After 14 successful years, the Virginia Aviation Council is adding a crowd-pleasing flying event to its popular Virginia Regional Festival of Flight. Surveys have shown that attendees want to see more aircraft in flight, so this year a Directed Parade of Flight will take place on Saturday, April 28, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. […]
flying
Aircraft Spruce carries Pilot Chews
Aircraft Spruce now stocks a new product that was developed by pilots to battle fatigue: Pilot Chews, an aviation dietary supplement formulated for pilots to enhance their performance during flight. Pilot Chews is designed to give pilots more energy, faster reflexes, increased alertness, improved memory, maximized night vision, as well as other benefits, company officials […]
The magic of mentors
By MATT FERRARI Step back in time and think back to when you were the one looking over the airport fence. The whole world on the other side of the fence seemed so intimidating, yet so inviting. You might remember the feelings of excited anticipation on your way to the airport, and then the apprehensive […]
Expenses, debt, and taxes
I was up late last night, inputting numbers, ticking off boxes, checking receipts, and seriously wishing I had four or five more kids who still fit into a deductible age bracket. It’s tax time, and I suspect you are deep in the same morass of math and mayhem I am. We all complain about taxes. […]
New amphib in the works from Privateer Industries
The “first new amphibian design in 60 years” is how John Meekins, the energetic president of Privateer Industries, bills the Privateer. A desire to fly, with friends and family, from his waterfront home on the east coast, led Meekins to test several seaplanes. None met his mission with personal margins for safety and performance. That’s […]
Do fuel prices affect hours flown?
Does the price we pay for fuel have a direct influence on how much we operate our airplanes, cars, and boats? According to an article that appeared in the EAA’s November 2011 issue of Sport Aviation (“My $.02 on $6 Avgas”), the price of avgas is less important than one might think. Author Mike Busch […]
Motorcycles take flight
MotoPOD has developed a motorcycle loading system for Piper PA-32/34 series airplanes. A patent-pending collection of ramps and fixtures allows the pilot to load and secure a street-legal motorcycle while a built-in winch system, powered by a cordless drill, does all the work. After landing, it takes just a few minutes to remove the motorcycle […]
Blackhawk-upgraded Caravan transports leopards
A newly upgraded Cessna 208B Grand Caravan recently completed an unusual first mission that contributed to the preservation of one of Africa’s most beautiful animal species. Just two weeks after its delivery, the Caravan — the first in Africa to operate with the Blackhawk XP42A performance upgrade package — was used to move a male […]
Flying the Allegro
LSA America builds the Czech-designed Allegro in America as one of the first companies (but not the last, I suspect) to cross the Atlantic. Ironically, this results in an aircraft less expensive than other LSAs that come from Eastern European countries where we once thought low wages and high aviation skills would upset U.S. airplane […]