James Stockdale was a Naval aviator, a prisoner of war who earned the Medal of Honor for his heroism, a teacher, and a reluctant vice presidential candidate. He died July 5 at the age of 81, after an unsuccessful battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Vice Admiral Stockdale was a captain, commanding Carrier Air Group 16 aboard […]
FAA’s certification office faces cutbacks
It may take a little – or a lot – longer to get new aviation products certified if a 3% budget cut is sustained at the FAA Aviation Safety Office – formerly known as Regulation and Certification. The office is expected to lose 302 jobs through attrition in the current fiscal year, due to a […]
Commander Aircraft back in business after owners group buys assets
Commander Aircraft is back in business, but with a new name and a new location. A group of Commander owners acquired the assets of the bankrupt company June 29. The new company, dubbed Commander Premier Aircraft Corp. (CPAC), paid $1.7 million for the FAA type certificates for the line of four-place, high performance, single engine […]
Back to the days of heroes
How did you spend the first summer after you graduated from college? Jared Aicher from Boise, Idaho, spent the first part of his summer flying around the lower 48 states giving rides to Young Eagles. Ideally, he wants to do a world tour giving flights to some 400 kids between the ages of 8-17. The […]
UAVs to help Smokey Bear
Here’s another reason to avoid the TFRs over forest fires: Some of the aircraft up there may be unmanned. The United States Forest Service, taking a cue from other federal agencies, is exploring the idea of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to fight forest fires. The Forest Service is testing UAVs at a NASA facility […]
Drunk pilot faces charges in two states
A student pilot who allegedly stole a single-engine Cessna in Connecticut and flew it while drunk is facing criminal charges in two states. Philippe Patricio, 20, of Bethel, Conn., faces a felony charge of circumventing airport security in Danbury for the theft of the Cessna 172 used during the June 22 incident. Patricio told authorities […]
There’s a what loose where?
If you’re flying in the vicinity of South Bend Regional Airport (SBD) in Indiana and see what looks like a kangaroo on the ground…well, it might be a kangaroo. On June 27, local animal control officials got a report of a kangaroo wandering in a wooded area near the airport. “When we got the call […]
Angel Flight puts out call for pilots
As hurricane season heats up, Angel Flight Southeast (AFSE) is looking for pilots with experience flying emergency missions. Last year, AFSE became the first organization to use private pilots to fly emergency air missions, including the delivery of water and blood after Hurricanes Jeanne and Ivan, as part of the Homeland Security Emergency Air Transportation […]
Air show pilots collide off Delaware coast
Two airplanes practicing for an air show collided over Delaware Bay July 10, leaving one pilot dead and the other still missing at press time. The two were part of a six plane group that took off from Sussex County Airport (GED) at Georgetown, Del., earlier in the day. They were members of the Vultures […]