Every afternoon during last month’s AirVenture, the Showcase featured airplanes of all sorts. On two days, however, the sky was filled with RVs. The flight of 35 RVs flying in formation marked 35 years of participation in AirVenture by Van’s Aircraft. It also was designed to honor Van’s founder, Richard VanGrunsven. According to Stu McCurdy, […]
Able Flight scholarships give wings to disabled pilots
Going to AirVenture is always a special treat for new pilots, but it was even more special for Brad Jones of Georgia and Sean O’Donnell of Pennsylvania. Both are recipients of scholarships made available through Able Flight and received their Sport Pilot wings at a special ceremony held during AirVenture. Jones and O’Donnell are the […]
E-LSA registration deadline looms
Do you fly a “fat” ultralight? The deadline for registering your aircraft as an Experimental Light Sport Aircraft is Jan. 31, 2008. Registration involves more than sending in paperwork. The aircraft have to be inspected for airworthiness, then certified to become E-LSAs. The issue is high profile enough that FAA Administrator Marion Blakey commented on […]
G1000 issues slow production, force layoffs
Aircraft manufacturers that use Garmin’s G1000 are experiencing production slow downs. About 300 employees from Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corp. in Bend, Ore., were furloughed Aug. 13 as production ground to a halt because of supplier woes. According to Columbia officials, Garmin notified them the first week of August of an inherent problem in the Attitude, […]
Grant awarded to project designed to eliminate 100LL
Tom Ehresman, an inventor from Loveland, Colo., was awarded a 2007 Lindbergh-Lycoming Grant for his project to eliminate the use of leaded avgas. Ehresman is developing a direct injection igniter fuel nozzle that would allow jet fuel, diesel and other types of fuels to be used in high-performance aircraft piston engines. Ehresman, chosen from 150 […]
AirVenture by the numbers
Attendance: Estimated at 560,000, an increase of about 3.2% from 2006. Aircraft: More than 10,000 aircraft flew in for the big show to Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in the area. Total showplanes: 2,647, which includes 985 homebuilts, 1,014 vintage airplanes, 365 warbirds, 136 ultralights, 117 seaplanes and 30 rotorcraft. Exhibitors: 784 […]
AirVenture 2007: Our picks for the best of show
This year’s AirVenture was one of the busiest on record, with major product unveilings and announcements coming thick and fast throughout the week. As veterans of the big show, GAN staffers were impressed by the huge crowds from day one. Also impressive was the obvious interest shown by everyone, from industry representatives to the media […]
Pipistrel Virus takes top prize at first PAV challenge
A modified version of a Pipistrel Virus owned by Vance Turner of Rescue, Calif., was the big winner in the first Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) Challenge held earlier this month at Charles Schultz-Sonoma County Airport (STS) near Santa Rosa, Calif. NASA put up $250,000 in prize money for the inaugural event, which was hosted by […]
New Orleans Lakefront tower reopens
New Orleans Lakefront tower reopened July 30 for the first time since Hurricane Katrina shut down its operations in 2005. Even without the tower, the airport was handling 160 operations a day, said airport manager R. W. Taylor. With the tower again operational, traffic is expected to climb rapidly, largely from business operators, he said. […]