Worried about user fees? New FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt isn’t. “I don’t see anybody rushing to user fees,” he told a packed crowd at AirVenture last month. But, he added, “we need a solution” to a drop in the funds that fuel the aviation system. “The harsh reality is that with the downturn in the […]
West Star Aviation expands in Dallas
West Star Aviation, Inc. is in the final stages of a expansion and facilities consolidation at its Dallas Love Field (KDAL) location. The renovated 50,000-square-foot facility consolidates all activities offered at the original location, and includes new pilot lounges, planning areas, secure storage, technical shop space and other improvements. The Dallas location specializes in maintenance […]
STC in works for DeltaHawk-powered SR20
DeltaHawk Engines, Inc. and LoPresti Speed Merchants have begun work on a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to install a DeltaHawk Turbo-Diesel engine in a Cirrus SR20. The SR20 will be the first aircraft certified with the DeltaHawk engine. The Jet-A -fueled DeltaHawk Turbo-Diesel engine has the highest power-to-weight ratio of any aero-diesel engine, according to […]
FAA criticized over stimulus projects
The Transportation Department’s inspector general is questioning why two tiny villages in Alaska are getting $28 million in stimulus airport funding, more than New York and many other big cities, as part of a broader critique of the way the department is managing its piece of the economic-stimulus plan, according to a story in the […]
Museum launches virtual tour
The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force has launched a free museum tour podcast on its website The podcast acts as virtual tour, according to museum officials. A map of the museum galleries, called a pod map, shows the arrangement of aircraft with “hotspots” on which more information such as the audio podcast, images […]
FAA issues SAIB for Garmin glass cockpits
The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) for owners of aircraft equipped with Garmin G1000, Perspective, and Prodigy Integrated Flight Decks installed with a Garmin GFC 700 autopilot. The SAIB resulted after an issue with navigational radio auto-tune feature while performing a VOR or ILS approach was brought to the FAA’s attention. […]
Capital Comments: Bizjets for Congress?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Summer in Washington usually is a time for visitors to take over the city to see the monuments, archives, and famous places, while the federal government slows down with legislators away and government offices shuffling along with vacation-depleted staffs and less urgency to projects. That often means a scarcity of news affecting […]
Bidding war for Eclipse Aviation?
Eclipse Aviation may have a new owner by the end of the month. According to a story at AOPA.org by Alton K. Marsh, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware is expected to either select Eclipse Aerospace as the winning bidder on Aug. 24 or preside over an international bidding auction for the […]
Wind gust hard on taildragger
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for a wind gust that ballooned the airplane during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. The wind gust was a factor.