Officials at Dulles International may close the airport’s westernmost runway to accommodate hundreds of private planes expected to descend on the region for President Barack Obama’s inauguration on Jan. 21, according to a report in The Washington Post. The report notes that airport officials expect 300 to 600 arrivals in the three-day period leading up […]
flying
406 ELT to be required for flights to Bahamas and Mexico
Jim Parker at Caribbean Flying Adventures is alerting pilots that they will soon need a 406 ELT for flight to the Bahamas and Mexico. Parker notes that he successfully collaborated with Civil Aviation authorities in the Dominican Republic and The Caymans Islands to obtain a waiver from the 406 ELT requirement. The Dominican Republic waiver […]
Tuck Air Force survival secrets in your pocket
Designed for use in formal Air Force training, the recently published “U.S. Air Force Pocket Survival Handbook: The Portable and Essential Guide to Staying Alive” was written to help a pilot who finds himself in a hostile environment, offering a comprehensive manual of outdoor survival techniques. It includes expert advice on: First aid for illness and […]
Pilot celebrates 100th birthday flying his Evektor SportStar
By John McVey, The Journal MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Thomas Guy Reynolds Jr. eased back on the stick of his Evektor SportStar light sport aircraft and it lifted effortlessly off the runway at the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport (MRB). He circled the field three times, making a couple of low passes over the runway for […]
Pilot Mall kicks off its 12 Days of Savings event
PilotMall.com has launched its annual “12 Days of Savings” event featuring a new, discounted gift idea each day through Dec. 9. Remember those colorful 1930s “Yellow Peril” Army trainers and their bright yellow wings with blue roundel and red-dotted star? That classic design, which inspired a generation of pilots, is now recalled as Pilot Mall’s […]
The lure of the $10 hamburger
No, I did not leave a zero off in the title to this piece. Although general aviators have long joked about the lure of the $100 hamburger, I think it is time we downsized, right-sized, and economized our way into a larger population. So I recommend the $10 hamburger. It’s available for a tenth the […]
New book, “Topgun Days,” released
Now available is “Topgun Days,” by Dave “Bio” Baranek, a Naval Aviator who was an instructor at Topgun, the Navy’s elite Fighter Weapons School who assisted in the making of the Tom Cruise movie, “Top Gun.” Bio’s book describes his experiences as a regular guy thrown into the crazy world of fame and movies, and […]
The “Miss Muffet” Stearman
Stripes and spiders — not a combination most people would think of when designing a paint scheme for a vintage airplane, but that’s exactly what Merrill and MaDonna McMahan of Wausau, Wis., decided to do when they painted their 1941 Stearman. The red, white and blue airplane sports small black spiders and the name “Miss […]
Video captures plane hitting car
Student pilot William Davis was on final approach to land at Northwest Regional Airport in Roanoke, Texas, on Saturday, when his Skyhawk collided with an SUV that was crossing the airport. According to a report at AVweb, Davis’s wife, Kandy, was filming his descent and caught the collision on video. The collision knocked off part […]