The pilot reported that during takeoff from a private grass airstrip in Wall, S.D., the Air Tractor AT-401 would not climb above terrain at the end of the runway. It hit the ground, coming to rest in a wheat field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, right aileron, and fuselage. The pilot reported […]
Aviation News
On final
Rob Stapleton sent in this photo of a Cessna 185 on final for a touch down landing on the gravel strip during the Takeoff and Landing demonstrations during the 2017 Talkeetna Fly-In.
First VFR flights to Cuba
After the last guy in office decided Cuba could be visited by Americans, a growing flock has been doing so. Europeans have been going for a long time; now Yankees can, too. One thing no one has been doing is flying VFR to Cuba. According to John Craparo, this was the first time in at […]
Could drones save general aviation?
A new blog post by Ryan Reed, vice president of communications for uAvionix and a self-described “Reformed Drone Skeptic,” states that drones could, indeed, be a boon to general aviation. A chance meeting with a student pilot at the airport revealed that flying drones got him interested in learning to fly manned aircraft. “It took a […]
Arizona’s Grapevine Airstrip opens
The new Phoenix FAA sectional shows no X through the Grapevine Airstrip symbol. According to officials with the Recreational Aviation Foundation, it took nearly five years of collaboration between the RAF, Arizona Pilots Association (APA) and the US Forest Service — including the signing of the national memorandum of understanding between the RAF and the USFS — to […]
Zenith Aircraft celebrates silver anniversary
MEXICO, Missouri — “It is hard to believe it’s been 25 years,” said Sebastien Heintz, president of Zenith Aircraft Company. “So much has changed. But the love of flying, the pride of building – that gets stronger every day.” Sebastien Heintz, the son of designer Chris Heintz, founded Zenith Aircraft Co. in 1992 to market and manufacture […]
ForeFlight 9.1 adds high-performance aircraft support
ForeFlight 9.1 adds time, fuel, route, and altitude computations for high-performance pistons, turboprops, and jets. These features are part of the new Performance Plus and Business Performance subscription plans. “With the new performance planning capabilities, pilots flying high-performance aircraft will get best-in-class flight planning; an array of route options with on-the-fly computed time, distance and […]
uAvionix debuts portable ADS-B unit for UK market
uAvionix enters the United Kingdom (UK) general aviation market with SkyEcho, a portable ADS-B In and Out device for electronic conspicuity (EC). The SkyEcho weighs only 200 grams and is the third uAvionix approved portable ADS-B Out solution under the UK’s Electronic Conspicuity Devices program. It combines ADS-B receive and transmit, an integrated SBAS GPS based upon […]
Incorrectly installed part leads to ground loop
The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, the Cessna 180’s seat slid to its full aft position. He was unable to reach the control pedals and attempted to abort the takeoff. He was not able to control the airplane and it yawed left into a ground loop near Waterloo, Iowa. The airplane sustained substantial damage to […]