GA accidents last year were the lowest since record keeping began in 1938. According to NTSB statistics, GA accidents in 2004 dropped 8.4% compared to 2003, while the number of fatal accidents declined 11.4%.
SJ30 completes static testing
Sino Swearingen Aircraft Corp. recently finalized all required static testing for FAA certification of its new twinjet airframe, including pressurization, ultimate wing loads, up and down bending and landing gear drop testing. The company is on track for certification of its SJ30-2 jet by the second half of this year, says Dr. Carl L. Chen, […]
Gen. Clark joins Adam board
Adam Aircraft, which is developing the A500 twin-piston and A700 Adamjet, has added a heavy hitter to its roster: Gen. Wesley K. Clark. A Democratic candidate for president last year, Clark spent 34 years in the Army, rising to the rank of four-star general as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.
GlobalFlyer pilot Fossett sets another record
Millionaire Steve Fossett made his way into the record books — once again — when he successfully became the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world. Fosset flew more than 67 hours nonstop in the Global Flyer, a Burt Rutan-designed aircraft, landing at 1:49 p.m. (CST) March 3 at Salina Municipal Airport (SLN) […]
Flying with the NASCAR Air Force
I learned more from my high school social studies teacher, Mrs. Packan, than any other teacher I’ve ever had. One of the lessons that has stuck to this day is that there is a “good” reason and a “real” reason for every decision. When we moved to South Carolina in 1998, the “good” reason was […]
A slight error
I just want to correct a slight error in the article written by Meg Godlewski in the Feb. 11, 2005, issue titled “Flight of the Phoenix — 2004 vs. 1965.” Meg states that a C-82 was flown in both films. Although a C-82 was used in the original movie, the 2004 version used a C119K, […]
Filmmakers need to get it right
It’s evident from her article that Ms. Godlewski is all a ga-ga over “The Aviator” (Behind the scenes of “The Aviator,” Feb. 11 issue). I grant her there is much to recommend the film. But as a writer for an aviation publication, I would have expected she’d be at least a little critical of some […]
Parks and Planes do share space
In the Dec. 10, 2004, issue, Meg Godlewski noted the city of Chicago’s director of planning and development had stated that “There are no parks where airstrips are a compatible use” (“Can planes and parks share space?”) This again shows the ignorance of the Chicago political machine. Several times a year, in the summer, I […]
A Killer
just read “Look and Touch: NTSB alerts pilots to hazards of wing icing, noting that you may have to touch the wing to detect ice,” in the Jan. 28 issue. I don’t know if attempting to take off with an iced-up airplane is coming back into vogue or what. To try and impress upon pilots […]