Also making a first delivery in late 2005 was Adam Aircraft, which delivered its first A500 centerline piston-engine twin aircraft to a customer during the NBAA convention. “Adam Aircraft has moved from a developmental startup company that makes experimental aircraft to an FAA-certified manufacturer that is delivering standard airworthiness aircraft,” said Rick Adam, chairman and […]
Liberty makes first delivery
Liberty Aerospace made history with its first customer delivery in December. That’s because the delivery of an XL2 to Thomas Sams, a retired airline captain in Texas, also marked the first retail delivery of a production aircraft in the U.S. equipped with Teledyne Continental Motors Inc. PowerLink Full Authority Digital Engine Control ( FADEC).
Air show pilot dies in crash
Air show pilot Eric Beard was killed Jan. 6 when his Piper Seneca crashed in fog in Skagit County, Wash. Beard, 47, was flying for Airpac Airlines, a cargo company, at the time of the crash. The plane’s wreckage was found about 400 yards from the runway at Skagit Bayview Airport (BVS) near Mount Vernon. […]
Cirrus plans to add 75,000-square-feet
Cirrus Design Corp. is expanding. The company plans to build a 75,000-square-foot expansion to its existing facility at Duluth International Airport (DLH) in Minnesota.
GlobalFlyer damaged by fuel truck
The GlobalFlyer was damaged in early January when it collided with a fuel truck at the Salina, Kan., airport. A wingtip struck a fuel truck, causing “considerable” damage, according to officials at Virgin Atlantic, which sponsors the GlobalFlyer. The plane was repaired and pilot Steve Fossett planned to fly it to Kennedy Space Center’s Space […]
Man pleads guilty to flying drunk in stolen 172
A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty in a New York court to stealing a Cessna 172 while drunk. Philippe Patricio, 21, pleaded guilty to charges of reckless endangerment, unauthorized use of a vehicle, flying while intoxicated and resisting arrest, in exchange for an agreement that he will receive less than one year in jail. Patricio, […]
FAA offers online airspace course
The FAA is offering an online training course to help pilots understand the flight restrictions around the nation’s capital. The free course, at FAASafety.gov, provides detailed information on the procedures required to operate in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Flight Restricted Zone, the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), and other restricted airspace. Pilots who complete […]
GA not a threat, new government report states
A new report from the Congressional Research Service, “Securing General Aviation,” notes that GA is not a threat, adding that a “one size fits all” approach to security is not practical. The report notes that GA planes’ ability to carry explosives is small compared to trucks and other vehicles. It also points out that airspace […]
Pilot in a week?
Can you become a pilot in a week? Just ask Davin Coburn, a science editor at “Popular Mechanics,” who started his flying lessons at Mid-Atlantic Sports Planes (MASPL) in Alexandria, Va., with one objective in mind: to complete the Sport Pilot flight requirements and take his check ride in a week. He succeeded. One week […]