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).
Collings Foundation’s Wings of Freedom tour to highlight B-24’s new paint scheme
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Collings Foundation will debut a new color scheme for its B-24 Liberator. The B-24, which joins the foundation’s B-17 Flying Fortress on the Wings of Freedom Tour this spring and summer, is being repainted to represent one of the most famous B-24’s […]
Jabiru USA Sport Aircraft opens sales and builder center in Tennessee
Jabiru USA Sport Aircraft, LLC., the nation’s largest supplier of Australian-produced Jabiru aircraft and engines, has opened a new sales and builder center in Shelbyville, Tenn. The 10,000-square-foot facility, at the north end of Bomar Field (SYI), includes classroom areas, parts storage, kit building areas and offices. “This new building provides a fantastic place for […]
Air Tractor’s AT-802 to be workhorse during wildfire season
Approximately 50% of the aircraft used to fight wildfires this year will be Air Tractor’s AT-802 aircraft. The Olney, Texas-based company reported late last month that its AT-802 will make up 50% of the firefighting fleet for the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The AT-802F single engine air tanker (SEAT) is the […]
Four Missouri pilots honored for 50+ years of accident-free flying
Four veteran pilots from the Branson, Missouri, area will be honored March 28 with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. The award is given by the FAA to pilots who have flown continuously for 50 years or more without an accident. The Branson quartet of Hank Haddock, Seth Caperton, Mark Trimble and Bill Lee have […]