By Mark W. Johnson, CFI The morning was typical for a hot and humid July, with a few scattered clouds and a small line of rain showers to the south of the airport. My student was about to embark on his third training flight towards earning his private pilot certificate. Our aircraft, a Cessna 152, was […]
Aviation News
SMO runway shortening begins Oct. 9
Despite ongoing litigation by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and other parties, the city of Santa Monica, California, is moving forward with a runway shortening project at Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), starting Monday, Oct. 9, 2017. SMO’s single runway will be reduced from 4,973 feet to 3,500 feet, with the project expected to […]
Bidding opens on RAF auction
Bidding is now open for the Recreational Aviation Foundation FUNdraising Auction. Items up for auction range from VIP tours of Garmin’s headquarters and the Boeing Paine Field Factory, to a Hartzell propeller (valued at $5,000), an Aspen Avionics Pro Plus Primary Flight Display and much more. Items are being added daily, RAF officials note. An […]
Installation network for Cessna parachute recovery systems established
BRS Aerospace has established a nationwide Cessna Parachute System Authorized Installation Network to handle whole aircraft parachute installations on the Cessna 172 and 182 fleets. “The network of factory-approved installation centers are all equipped and qualified to install the BRS Aerospace whole aircraft parachute recovery systems in 172s and 182s, providing an unprecedented level of […]
Free Atlanta Warbird Weekend to honor Tuskegee Airmen
The Commemorative Air Force’s Dixie Wing’s fourth annual free Atlanta Warbird Weekend will be held Oct. 7-8, 2017, at the Dekalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee, Ga. The event will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Tuskegee Airmen graduates and the achievements of African American pilots. Slated to appear are more than 20 original Tuskegee Airmen, including […]
Pilot seriously injured when takeoff goes awry
The commercial pilot was conducting a personal flight in a Quest Kodiak 100 near Sheridan, Wyoming. Two witnesses saw the airplane lift off in an extreme nose-high attitude, level off, and then re-enter a nose-high attitude before it descended and hit the ground 1,500 feet south of the runway. The pilot was seriously injured in […]
Winning wings
The National Aviation Heritage Invitational, held in conjunction with the California Capital Airshow Sept. 9-10, recently unveiled its winners. The Grand Champion Neil A. Armstrong National Aviation Heritage Trophy was awarded to the 1954 Grumman Albatross owned by Joe Duke of Ponte Vedra, Florida. Winners in other categories: CLASSIC: Paul E. Garber Trophy: 1944 Beechcraft D17S, Historic […]
How airplanes became aerial ambulances
If World War I showed the nations of the world how the airplane could vault over ground emplacements to strike at an enemy, the combatants also came to appreciate the efficacy of using aircraft as ambulances to surmount obstacles and save precious time flying away from the fray. During that war, U.S. Army aviation devised […]
Video: What to expect at the Texas Antique Airplane Fly-In
Smitty Smith at FunPlacesToFly.com put together a “preview” video of what you can expect at this year’s Texas Antique Airplane Association Fly-In slated for Oct. 13-14, 2017, in Gainesville, Texas. “Here’s a taste of what you will see: antiques, classics, warbirds, replicas and homebuilt airplanes that will be on display throughout the event,” Smitty Smith […]