The popularity of the recent movie about Howard Hughes, “The Aviator,” has resulted in a six-fold increase in attendance at the Florida Air Museum on the Sun ‘n Fun campus. The museum has such a vast collection of Howard Hughes memorabilia that officials are still cataloging items. Included are photos, newspaper clippings, flight suits and […]
New Cessna Center planned for Sun ‘n Fun campus
Cessna will build a permanent facility on the Sun ‘n Fun campus. The Cessna Center, which will be built with a $200,000 donation from The Cessna Foundation, will be used for Sun ‘n Fun’s year-round education programs, an essential element in bringing more young people into aviation, said Jack Pelton, Cessna’s president. During the annual […]
Medirian goes glass with Avidyne FlightMax
Last year was a tough one for The New Piper Aircraft Co. The Vero Beach, Fla.-based company was hit by a “couple” of hurricanes last year, said Chuck Suma, president and CEO. “But from adversity comes strength,” he noted. “The company is a lot stronger today than it was before the hurricane.” Employees pulled together […]
Symphony unveils two-place with glass cockpit
Symphony Aircraft Industries wants to set the new standard in training. The company produces the Symphony 160, a two-place aircraft that now sports the Avidyne Entegra flight deck as standard equipment, making it the first two-place with a glass cockpit, according to Paul Costanza, Symphony’s president and CEO. The aircraft also features the BRS Parachute […]
Ready for the boom: Advanced Aero unveils new design for the Sport Pilot
Supporters of Light Sport Aircraft predicted that when the LSA Sport Pilot rule was published, there would be a boom in the light sport aircraft manufacturing industry. If that boom is happening, then one of the first companies to take advantage of it is Advanced Aero from Titusville, Fla. Joe Gagliano and his son, Chris, […]
Extreme makeover, airplane edition
After more than five years in service as the flagship for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program, GlaStar N232YE was looking a little tired. So tired, in fact, that when the aircraft was returned to the factory in Arlington, Wash., last winter, the factory crew decided to do more than basic maintenance. “It has […]
FINALLY! First Light Sport Aircraft certified
The age of the Light Sport Aircraft has dawned. Certification for ready to fly models began in the second week of April, just in time for the Sun ‘n Fun fly-in at Lakeland, Fla. The first two airplanes to get the blessing from the FAA are the Czech-built Evektor Sportstar and the German-made Flight Design […]
Land near WA airport considered for NASCAR track
The International Speedway Corp. is reportedly eyeing property south of Bremerton International Airport (PWT) in western Washington as a location for a track large enough to host NASCAR events. “We have been on their radar screen since 2003, but they have not made a proposal,” said Terrie Battuello, public information officer for Kitsap County. On […]
Wright H-1 crash blamed on mechanical failure
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 […]