Retiring often means down-sizing your life. You move out of the four-bedroom house into a two-bedroom condo because now that the kids are grown and gone, you no longer need all that room. Down-sizing also applies to airplane ownership. Karen Smith of Bancroft, Ontario, Canada, who recently retired after 34 years in the aerial photography […]
Aircraft
Breitling Jet Team soars over Great Wall of China
On Tuesday, the seven L-39c Albatros jets of the Breitling Jet Team soared in close formation over the Great Wall of China, as the grand finale of their 2013 Asian tour. Flying less than three meters apart and with speeds of up to 750km/h the pilots, shown here in the famous Avenger formation, navigated their […]
Hartzell gains STC for Comanche Top Prop
Hartzell Propeller has been granted a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for a new aluminum alloy, Scimitar-blade prop for the Piper PA-24 Comanche 180. The new prop, designed for Comanches built between 1957 to 1964 powered by the 180 hp Lycoming O-360-A1A engine, features the same blade design that has previously been available for several Mooney and […]
Cessna’s 120: A delightful bird
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — I spied her across the hangar 12 months ago. It’s amazing how small a 1947 Cessna 120 looks tucked in a corner of a 30,000 square foot hangar. I had to fly her…but how? Oh wait, she’s owned by the Hoff family, owners of the AeroMark FBO at IDA. Mark and Onita […]
For Lancair International, the future is PT6-powered
For Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC), this year’s Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture was an especially ideal venue to showcase the iconic PT6 engine, celebrating its 50th anniversary. For both P&WC and the aviation community, it’s an occasion to look back on 50 years of turboprop innovation. Meanwhile, at Lancair International, it’s an occasion to look forward. The Oregon-based […]
Eclipse releases safety enhancement package
ALBUQUERQUE — Eclipse Aerospace has released a new package of safety enhancements for existing Eclipse Jet owners that includes anti-skid brakes, auto throttles, a new, independent standby display, and improved EFIS software, including the ability to display full size charts on the current Multi-Function Displays. “As part of the new Eclipse 550 certification process, we […]
Twin Commander updates fuel tank liner install kit
Twin Commander Aircraft has developed a new Custom Kit (CK) that improves the removal and reinstallation of the center fuel cell liner. Repeated removal and reinstallation of the center fuel cell and liner system can lead to damage to the parts as well as oversized assembly holes, company officials noted. CK189 features reusable fasteners for […]
Glass cockpit retrofit upgrade debuts for TBM 700/850
A “glass cockpit” retrofit kit for Daher-Socata’s TBM 700 and TBM 850 aircraft was unveiled at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. The supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for this installation is expected later this year. Key elements of the retrofit kit are: a Garmin G600 dual-screen as the primary flight display, a Garmin GTN 750 touchscreen […]
Summit Aviation unveils new platform for law enforcement
Summit Aviation has developed an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform to aid law enforcement officials. Starting with a modified Mahindra Aerospace GippsAero GA8 Airvan Astra, Summit modifies the GA8 with off-the-shelf commercial packages, such as a full work station with moving maps and overlays, cross-cueing of various sensors, a 3D mapping aerial camera system […]