Sporty’s John Zimmerman, who blogs at AirFactsJournal.com, takes a look at the state of general aviation in 12 charts, ranging from the number of airplanes sold, to the age of the pilot population, to avgas production. He begins by saying: “What’s the state of the general aviation industry? That’s a question we hear at lot […]
General Aviation
Sept. 18 last day for ADS-B rebate
Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, is the last day general aviation pilots can reserve their $500 rebates to install ADS-B. Starting Jan. 1, 2020, airplanes must be equipped with ADS-B Out to fly in most controlled airspace. For the past year, the FAA has offered the rebate as an incentive to get GA aircraft owners to […]
Student Pilot Guide updated
Now available from Aviation Supplies & Academics is the updated Student Pilot Guide, which explains the procedures for obtaining student pilot, sport pilot, recreational pilot, and private pilot certificates, and serves as a guide for anyone new to flight training. Last updated in 2006, this new edition provides answers to the most frequently asked questions […]
Pilot overprimes engine, resulting in fire
The pilot reported that he landed the Piper PA-28 at an airport near Pittsburg, Pa., and parked it to address an in-flight anomaly with his headset. He then performed a preflight inspection. Before starting the engine, he pumped the primer twice and then attempted to start the engine. Subsequently, he observed smoke emanating from the […]
Sun rises on Reno
Our intrepid Air Racer in Residence, William E. Dubois, and his photographer sidekick Lisa F. Bentson are in Reno, as the races officially kick off Sept. 13. They sent us these photos of the grounds before the races got into full swing: Crack of dawn Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the start of the National Championship […]
‘Dottie Mae’ debut highlights Warbird Roundup 2017
There’s an old-hat easygoing comfort in the way the Warhawk Air Museum hosts its annual Warbird Roundup in Nampa, Idaho, every summer, but the event is far from the same each year. This year, in addition to rousing start-ups and fly-bys with the Planes of Fame Museum’s P-38, F4U, and B-25, Warbird Roundup hosted the […]
A best guess does not equal a good plan
Hurricane Irma came to visit the other day. Unbidden and unwelcome, she stomped up from the south through 200 miles of the sandbar I call home, came right up to our door, knocked with great vigor, and moved on to north. As of this writing I have no electricity, no Internet connection, very spotty cell […]
8 things you might not know about a remote tower system
Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport (FNL) is the busiest non-towered airport in Colorado. Air traffic is a busy mix of commercial air service, military operations and a wide variety of private aircraft. FNL will also set the standard for remote tower systems in the United States. In late July, the Federal Aviation Administration selected Ottawa, Canada-based […]
Mobile air traffic tower sent to St. Thomas
In the wake of Hurricane Irma’s destructive path through the Caribbean, the FAA is supporting storm recovery efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands with a fully-staffed mobile air traffic control tower at Cyril E. King International Airport in St. Thomas. The tower is supporting relief flights by the U.S. military, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, […]