Honda added its HondaJet to the very light jet market July 25, making the not-unexpected announcement at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. What was surprising was an announcement by Honda and Piper Aircraft of a new business alliance which will collaborate on sales and service and “explore opportunities in engineering and other areas within general and […]
An Ornithopter flies, Davinci’s 500-year-old dream realized in Canada
Dr. James DeLaurier, an aeronautical engineer and professor emeritus at Canada’s University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, fulfilled a lifelong dream July 9 when his full-scale ornithopter took flight with a pilot on board. DeLaurier’s ornithopter, dubbed “Flapper,” was airborne for 14 seconds, during which it flew about 1,000 feet down the runway at […]
Travel to Eastern Pennsylvania’s aviation museums to see the rare and exotic
Eastern Pennsylvania offers a wealth of museums, many of them world famous, making the area a great destination for airplane owners. Philadelphia’s elegant Greek-temple-like Art Museum and nearby Franklin Institute, not to mention Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, doubtless are the best known. On a pedestal outside the Franklin Institute stands a gleaming stainless […]
Doolittle Raider Reunion
The 65th annual reunion of the Doolittle Raiders is slated for April 18-21 next year in San Antonio. Host will be the Yellow Rose B-25 Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), which has invited at least 16 flying B-25s. They plan a flyover, as well as a public access static display. 830-379-6540 or [email protected].
Diamond Aircraft’s new D-Jet makes debut at Oshkosh
Diamond Aircraft’s new D-Jet made its public debut July 26 at AirVenture. The jet made its dramatic entrance to AeroShell Square after performing several fly-bys for the crowd. “Is this an elegant plane or what?” asked Marion Blakey, FAA adminstrator. The jet, which has been flying for about 30 hours, is powered by a single […]
Cessna Unveils its LSA, surprises crowd with “next generation” aircraft
Cessna Aircraft Co. opened this year’s AirVenture with a buzz, showing off its proof-of-concept Light Sport Aircraft, then wowing the crowd with a fly-by of its Next Generation Piston aircraft. The much-anticipated unveiling of the Cessna LSA took place at AeroShell Square, attracting hundreds of onlookers, including many industry insiders who spent the minutes before […]
Play like a pro: Pilots get a special invitation to Pinehurst
Ever wish you could play on the same golf course as the professionals? You can, at North Carolina’s Pinehurst Resort, site of the 2005 U.S. Open Championship. The 2,000-acre resort, which boasts eight championship golf courses, is just one of three U.S. Open sites open to the public, according to Janeen Driscoll, communications manager. And […]
Crowd Stopper, Jerry Sater’s Wilga attracts attention whereever it lands
If there was one owner whose plane got a lot of quizzical stares at the Northwest EAA Fly-In at Arlington, Wash., this year, it was Jerry T. Sater of Kettle Falls, Wash. Sater’s bright green Wilga was a rarity among the line of homebuilt and vintage machines. Sater had barely landed before curious pilots surrounded […]
The Lizard has landed: Christopher Desmond’s reptilian Zenith
You can tell a lot about the flying habits of a pilot by the kind of aircraft he or she owns. For example, one look at Christopher Desmond’s Zenith CH 701 and you would probably surmise that he’s a pilot who likes to head for the back country where riverbanks are the runways and the […]