichita Aero Club Feb. 10. “We will see good times again,” Parkinson was quoted in a story in The Wichita Eagle. Parkinson also […]
Pilots still needed for Haiti relief flights
Bahamas Habitat’s aviation relief operation recently completed its 250th relief mission to Haiti. To date, volunteer pilots and aircraft have delivered more than 200,000 pounds of medical supplies and food, as well as more than 70 medical personnel along with their equipment, to Haiti’s outlying airports using general aviation aircraft. Operations are continuing and more […]
WSDOT to host three workshops at Northwest Aviation Conference
The Washington State Department of Transportation Aviation Division will host three workshops at the annual Northwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show on Feb. 20 and 21 at the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup. Representatives from WSDOT Aviation will discuss airport investments, newly proposed state airport grant assurances, and aviation land-use planning on Saturday, Feb. 20. […]