A federal judge has sent a message that states cannot preempt the federal government by forcing flight school students to undergo special background checks. U.S. District Judge Gary Sharpe ruled Aug. 2 in favor of a motion made by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association against a background check law in New York. Last year […]
FAA launches GA safety study
The FAA is launching a research project aimed at reducing loss of control scenarios, which it says account for about 50% of all GA accidents. The study’s goal is to determine the “feasibility of leveraging existing technology currently available in the GA market to implement automatic envelope warning and protection devices and improve GA safety […]
Safety & Risk: Are you a pilot with the Right Stuff?
Training, good judgment and the right equipment all contribute to ensuring you have what it takes to be the best pilot you can. In this issue, we explore a variety of issues related to safety and risk, starting with the Touch & Go on page 14, which details a new study of what makes a […]
William T. Piper Jr. dies at 95
William T. Piper Jr., scion of the aircraft family that made the Piper Cub world famous, died Aug. 24. He was 95. He was a resident of Marco Island, Fla., and spent summers in Lock Haven, Pa. A pioneer in general aviation, Piper joined the company founded by his father, William T. Piper Sr., in […]
SEADOG gets automated weather
When a hurricane hits, one of the first priorities is to get the local airport back up and running. That’s why the Southeast chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives created SEADOG: the Southeast Airports Disaster Operations Group. Besides sending personnel to help hard-hit airports get back into operation, the organization also has teamed […]
Eclipse 500 auctioned on eBay
The winning bid for an Eclipse 500, auctioned last month on eBay, topped $1.8 million. The winner is Morten Wagner of Denmark, who placed his winning bid of $1,833,945 at 2 a.m. his time on Aug. 11. The 35-year-old Internet entrepreneur took delivery of his jet earlier this month at Eclipse Aviation’s headquarters in Albuquerque. […]
Lightsaber on board next Space Shuttle
A lightsaber, the weapon made famous by Star Wars movies, will be taken into space aboard the next shuttle, slated for launch in October. The weapon, from the original 1977 Star Wars movie, is on loan from Lucas films. Since the beginning of the space program astronauts have taken trinkets into space. This is first […]
the buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
“This is the center of the universe. There’s nothing better than being at Oshkosh this week.” — Alan Klapmeier, co-founder of Cirrus Design, on AirVenture’s opening day “Don’t drop the airplane to fly the radio. An airplane flies because of Bernoulli, not Marconi.” — GAN contributing writer Mark Grady, who presented an Air Safety Foundation […]
Do you have the Right Stuff? If not, can it be learned?
Everyone knows at least one pilot who has “the right stuff.” “These are the people we trust, whom we look up to — and not just for their stick and rudder skills,” says Bill Rhodes, owner of Aerworthy Consulting, who is kicking off a first-of-its-kind study of what makes a pilot a superior pilot. Dubbed […]