Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Fredericksburg, Va. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: During takeoff in good visibility and calm wind, about 100 feet above ground level, the airplane banked 90° to the left and descended in a spiral until hitting the ground. The wreckage was located in a residential area, about 1,000 feet from the […]
General Aviation
Common financial mistake vs. uncommon financial opportunity
While listening to the inimitable Clark Howard, a popular radio personality who offers financial advice, I learned an interesting tidbit of information. It seems auto loans are being taken out for longer and longer periods of time. The average auto loan is now in the five and a half year range, but some extend for […]
Questions abound on FAA’s news about alternative fuels
By DEAN BILLING. Was it only me, or did anyone else find the press release by the FAA announcing that it has selected four fuels for further testing to replace 100LL this fall to be a bit peculiar? In case you you missed it, the official press release from the FAA is here. Articles also appeared […]
General aviation accidents decrease in 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Transportation Safety Board released preliminary aviation accident statistics Sept. 15, which show an overall decline in the number of US registered civil aviation accidents, from 1,539 in 2012 to 1,297 in 2013. Although there has been a decrease in accidents involving scheduled Part 121 operations (commercial air transport), the first fatal […]
NTSB study on drug use criticized by GA groups
A new study on pilot drug use released by the National Transportation Safety Board is “incomplete and its conclusions should be regarded with caution,” according to officials with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The study of more than 6,600 cases reviewed toxicology tests performed on pilots killed in aviation accidents from 1990 through 2012. The […]
Apps make flying safer
A report by Aviation International News’s Matt Thurber notes that smartphone apps can help warn pilots about hypoxia, including Masimo’s iSpO2, which has a fingertip sensor that plugs into an Apple iOS or Android device, then reports blood oxygenation, pulse rate and perfusion index. Read the whole post here.
Pilot Mall hosts free BBQ
LAKELAND, Florida — Pilot Mall will host a free BBQ for lunch for fly-in/drive-in pilots, as well as the teachers attending “Classroom to the Sky” at SUN ‘n FUN Saturday, Sept. 27, at Lakeland-Linder Airport (LAL). “Teachers participating in the SUN ‘n FUN program will be getting their introductory flights starting at 10 a.m. following morning ground school,” said Pilot Mall president Neil […]
LoPresti upgrades BoomBeam light kit for Citations
LoPresti Aviation has introduced an upgrade on the BoomBeam HID light kit for Citations. The BoomBeam HID lights are approved for the recognition, landing and taxi lights. “LoPresti has been in the BoomBeam lighting business for Citations for many years,” says Curt LoPresti, President of LoPresti Aviation. “Over these years we have constantly improved and updated […]
Crosswind catches Cessna
Aircraft: Cessna 150. Injuries: None. Location: St. Johns, Ariz. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot was landing at a private dirt airstrip in gusting crosswind conditions. He reported that when he flared to land, the wind shifted. The airplane swerved and hit a dirt berm. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing […]