This December 2007 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: Piper Twin Comanche; Location: Bridger, Mont.; Injuries: None; Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: As the pilot entered on the downwind leg at the […]
E15 still not ready for prime-time, EPA says
In an article appearing recently in the Raleigh News & Observer, the EPA has stated that more testing is needed before E15 can be used in automobiles. This article also comments on the fuel’s use in other vehicles, however does not mention aircraft. From our perspective, the EPA makes light of hundreds of strong, well-founded […]
First Musicfest a success
The first Fly-In Musicfest, held by the The Flying Musicians Association Nov. 7 at the Fort Worth Spinks Airport (FWS) in Texas was “a huge success,” according to organizers. In spite of the low clouds early in the morning, there were several aircraft on display, including the B-25 “Pacific Prowler,” a C-47 Skytrain, a Russian […]
FAA administrator calls for independent review of last month’s ATC glitch
WASHINGTON, D.C. — FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has formed an independent review panel that will examine the Nov. 19 outage of the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI). The group of experts will survey the FTI’s architecture and recommend any immediate or future changes to improve its reliability, FAA officials said. They will also review the management […]
Cessna to close 3 Georgia plants
Cessna Aircraft Co. says the company will close three plants in Columbus, Ga., within six to 24 months, according to an AP report. The Wichita, Kan.-based airplane manufacturer, which had employed as many as 600 people in Columbus, will move the work now being done in Georgia to the company’s plants in Independence, Kan., and […]
GE Aviation set to begin testing of its new H80 turboprop engine
GE Aviation’s wholly owned subsidiary, GE Aviation Czech s.r.o., is set to begin by year-end certification testing of its new H80 turboprop engine, which will produce up to 800 shaft horsepower (shp) to power utility, agriculture and business and general aviation aircraft. Component testing of the H80 engine has beenunderway for several months, and GE […]
Italian Skycar ready for sales
Oma Sud’s Skycar has received confirmation by the Italian ENAC (Civil Aviation Authority) that it has completed operations for certification, which is expected in mid-December. The Italian company will then be allowed to start sales of its airplane, according to a report in AvioNews. Find out more here.
NATA revamps educational programming
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is coordinating some of its conferences and seminars with other leading industry events in 2010 to answer the needs of the aviation business community, according to association officials, who note that free member update webinars and “for fee” training webinars are also among the new educational initiatives to be […]
N.J. aviation conference & avionics expo set
The 2010 New Jersey State Aviation Conference will feature an avionics expo, according to officials with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Coalition-New Jersey. With the theme “Navigating the New York Region Airspace – Challenges and Solutions for the Future,” the conference will focus on the challenges of flying in the most congested airspace in the world and […]