WASHINGTON, D.C. — After years of assurances from several FAA administrators that user fees were not an issue, the FAA recently informed the aviation community that the sky is falling with the aviation trust fund and new sources of revenue are needed when authority for collecting fuel taxes expires two years from now. Once again […]
Will TCP help with lead buildup?
QUESTION: I have a Rotax 912 and am concerned about lead buildup in the engine using 100LL. Will TCP reduce the problem? Hugh Cox Destin, Fla. ANSWER: I””ll step out of my box on this one because I think my answer will apply across the board regarding the use of TCP. Many operators over the […]
The South’s best airports
Just about every pilot has a favorite airport, and most have their own ideas of what makes one stand out from the others. A few months ago, we asked our readers to nominate the best airport in the South. Several named Brunswick/Oak Island Airport (SUT) at Southport, N.C., as the clear winner. “Howie Franklin and […]
Construction begins on new terminal for Space Coast airport
Florida’s Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority has received more than $4.6 million in grants for a new corporate aviation terminal. The bulk of the funds, $3.3 million, is from the Florida Department of Transportion. The remaining $1.25 million is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Construction is expected to begin this month.
More turbines are coming
Deliveries of new turbine business airplanes shot up more than 31% in this year’s first half, compared to last year’s, according to a report from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). Exactly 100 more business jets and turboprops were delivered in the first six months of 2005 than during the same period last year, according […]
“Insuring” student pilots’ conduct
Avemco, the only direct writer of general aviation insurance in the U.S., is sponsoring production of “The Student Pilots” Model Code of Conduct,” intended to improve pilot safety, flying excellence, and the general aviation community. Avemco is mailing the publication to every new student pilot, said Jim Lauerman, executive vice president and chief underwriter. “Avemco […]
Garrett/Piedmont consolidates engine work
A recent announcement by Garrett Piedmont Hawthorne that it is closing engine repair facilities at MacArthur Airport on Long Island, N.Y., Columbus, Ohio, and Springfield, Ill., spares operations at Augusta, Ga., Houston and Los Angeles, but makes no mention of Charlottesville, Va., where the firm completed a multi-million dollar hangar in May. Garrett plans to […]
NBAA Convention moves to Orlando
The National Business Aviation Association convention, originally scheduled for New Orleans, has been relocated to Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The show also has been moved up a week, to Nov. 9-11. Aircraft will be on static display at Orlando Executive Airport (ORL).
Eclipse 500 static testing completed
The Eclipse 500 very light jet has completed the airframe static testing required for its FAA certification. The FAA cleared the Eclipse for an initial 10,000 hour lifetime, significantly more than is typically approved so early. Static testing, which tests airframe loads to the designed maximum and, in some instances, to failure, was conducted throughout […]