Edwards Park, best known to pilots for his contributions to “Air & Space” magazine and for his book about flying a P-39 in World War II New Guinea, died Feb. 12 from complications following a fall. He was 87. Park was a founding editor of “Smithsonian” magazine. Including his frequent contributions to Smithsonian publications after […]
Navajo back away from Utilicraft deal
The Navajo Nation withdrew its previously announced financial support of the Utilicraft twin turboprop cargo plane in mid-February. The Navajo Economic Development Committee made the decision on the advice of two New Mexico state agencies, one of which, the state’s Economic Development Department, had brought the two parties together in the first place. However, according […]
Jury hits Lycoming with $96 million judgment
The $96 million verdict of a Texas jury against Textron Lycoming has left two Dallas lawyers crowing, Lycoming in dead silence, and much of the aviation industry wondering how 12 country folk came to know so much about engineering. The case concerned a back-and-forth legal battle between Lycoming and Interstate Southwest Ltd., supplier of the […]
Buy and fly on eBay with the click of a mouse
Fly-ins, swap meets and aviation supply shops aren’t the only place you can get those hard to find items for your aviation wants and needs. eBay, the online auction house, is another venue for locating aviation collectibles, artwork, clothing, headsets, books and even vintage cockpit instruments. All it takes is a little luck, a little […]
From gliders to flight simulators, the Northwest Aviation Conference had it all
The fog was so thick the geese were walking and there was a new $5 admission fee, but neither seemed to keep pilots, mechanics and aviation buffs away from the Northwest Aviation Conference Feb. 25-27 in Puyallup, Wash. The show has been attracting pilots from all over the northwest for more than 20 years. If […]
There is nothing new under the sun… or is there?
Sometimes the scariest part of a night flight is taxiing back to the hangar – especially when the taxiway isn’t lighted. Airports, especially smaller ones, have to balance lighting needs with economic realities. Often that means using low-cost methods of marking taxiways for low-light conditions, such as placing reflectors on the surface or on short […]
California’s Santa Paula Airport closed by flood
Torrential rains in Southern California have closed another airport. Officials at Santa Paula Airport (SZP) in Ventura County made the decision to shut down the privately owned field Feb. 22 after the rising Santa Clara River undermined a tie-down area, a helicopter landing pad and swept away 155 feet of the 2,650-foot runway. SZP was […]
FAA issues emergency AD for Cessna 400 wing-spar cracks
The discovery of fatigue cracks in the wings of a second twin-engine Cessna prompted the FAA to issue an Emergency Airworthiness Directive for two Cessna 400 series aircraft Feb. 21. The AD requires more frequent inspections for wing-spar cracks on the 402C and 414A models. According to AD, the most recent incident happened Feb. 11 […]
Sen. Allen wants GA operations to resume at Reagan National
Senator George Allen (R-Va.), Congressman John Mica (R-Fla.), Congressman Tom Davis (R-Va.), and Congressman James Moran (D-Va.) recently introduced legislation that would direct the Department of Homeland Security to resume GA operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).