At the request of the Haitian government, the FAA dispatched a portable, temporary control tower to Haiti Jan. 21 to assist with aircraft operations at Port-au-Prince International Airport. The tower was transported aboard a large, chartered cargo aircraft and it took about 48 hours for FAA technicians to install and prepare it for service. “We […]
FlightPrep awarded flight planning patent
Inventors Roger Stenbock and Kyle Everson were recently awarded U.S. Patent #7640098 for FlightPrep’s online flight planner. The invention, originally filed in 2001 and assigned to Stenbock & Everson Inc., describes how online flight planning is possible using just an Internet browser. FlightPrep’s Online Planner is recognized for the ability to display charts and routes […]
Pilot My-Cast app now available
Pilot My-Cast by Garmin, a premium aviation weather, flight planning and flight filing application, is available immediately for the iPhone and iPod Touch. “We’ve designed the iPhone and iPod Touch version of Pilot My-Cast from the ground up,” said Craig Burfeind, president of Digital Cyclone, a subsidiary of Garmin. “Our customers range from the student […]
‘Miracle on the Hudson’ pilot to speak at AEA
Jeff Skiles, first officer of US Airways Flight 1549, “The Miracle on the Hudson,” will be the guest speaker for the annual awards luncheon April 9 during the Aircraft Electronics Association’s 53rd annual International Convention & Trade Show, from April 7-10, in Orlando, Fla. Rockwell Collins and the AEA are sponsoring Skiles who details the […]
Aircraft Spruce carries DRE 1000 headsets
Aircraft Spruce now has the new DRE 1000W headset available. The headset features high-fidelity headphone drivers for music, thumb nut headband adjusters, stay-put locking wire boom, high-flex reliable wiring, gold-plated plugs, rugged ABS ear cups, and black-plate spring steel headband. Optional GEL ear seals are available. For more information: 877-477-7823 or AircraftSpruce.com
‘The Lonely Sky’ chronicles test pilot’s story
“The Lonely Sky,” reprinted by iUniverse, shares the story of Bill Bridgeman, who joined Douglas Aircraft as an engineering test pilot after a stint in the Navy. Soon he was asked to take over the final stages of the testing program for the Skyrocket, a javelin-shaped experimental rocket-powered ship. The story of his day-by-day life […]
Duncan Aviation and Securaplane partner on new PreFlite Security System
Over the last few years, Duncan Aviation has certified and installed Securaplane’s legacy aircraft security systems on several aircraft. The companies now offer an upgrade option to the new PreFlite security system. Securaplane’s new PreFlite System expands upon its existing security system to provide worldwide, real-time, event notification and remote system control/interrogation via your GSM-connected […]
Plane escapes during hand-propping
This January 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: Cessna 210. Location: Bessemer, Ala. Injuries: None. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was attempting to hand-prop the airplane to get it […]
Passing gas
Guest Editorial By STEVE BILL HANSHEW It’s all Tom Midgely’s fault, so quit knocking him for ridding us of the knock. That was the problem a chemist named Thomas Midgely was tasked to resolve in the early 1900s. His bosses at General Motors were making better engines with higher compression and higher horsepower output. Unfortunately, […]