Seawind is on a smooth road to certification, according to CEO Dick Silva, who said the company is prepared to deliver 20 certified Seawind amphibians in the first year of production and 60 in the second year. The company had 70 orders on the books when Sun ‘n Fun opened. The Seawind is powered by […]
Essays for Extra
Extra Aircraft is celebrating is 25th anniversary this year, with celebrations that began at Sun ‘n Fun. As part of the anniversary celebrations, the company is sponsoring an essay contest for owners. The theme: “Why I Love My Extra.” Owners need to tell their story in 100 words or less. Essays will be judged by […]
Diamond to install AmSafe restraints
Diamond Aircraft will install AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraints (AAIR) on board its new DA40 Diamond Star and DA42 Twin Star aircraft. The AAIR, an airbag designed, engineered, tested and certified exclusively for aviation, will be standard equipment for pilot and co-pilot seats, and optional equipment on the rear seats.
Liberty receives production certificate
Liberty Aerospace, manufacturer of the IFR-certified Liberty XL2, received its production certificate May 1 from the FAA. The Melbourne, Fla.-based company also entered the European general aviation market in April. As the XL2 is based on the Europa, a British light aircraft, the XL2 is “returning to its European roots,” according to Liberty President Tony […]
Mermaid receives S-LSA certificate
The FAA has granted Czech Aircraft Works an exemption for certification of the amphibious Mermaid Light Sport. The exemption means that the Mermaid now has full S-LSA approval, including permission for operation of its retractable gear, in flight, by a properly trained sport pilot. The FAA exemption covers only the Mermaid and no other amphibious […]
TSA issues advisory for plane owners
The Transportation Security Administration put out an advisory April 20 warning aircraft owners about a message, posted in Arabic on a Web forum, that explained how to identify private American airplanes. “Destroy private American aircraft…We call upon all Muslims to follow and identify private civilian American aircrafts (sic) in all airports of the world…It is […]
How Sun ‘n Fun saved a life
For Lewis Long, volunteering at Sun ‘n Fun has been a life-changing experience. The formerly homeless man, who kicked around most of the country before settling in Lakeland, Fla., has been volunteering for six years now. The first year he volunteered for just two days, but he was “hooked” right away. “I felt for the […]
A better use for Horace Williams airport land?
I know your aviation lobbyist group is based in Washington State and therefore has little direct staff knowledge about the UNC Horace Williams Airport (IGX) situation in the Raleigh Durham Chapel Hill area of North Carolina as you continue to rally to your members. However, you should at least know that the safety systems at […]
A simple fix
To Charles Spence, Capital Comments: I read with interest your ongoing articles concerning user fees. Perhaps I am missing something, but it seems to me that Congress is trying to fix something that’s not broken.If the FAA indeed needs more operating capital, why not very simply add a few cents to each gallon of fuel […]