The FAA has awarded a $72 million grant for the relocation of Panama City-Bay County International Airport (PFN) in Florida. Those funds will be added to $67 million in grants from the Florida Department of Transportation for the airport relocation project, which has been in the works since 1995, when a study indicated that the […]
Baffles essential to your engine’s performance
If necessity is the mother of invention, then experience is the father. Lee Budde, the owner of Airframes Inc. in Big Lake, Alaska, learned first-hand about the importance of engine baffles when the engine of his floatplane overheated during a takeoff. “It was a hot day and the aircraft I was flying had a rebuilt […]
WASP airport beacon saved from dumpster
Rotating airport beacons have to be large so they can be seen from the air at a distance. “But you don’t realize how large they are until you get right up close to them. They are HUGE!” said Rich Davidson, co-owner of Lee Bottom Flying Field (64I) in Hanover, Ind. Davidson learned this when he […]
A good flying airplane: Raised around Stinsons, Don Baggett finally gets one of his own
When you ask the owner of a vintage aircraft why he or she picked that particular model, you’ll likely hear about a family connection. For Don Baggett of Okeechobee, Fla., it was that familial connection that made him chose to become part owner of a Stinson V-77. The other owner is Bill Watkins, but it […]
GA carbon compensation program debuts
A carbon compensation program for aircraft, the first of its kind, is now available for general aviation aircraft. The Bend, Ore.-based Carbon Neutral Plane Program certifies that participating airplanes have compensated 100% for the carbon dioxide (CO2) they release into the air by financially supporting verified projects aimed at reducing the equivalent amount of CO2 […]
Texas Fly-In a success despite weather woes
Kicking off the regional EAA fly-in season, the Texas Fly-In, also known as the Southwest EAA Regional Fly-In, was well-attended, even though a weather system stretching from New Mexico to Arkansas prevented many to the north from attending the 43rd annual event. “We did all right,” said Stan Shannon, chairman and CEO of the fly-in. […]
A busy month in the Bearhawk community
The four-place Bearhawk has reached the point that many are hatching and leaving the nest. In just a month, five new Bearhawks took to the skies, from the cattle ranges of Montana to Brazil’s Mato Grasso region. Giuseppe Zanetti of Cuiaba, Brazil, finished his IO-360 Continental-powered AviPro Bearhawk, the first to fly with that engine, […]
University research shows where deposits clog jet engines
Maintenance savings, fuel efficiency could be significant Researchers at Ohio’s University of Dayton have developed a method to show where jet fuel deposits have the greatest potential for clogging engines. The findings, published in a recent issue of the journal “Energy & Fuels,” help jet engine designers to predict and work around such problem spots, […]
CAF’s 50th anniversary rally coming up
The Commemorative Air Force will celebrate its 50-year anniversary with a National Patriotic Rally, set for July 9-11, in Las Vegas. Registration for this once-in-a-lifetime event is open to the public, but space is limited. CAF officials expect 1,000 to 3,000 people to attend the rally. Keynote speakers are Lt. Col. Oliver L. North, a […]