Karl Kruger submitted this photo and note: “On my way from Helena, Montana, to Jamestown, Tennessee, in my RV-7A, I stopped over in Kirksville, Missouri, one of my favorite places to take a break. Nice folks at the FBO and pretty sunsets.”
Aircraft
Questions from the Cockpit: Recycle, replace, or retrofit?
Tom, an airplane owner in Georgia, writes: How do you re-web an airplane seatbelt?
Clear Lake Splash-In to showcase proposals for new seaplane infrastructure
“We hope to encourage participation by seaplane pilots around the country to help refine the projects under consideration and to demonstrate the level of interest in using these facilities by the seaplane pilot community,” said Herb Lingl, Clear Lake Splash-In coordinator.
Montana legislators pass bill limiting use of ADS-B
The bill, introduced by Rep. Shane Klakken (R-Grass Range), who is a pilot, would prohibit the use of ADS-B data to assess landing fees on general aviation (Part 91) flights in aircraft that weigh no more than 9,000 pounds.
Aircraft Spruce opens new Texas distribution center
Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. and its sister company Aero Performance have opened a new 38,000-square-foot distribution center at AllianceTexas, a 27,000-acre master planned development at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport (KAFW) in Texas.
Failure to activate pitot heat leads to loss of control
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to activate the pitot heat in a timely manner during flight into icing conditions, which resulted in a temporary failure of the flight instruments and a subsequent loss of control.
Picture of the Day: Surreal mountains
Scott Crosby sent in this photo with a note: “The photo was taken from my 1978 Cessna 182Q, on a flight home to Donaldson Field Airport (KGYH) in Greenville, South Carolina, from Reading Regional Airport/Carl A Spaatz Field (KRDG) in Reading, Pennsylvania. The actual location where the photo was taken is somewhere near Roanoke, Virginia, about half-way into the four-hour flight.”
Uptick in busted TFRs leads to warning from NORAD
Since the Jan. 20, 2025, presidential inauguration, NORAD officials report they have responded to more than 20 “tracks of interest” entering skies above President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort near Palm Beach, Florida.
Airline CEO nominated to head FAA
“As the former president and CEO of Republic Airways, Mesaba Airlines, and Business Express Airlines, Brian brings over three decades of experience in aviation and executive leadership to this critical position,” Trump said in a March 17, 2025, Truth Social post.