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 […]
The wonders of modern science
Until recent times, pilots often wondered – and discussed at length – how flies land on ceilings. Do they do a half-roll first? A reversed split-s? Half of an inside loop? A few years ago, high-speed cameras finally taught us how the maneuver is done: Flies approach the ceiling in a shallow climb, contact it […]
Give me a break
In reference to the article Cub vs. Cub (Dec. 2 issue), is CubCrafters serious? How about if the producers of TOP tobacco decide that CubCrafters is infringing on their good name? Give me a break CubCrafters. The words legend, cub and yellow are all in the dictionary! This lawsuit has nothing to do with infringement, just […]