The owner/builder’s inadequate fuel tank inspection during construction, which resulted in fuel contamination and subsequent fuel starvation.
The Albatross Lady: Julie Fetco and her flying yacht
Her name is Julie Fetcko, but those who have met her at air shows call her “The Albatross Lady.” She and her husband, John, own and fly the spectacular Grumman Albatross of that name, turning up at air shows and fly-ins all across America, summer after summer. They bought the Albatross as a “flying motor […]
Seawind crash kills test pilot: All employees laid off as owner looks for answers and investment capital
The amphibious Seawind 300C certification test airplane crashed Aug. 16, killing the company’s test pilot and destroying the aircraft. A “temporary interruption of business has been instituted,” said the company’s founder and CEO, Richard Silva, a few days after the crash. “It will be in effect until we can determine the cause of this event […]
BRS continues work on jet chute
When new airplanes are unveiled these days, Larry Williams and the gang from Ballistic Recovery Systems are invariably at the announcements. That’s because many new planes offer the BRS whole-airplane parachute system as standard equipment, while the rest offer it as options. That held true at this year’s AirVenture, where several new aircraft joined the […]
Are three parachutes better than one?Start-up company is betting on it
A family owned company is developing a emergency landing system for GA planes that uses three parachutes. The ASR TriChute Landing System features one parachute for the plane’s fuselage and a parachute for each wing. “The fact is, three parachutes are better than one,” explained Dario Manfredi, a finance executive who is the son of […]
Top 10 Pilot Mistakes: the view from the tower
What are the top 10 pilot mistakes? Ask any pilot or flight instructor and they’ll have their own lists. But what do air traffic controllers see as the biggest problems? Controllers laid out what they think are the top 10 mistakes at this year’s AirVenture in a Letterman-styled list: #10: Not Knowing Where You Are. […]
RotorWay debuts A600 Talon
RotorWay International, the world’s oldest and largest kit helicopter manufacturer, debuted its next generation helicopter, the A600 Talon, at this summer’s AirVenture. The two-seat A600 Talon is slated to become the first helicopter to be certified by the Arizona-based company. “The A600 Talon is the first of a new generation of RotorWay machines,” said CEO […]
Homebuilders continue fight against JAX law
Pilots picket City Hall to get onerous ordinance repealed “Repeal the Everett Law” read one sign. Another stated “JAX City Council discriminates against aviation.” An airplane towing a banner with a similar message flew overhead — all efforts by members of the Experimental Aircraft Association to sway the City Council of Jacksonville, Fla., to repeal […]
Can a GA ‘black box’ prevent accidents?
When there is a GA accident, the non-aviation media always seems to report that “there was no flight data recorder on board.” That may change in the near future as three companies have teamed to bring flight data monitoring to the GA market. “We call this the GA FDM, which stands for General Aviation Flight […]