“It’s refreshing to have two pilots on board,” said Dr. H. Jay Bruninga as he walked with GAN publisher Ben Sclair and me onto the ramp at Tacoma Narrows Airport in Washington State. We were going to see the turbine-powered Bonanza that is the photo airplane for Tim Weber Airshows Inc. We were going up […]
It sure beats a day at the office: Air show performer Tim Weber can’t imagine any other career
Air show performer Tim Weber is one of those people who have been lucky enough to find a flying job they love. “I have been doing this 12 years,” he said with a smile during a recent stop in Tacoma, Wash., for a July 4th air show. “It is my full-time job and I can’t […]
Cirrus unveils its Light Sport Aircraft11:03:54 AM Company will’ Cirrus-ize’ FK14 Polaris
When some people learn they can’t have children, they opt to adopt instead. In a sense, that’s what Cirrus Design has done to enter the Light Sport Aircraft market. The Duluth-based aircraft manufacturer plans to enter the LSA market by making modifications to the FK14 Polaris. The design comes from FK Lightplanes in Germany and […]
FAA shrinks the ADIZ
Of all the things she told the crowd during the Meet the Administrator Forum at EAA AirVenture, nothing raised as much of a cheer as the announcement that the FAA is reducing the size of the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Instead of resembling the head of Mickey Mouse, the newly designed, smaller […]
Cessna unveils the SkyCatcher
“We’re making it personal,” stated Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton. The “it” he was referring to is the Cessna 162, also known as the SkyCatcher, the Light Sport Aircraft designed by Cessna. A week before EAA AirVenture, Cessna officially announced it was going to move ahead with development of the LSA. Cessna kicked […]
Take a guided tour of a B-29 — at the bottom of a lake
The National Park Service has awarded two companies limited Commercial Use Authorizations for guided technical scuba diving on a Cold War-era B-29 that rests at the bottom of Lake Mead in Nevada. The two companies are Sin City Scuba, based in Las Vegas, and Scuba Training and Technology Inc., based in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. […]
Kilmer Bortz, World War II Naval Aviator, dies
There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Kilmer S. Bortz. He was one of those highly-decorated heroes of World War II who came home to a comparatively prosaic, but apparently satisfying, life. He died June 27 at his home near Lutherville, Maryland. He was 87. Bortz flew with the Navy’s Bomb Squadron 13, itself […]
Fossett earns sailplane speed record
When record-making Steve Fossett sets yet another one, some people shrug. He has set many a record in powered and un-powered aircraft, balloons, sailboats – if it moves, Fossett may have set a record in it. Early last month, he and New Zealand soaring expert Terry Delore set a speed record for sailplanes, gliding over […]
1940 Air Terminal Museum raffles off antique aircraft
How would you like to be the proud owner of a beautifully restored, airworthy antique aircraft — and only pay $50 for it? It could happen, if you hold the winning ticket in the 1940 Air Terminal Museum raffle. The museum, located at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, is raffling off a 1947 Cessna […]