General Aviation News

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) says he won’t let user fees be imposed on general aviation by the FAA. “We’re not going to allow that to happen,” Inhofe stated flatly during an interview at Oshkosh. Although other U.S. Senators hold pilot licenses, Inhofe says he’s the only active pilot currently in the Senate, with the emphasis […]

Comp Air Inc. announced Aug. 28 that it would give away new Chevy Aveos to buyers of selected models of its airplanes.The first taker called three days later, according to Ron Lueck, owner of the Merritt Island, Fla.-based company. “He called from Miami and said he wanted to be the first,” Lueck said, “and he […]

Adding airbags to your airplane is really a no-brainer. So says Yvonne Tillyer, director of sales for AmSafe Aviation, which produces seat belts and inflatable restraints for GA, commercial and military customers. “The technology is there for our cars, so why wouldn’t you want it in your airplane?” she asks. “It should be standard practice […]

Back in 1996, Ash Vij was a student pilot on a solo flight, heading his Cessna 172 to the practice area. But something just didn’t feel right. “I started feeling uncomfortable,” he remembers. “So I turned around and headed back to the airport.”After landing, he took the plane to the mechanic. “It was due for […]

Have deployments of whole-airplane parachutes become old hat? That’s what Larry Williams, president of Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS), a leader in the industry, is wondering. The company just learned about saves 189 and 190 a few months ago. Good news to report, right? Except company officials were a little puzzled about how to report the […]

Could your airplane save your life? Long-time test pilot Jim Stewart is convinced the design of the prototype Sport-Jet, a composite and aluminum four-place single-engine jet, saved his life. The prototype crashed June 22 on takeoff from Colorado Springs Airport. Preliminary reports from the NTSB point to wake turbulence as the cause of the accident. […]

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has launched AirGeorgia, an airport infrastructure improvement program aimed at rural GA airports across the Peach State. Perdue, a pilot who owns a Bellanca, is a staunch supporter of aviation. His latest effort is a financing program aimed at completing critical infrastruture improvements necessary to upgrade many of Georgia’s rural GA […]

A new Micco Aircraft Co. is back in business and there are some familiar faces at the new company. Dewitt Beckett, who ran the original Micco Aircraft in Florida from 1996 to 2002, has entered into an agreement to acquire the type certificate, tooling, fixtures and inventory for the Micco SP26 aerobatic sport aircraft. The […]

Are you one of the thousands of people building an aircraft at home? How would you like it if your city council passed an ordinance outlawing this activity? Brian Kraut, a pilot and aircraft builder in Jacksonville, Fla., says that’s what happened in his town. According to Kraut, a new law, Ordinance 2006-543-E, bans the […]