United Rotorcraft Solutions (URS) and partner Ahlers Aerospace were awarded an STC for their Night Vision Lighting modifications for the Eurocopter EC130. The modification incorporates filters that are externally mounted, improving day light readability and reducing installation time and cost, say company officials.The external filters allow the modified component to remain generic thus retaining the […]
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center offers free admission
The new McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, N.H., officially opens Friday, March 6. Admission is free for the opening weekend, courtesy of Northeast Delta Dental. For more information: StarHop.com.
M7 Aerospace launches chemical processing program
M7 Aerospace has launched a quick-turnaround wet processing program for the aerospace manufacturing community. Processes available include anodizing, alodining, primer and paint application. M7 Aerospace promises turnaround within six business days or less of receiving an order. M7’s processing line has 17 chemical tanks. It is currently processing 10,000 to 12,000 parts a month, which […]
‘Dead Downwind’ author to speak
Bill Riddle, author of the novel “Dead Downwind,” is scheduled to speak at the Pacific Aviation Museum, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. and March 1 at 2 p.m. He will be signing books at both times. Riddle, described as “a spellbinding storyteller” by the museum’s KT Budd-Jones, will talk about Cdr. […]
TSA says mule skinners need background checks, too
Two mule skinners, who are seasonal workers dressed in colonial garb at a historical park which has one boat pulled by two mules, are being subjected to nonsensical TSA rules similar to those currently threatening general aviation, according to Mike M. Ahlers, writing for CNNPolitics.com. A federal anti-terror law that requires many pilots, truckers, ship […]
Fuel-efficient aircraft authority Bernard Carson dies
Bernard H. Carson, whose “Carson Speed” formula defines the speed at which an airplane maximizes speed and minimizes fuel consumption, died Feb. 15 at Annapolis, Maryland. He was 75. Dr. Carson was a professor of aerospace engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy for 31 years, educating generations of Naval Aviators. He was instrumental in building […]
GA pilots face badge requirement at commercial airports
The Transportation Security Administration has extended the deadline for a controversial and largely secret directive that would require security badges and background checks for all general aviation pilots based at air carrier airports. The TSA will meet with industry representatives to consider alternatives and to find solutions better suited to GA, according to a Feb. […]
Worn brakes contribute to accident
Probable cause: The pilot’s misjudgment of the airplane’s speed and distance during the landing approach.
U.S. policies stifle competitiveness, says AIAA director
Maj. Gen. Robert Dickman, USAF (retired), executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), testified Feb. 25 before the House Committee on Science and Technology on the “Impacts of U.S. Export Control Policies on Science and Technology Activities and Competitiveness.” He said that current U.S. trade and visa policies are adversely affecting […]