Aircraft: STOL CH701. Injuries: 1 Fatal. Location: Pulaski, Wis. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The private pilot, 67, was the builder of the experimental, amateur-built airplane. The accident was the airplane’s first flight. It was climbing out when it veered to the left and narrowly cleared a tree line. The plane entered a steep […]
Aviation News
Airspeed, airlines and economics
This is Part 2 in a series After the Interstates, it was low-fare post-deregulation airlines that challenged the economics of travel by everyday GA. In part, trips were getting longer. Baby Boomers ranged far and wide, leaving hometowns for nationwide opportunities. Americans saw a weekend jaunt of 500-1,000 miles as an appropriate getaway or dutiful […]
Florida Panhandle fly-In fulfills RAF Mission
Two years ago, Drew Hatch and Gary Brooks planned a flight into a state-owned airstrip in the Florida Panhandle. Imagine their disappointment when they were denied permission to land and and use the airstrip to access the nearby campground. When Drew then turned to the Recreational Aviation Foundation, it had never heard of the Blackwater […]
Able Flight awards five new scholarships
When they arrive at Purdue University on May 19, five new Able Flight scholarship recipients will begin more than a month of intensive flight and ground training leading to a pilot certificate. This is the fourth year of the Able Flight/Purdue program to bring people with physical disabilities into aviation and, as with the first […]
Van’s RV-14 lands in Florida
Van’s newest airplane, the RV-14, has landed in Florida for the first time. “It has come to our attention that isolated pockets of civilization might exist in the far reaches of the American continent, way out east of Oshkosh,” Van’s officials said. “On the theory that some of those folks might be interested in our […]
World War II Heritage Days slated
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — Experience the sights and sounds of the Greatest Generation when the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Dixie Wing hosts the 10th annual “WWII Heritage Days” April 27-28. The festival will be held at The Historical Airpower Facility, Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field, Peachtree City from 9 am-4 pm both days. The weekend will […]
Barrett Precision Engines named first XP-400 engine builder
Barrett Precision Engines has been appointed the first authorized engine build facility for Superior Air Parts 215-horsepower, XP-400 Engine. “The Barrett family has developed an enviable reputation within homebuilders, competitive aerobatic pilots and certified aircraft owners for taking good engines and turning them into truly great engines,” Glen Golden, Superior’s V.P. Sales and Marketing, said. “We couldn’t be more excited […]
System failures lead to hard landing
Aircraft: Beech Bonanza. Injuries: None. Location: Ocala, Fla. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: While in cruise flight at 8,000 feet, the airplane lost electrical power. The pilot had the airport in sight, so he did not declare an emergency He selected the landing gear handle to the down-and-locked position, but he could not recall […]
Everyday GA as transportation?
Many factors have challenged the typical GA airplane as a transportation mode. I recall the early-1960s debate at my home field whether the new Interstate Highway System would be boon or bust for General Aviation, at least for the average Cessna or Piper. My conclusion then, as now: Both. Although still a teen, I had […]