Col. Donald J. M. Blakeslee commanded the first U.S. fighter group to reach Berlin in World War II. It was one of the most successful fighter commands in the history of the Air Force, the first to log 500 aerial kills – its total was 550 – with another 470 destroyed on the ground. Col. […]
Richard S. Heyser dies
Lt. Col. Stephen Heyser, the U-2 pilot who shot the first photographs of ballistic missile launch sites in Cuba during the 1962 missile crisis, died Oct. 6 at the age of 81. Col. Heyser said, in a 2005 interview, that nobody was more relieved than he that the crisis ended peacefully. He said he had […]
An airport grows in northeast Florida
Palatka Municipal Airport in Florida recently broke ground on a long-awaited new terminal building, new t-hangars, Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS III-P/T), taxiway rehabilitation, and many related improvements. With the collaboration city and airport staff and event sponsors Seminole Electric and Georgia Pacific, a celebration was held with much fanfare in perfect weather, according to […]
US Aviation Group establishes helicopter training program
The US Aviation Group, based in Denton, Texas, has established a helicopter training program. Patrick Dennis, formerly of Silver State Helicopters in Las Vegas, has signed on as head flight instructor. He has developed a program that takes students up through IFR, CFI and Commercial ratings. The school is now using a Robinson R-22, which […]
Sandel Avionics and S-TEC Announce Successful Pairing of Flight Displays and Autopilots
Sandel Avionics and S-TEC have announced the successful testing of Sandel’s SA4550 Primary Attitude Display with S-TEC’s System 55, 55X, 60-2 and 65 autopilots. S-TEC will list the SA4550 as an approved flight director for use with these autopilots. “This opens the door for numerous aircraft owners, especially in the turboprop market, who would like […]
Barrington Irving flies plane built by high school students
Barrington Irving, who at 23 became the youngest person and first black pilot to fly solo around the world in 2007, flew an aircraft built by high school students on Oct.15 at Opa-locka Airport in Florida. The airplane was built by high school students enrolled in a 10-week summer program called Build & Soar, offered […]
Qantas Airbus dive not a laptop’s fault
The uncontrolled dive of a Qantas A330-300, reported here last week, wasn’t caused by a passenger’s laptop computer, after all, according to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau statement. It actually was brought on by a glitch in the Airbus flight control computer, the ATSB reported on Oct. 14. The Airbus was at 37,000 feet, flying […]
Eclipse says it holds liens on DayJet fleet
A group of buyers making a low bid for the former DayJet Eclipse 500 fleet has run up against two lien holders: Eclipse Aviation itself and UT Finance, a subsidiary of United Technologies which, in turn, owns Pratt & Whitney, supplier of Eclipse 500 engines. The would-be buyer is Houston-based JetsAmerica, a management firm serving […]
West Star Aviation expands east with S.C. facility
West Star Aviation will open a new facility near Columbia, S.C. The new facility, which will provide maintenance and refurbishment services for corporate aircraft, will be located at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport (KCAE) in Lexington County, S.C. A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. Oct. 17, at the intersection of Air Commerce Drive and […]