A contaminant found in the fuel of Gus McLeod’s Firefly appears to be sabotage. The mysterious incident has forced further postponement of McLeod’s planned pole-to-pole solo flight around the world. “After an analysis of the contamination, and cutting the tanks open for inspection, the verdict is inescapable,” the Maryland pilot said. “The fuel was contaminated with a […]
Bobbing for aircraft: The USS Macon exhibit in Monterey
One of the most popular exhibits at the Maritime Museum of Monterey was never intended to go into the ocean. The USS Macon exhibit, which will be on display through December, features the airship that crashed off the California coast in 1934. “It’s a big part of the local history,” notes Tim Thomas, a museum […]
Sharing more than a love of aviation
Wing walker Teresa Stokes and her business partner and boyfriend, air show pilot Gene Soucy, share more than the love of aviation. They also share a kidney. In 2003 Stokes donated one of her kidneys to Soucy, who was living with a progressive kidney disease. They now tout organ donation during their performances at air […]
Sea turtle migrates via corporate aircraft
Turtle is synonymous with slow, but Ace the sea turtle is an exception to the rule. On Oct. 7, the turtle made the journey from Connecticut to Florida with an average cruise speed of 200 knots and at flight level 280, no less. Ace made the journey from the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration […]
The gift of flight: It starts with instructors
Learning to fly is a life-altering experience. While many flight instructors teach as a means to build time for other aviation jobs, there are some who are dedicated to bestowing the gift of flight on others. “If I teach a student, I have taught one person to fly. If I teach a flight instructor, I […]
Another fatal Young Eagles creah discovered
The Oct. 15 crash of an airplane participating in a Young Eagles rally in Everett, Wash., was not the first fatal accident tied to the program. According to information obtained from the National Transportation Safety Board, a Grumman American AA-1B crashed in September 1998 during a Young Eagles event in Yoder, Colo., killing the pilot […]
Help arrives for Kitfox owners
Three aviation companies and the Experimental Aircraft Association have joined forces to help orphaned Kitfox customers obtain engines for their airplanes. When SkyStar Aircraft Corp. declared bankruptcy last month, it left dozens of Kitfox builders in the lurch who had paid for, but not received, their Rotax engines. As unsecured creditors, their chances of receiving […]
Cub vs. Cub
The Light Sport Aircraft movement has gone from the airport to the courtroom as CubCrafters has filed a lawsuit against American Legend Aircraft Co. over its Cub-inspired design, the Legend Cub. The lawsuit was filed in a Texas federal court to stop Sulphur Springs, Texas-based American Legend Aircraft Co. from using the names “Cub” and […]
Symphony certified for doors-off flight
In response to customer requests, Symphony Aircraft Industries has certified the Symphony SA 160 for “doors-off” flights. The certification allows for the aircraft to fly doors-off with the passenger door removed or with both doors removed. In either configuration, cruise speed is reduced by only 5.5%.