The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill must continue to operate Horace Williams Airport (IGX) for the public and Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Medical Air Operations for at least another year, according to the state’s recently-passed budget bill. Meanwhile, the Legislative Research Commission will study the effect the closure of the airport would […]
Eclipse to start deliveries in March 2006
Eclipse Aviation is slated to deliver its first Eclipse 500 in March 2006. “Eclipse is on the verge of becoming a real company,” said CEO Vern Raburn, who explained that a “real” company is one where customers hand over money and the company delivers products. “Until then, you’re playing at being a company.” That first […]
Honoring the Greatest Generation
One of the complaints kids voice about having to learn history from books is how dry it is. If you could interact with it, it might be more interesting, they say. That could be done if you visited the Living History display that graced the warbird area of EAA AirVenture. Just behind the lines of […]
Unusual Attitudes
After reading the letter “Training better, happier pilots,” (July issue), I thought that I would drop you a quick e-mail to tell you about a most enjoyable experience I had. I took my first aerobatic training this weekend with Greg Koontz. His knowledge and experience of aerobatics make a great combination for the perfect learning […]
One bad apple
I find it ironic that shortly after our successful Airport Appreciation Day at Pickens County Airport in Jasper, Ga., a local “”professional”” pilot found the ear of the managing editor of the Pickens “”Progress,”” our local source of news, gossip and general hearsay. The resulting article contained more than 2,200 words, a lengthy piece for […]
The need for speed — Flying the Columbia 400
Well, it took awhile. Ever since Sun ‘n Fun 2005, I had been lusting to fly the Columbia 400, touted as the fastest production recip available today. Problem is, they’re selling so fast that Aero Sport Inc., the Columbia dealer for the state of Florida, has difficulty keeping a demonstrator in inventory. In the end, […]
VFR flight into IMC ends in fatal crash in bean field
These August 2003 Accident Reports are provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, they are intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Location: Clarkfield, Minn. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The pilot had filed a visual flight rules flight plan, […]
DARCorporation unveils new website and online store
DarCorporation, which has provided airplane design software, books and engineering consulting services since 1991, has a new website and online store at DARCorp.com. To celebrate, the company has discounted its best-selling Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary 50% off retail with every book purchase (one per customer please, quantities are limited).
Proxy Aviation Systems debuts SkyWatcher UAV
Proxy Aviation Systems, Inc., a company dedicated to developing autonomous, unmanned aircraft systems, has unveiled SkyWatcher, a long endurance, low and medium altitude, multi-payload unmanned aircraft system. SkyWatcher is designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The system consists of four main components: autonomous air vehicles; a primary mission-management ground control station; mobile ground control […]