A first solo on his 16th birthday, in the same plane Dad soloed on his 16th birthday. And behind the scenes, four instructors and a little help from Mother Nature.
General Aviation
GA comes to aid of victims of Texas floods
General aviation pilots are helping to rush critically needed supplies to those affected by the catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country.
First flight: Sonex Highwing
“The flight was kept brief due to a passenger-side door latch issue, however, all engine temperatures were in the green and the aircraft handled as expected with only slight rigging adjustments needed,” company officials said.
Gyroplane Warning System now standard on SilverLight AR-1
SilverLight Aviation reports a Gyroplane Warning System (GWS) is now a standard to its flagship gyroplane, the American Ranger 1, also known as AR-1.
Pilot encounters wind shear
Probable Cause: The pilot’s delay in performing a go-around after a likely encounter with low-level wind shear, resulting in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s failure to recognize the severity of the actual and forecasted weather near the airport and his continued approach to the airport with a thunderstorm and associated convective activity.
Picture of the Day: Practicing for the Mooney Oshkosh caravan
David Wade submitted this photo and note: “Every year before the Mooney Caravan into EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Mooney pilots get together at regional clinics to practice formation flying and familiarize new pilots with formation flying. Flying together in formation accelerates the arrivals into Oshkosh and is less chaotic than the usual Fisk arrival.”
The lure of lunch is strong
Was tasty food served in uniquely aeronautical settings a major driver of my quest to fly? No, it wasn’t even a consideration when I first got started in this business. But those mom and pop restaurants scattered from central Florida, to South Texas, to New England surely did provide a welcome perk that made all the studying, testing, and medical exams worth the trouble.
The gift of bling
Karyn King, founder of Sky Queen Jewelry, has transferred her company to the non-profit Habitat for Aviation to use for fundraising.
Job Fair returns to AirVenture
The annual week-long Job Fair is returning to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025, with exhibitors ranging from airlines to aircraft manufacturers to universities.