The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power, and his improper landing flare during a forced autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident were the inoperative fuel gauge, which was not accurately calibrated, and the pilot’s reliance on the gauge.
Pictures of the Day: Only GA can let you do that
Jim Hefner submitted these photos and note: “My wife and I did a day trip flight from Tucson to Catalina Island. The first photo is a shot of our plane parked at The Airport in the Sky (KAVX). This flight had been on my bucket list for several years and it was worth the wait. Due to COVID we didn’t want to stay overnight, so we flew nearly 1,000 miles to have a picnic lunch on an island in the Pacific and were back home by 5 pm … only GA can let you do that! It was an incredible day getaway with my wife that we will never forget.”
Mind your momma
The visual stimulation of flight coupled with the almost completely unfettered freedom the airplane gave me made me glad I zigged when others zagged. I fastidiously kept my nose clean while some of my peers went another way, to their ultimate detriment.
Chaos created by pandemic could result in a better ATC system
“Out of the chaos of COVID-19, we have an historic opportunity to invest in our nation’s aviation system in both technology and physical infrastructure to ensure the U.S remains the gold standard in aviation worldwide,” says Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).
Doubling down on Able Flight
“The availability of the adapted Sky Arrow helped inspire the creation of Able Flight, and over the past 15 years, many people have become licensed pilots after training in the Sky Arrow,” said Able Flight’s Founder and Executive Director Charles Stites. “Their plane has been an outstanding training platform for our pilots, and it is gratifying that Magnaghi Aeronautica has now chosen to help support the scholarship program with a financial gift.”
ICON introduces SMART app
Called ICON SMART (Survey for Managing and Assessing Risks to Safety), the mobile app guides users through preflight planning questions such as expected payload, fuel, weather, takeoff and landing information, flight time, and even the pilot’s experience and health status.
Plane hits deer two times in three weeks
The airplane’s collision with deer during the landing and the airport’s failure to provide an adequate barrier to prevent wildlife from entering the runway environment despite previous deer strikes.
Picture of the Day: Champ at sunset
Pete Burns submitted this photo and note: “Just ramming around the area in April 2021 in my 1946 7AC Champ. I was coming in to land and I saw a friend in a Cub take off. I circled around, he formed up, and a friend in the back of my plane took this photo. We are pretty much right over the strip — 0NY0, Bennett’s Field in North Creek, N.Y., in the Adirondacks.”
GAX: In search of a mission after World War I
The Army Air Services wanted a ground attack aircraft with heavy firepower and protected by armor plating to ensure its survival in low-altitude battlefield warfare. The GAX (Ground Attack Experimental) didn’t win any beauty contests, with its truncated nose and oversized rudder. Nor did it win friends in the flying community, as the weight of the armor and armament taxed the ability of two Liberty engines to propel it.