General Aviation News

The malfunction of propeller counterweights is blamed for the crash of the Wright Hughes H-1B. The airplane, a reproduction of the sleek Howard Hughes racer, was built by a team of mechanics under the guidance of tool manufacturer Jim Wright from Cottage Grove, Ore. The airplane crashed Aug. 4, 2003, while en route from EAA […]

The Florida Air Museum is now home to the one-of-a-kind Mooney Tiger. The aircraft, officially presented to the museum during last month’s Sun ‘n Fun fly-in, joins Mooney’s 1948 M-18L Mite, a single-seat, low-wing monoplane currently on display at the museum. Formerly known as the Mooney Predator, the Tiger was created to compete for the […]

Northcoast Technologies now has an all-electric air conditioning system for GA aircraft, currently STC’d for three Cessna 182 and two 172 models. Northcoast’s Bob Rutherford says it is “the first all-electric, hermetically sealed, brushless DC air conditioning system” for GA aircraft. Unlike other systems, it does not use an engine-driven compressor – but it does […]

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) recently announced its list of the Most Memorable Records of 2004. The “most memorable” are just a few of the dozens of records set last year and include:  – Mike Keenum set a record for piston engine aircraft over a closed circuit of 100 kilometers (62 miles) without payload in […]

Tiger Aircraft now sport AmSafe Aviation’s inflatable restraints as standard equipment. The airbags will be fitted on all pilot and copilot seats and will be available as options on rear seats.

Diamond Aircraft will begin building its DA40 Diamond Star in China. “We are investing in Chinese domestic production as China is an important emerging GA market,” said Diamond CEO Christian Dries. The new facility is designed to employ as many as 1,700 workers and produce more than 600 aircraft a year, as the Chinese market […]

A new visual warning system (VWS) for the Washington, D.C. ADIZ becomes operational May 21. The VWS is a ground-based system that uses low-level beams of alternating red and green lasers designed to alert pilots that they have violated the ADIZ or flight restricted zone (FRZ). Pilots who see this signal should immediately contact ATC […]

The crash of an air tanker may prompt another grounding of air tankers during the 2005 fire season. All three crewmen on board were killed when the military surplus P-3B Orion crashed near Chico, Calif., during a training flight April 22. The aircraft, built in 1966 for the United States Navy, was converted to a […]