The problem with having an aviation museum that isn’t at an airport is that you miss a major chunk of your target audience — pilots. The folks at Spirit of Flight Center in Lafayette, Colo., are hoping that their museum’s new location at Erie Municipal Airport (EIK) near Denver will help attract more visitors — […]
P-38 found on the beach: Recovery efforts expected next year at secret site
Can you imagine walking down a beach and literally stumbling across a World War II airplane? That’s what happened to someone in Wales last summer, when shifting sands exposed a Lockheed P-38 that had been on the beach since it crashed there in 1942. The airplane is largely intact and does not have much corrosion, […]
Randy’s Red Rocker: Want attention on the ramp? Start with candy apple red paint, then add a flaming skull or two for accents
There is something about a red airplane. It can be sitting perfectly motionless but it will catch your eye. Randy Pflanzer, from Indianapolis, agrees. He says he gets a lot of attention when people see his candy apple red F-1 Rocket. “It took me about two years to build and I have been flying it […]
Growing pains: Random hangar inspection creates controversy at Utah’s Vernal Regional Airport
How carefully did you read your hangar lease before you signed it? Does it stipulate what can and cannot be stored in the hangar? Does it allow the airport owner and the FAA to inspect your hangar at any time, no notice necessary? Officials at Vernal Regional Airport (VEL) in Vernal, Utah, claim that is […]
New Jersey airport sold to make way for ball fi elds. Massive tax increase forces long-time owners to sell
William and Jean Weasener of Pennington, N.J., have spent the better part of their lives operating Twin Pine Airport (N75), but a massive increase in property taxes is forcing them to sell the privately owned, public use airport. “The township did another tax assessment and increased the property taxes from $14,000 to $55,000,” said William […]
Boom times. Kentucky opens three new GA airports, with another set for next month
GA is booming in the Bluegrass State. According to Steve Parker, Deputy Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Aviation, state officials are in the midst of a push to enhance existing GA airports and add to the number of GA airports in the state. “Kentucky has been a little behind in the number of general […]
Cessna SkyCatcher to be built in China
You can add the Cessna SkyCatcher to the list of Light Sport Aircraft manufactured outside the United States. On Nov. 28 Cessna Aircraft Co. announced it is partnering with Shenyang Aircraft Corp. (SAC) to build the SkyCatcher. SAC is a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry Corp., which is a government-owned consortium of aircraft manufacturers. “The […]
Cessna wins Columbia auction
It’s official. Cessna Aircraft Co. placed the winning bid for the assets of Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corp. Cessna’s bid of $26.4 million edged out New York-based Park Electrochemical Corp. Columbia, a Bend, Ore.-based company that manufactures high-performance single engine composite aircraft, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Portland, Ore., Sept. […]
Museum of Flight opens downtown Seattle store
Heading to Seattle this holiday season? You can now buy aviation-related gifts downtown, courtesy of the Museum of Flight’s Holiday Gallery and Gift Store at City Centre Mall. The store offers gift items such as books, toys, calendars and artwork. It also features selected photographs from the museum’s collection, including images from the Golden Age […]