With the movie Top Gun back in theaters, the timing of Dave “Bio” Baranek’s book titled, Topgun Days, is appropriate. The subtitle says it all… “Dogfighting, cheating death, and Hollywood glory as one of America’s Best Fighter Jocks.” Baranek was a Top Gun instructor when he “was assigned to combine his day-to-day flight duties with participation in […]
General Aviation
Eastern Aviation Fuels sponsors scholarship
The Florida Aviation Trade Association (FATA) and Eastern Aviation Fuels, the exclusive distributor of Shell branded aviation fuels in the United States, have established the Gary Steele Scholarship Fund as part of the FATA Scholarship Program. The fund is set up to honor the memory of Gary Steele and support the FATA/Embry Riddle Aeronautical University […]
Aviator’s Practical Organizer debuts
Making its debut is the Aviator’s Practical Organizer, a new system that helps student pilots organize and understand the knowledge needed for the oral and flight exams. Created by Teresa Guillemot, the Aviator’s Practical Organizer (APO) is an organizational tool for private, instrument and commercial student pilots that help them compile and organize all the […]
Tickets now available for Thunder in the Valley Airshow
COLUMBUS, Ga. — Advanced tickets to the March 16 and 17 Thunder in the Valley Air Show are now available for sale. “In 2012, we partnered with AttendStar to offer the 24/7 accessibility of online ticket sales and received positive feedback from out-of-town attendees and Facebook fans,” said Phaedra Childers, Event Coordinator. “We’re happy to […]
Bad landing for distracted pilot
Aircraft: Piper Navajo. Injuries: None. Location: North Bend, Ore. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot had been flying on an IFR clearance in IFR conditions. As he approached his home airport and the weather improved to VFR, he canceled his IFR clearance with the intent on finishing the approach VFR. He neglected to […]
This ain’t your grandfather’s SUN ’n FUN
Two months from now we’ll all be talking about the SUN ’n FUN International Fly In and Expo in the past tense. It will be behind us, and if history repeats itself, SUN ’n FUN 2013 will be as successful as it has been in the past. This year will be different, however, because this year […]
Sunset for avgas?
In recent months your bloggers have been contacted by a number of environmental reporters on the issue of leaded aviation fuel, for instance Sarah Zhang of Mother Jones, mentioned in this Jan. 28 posting. More recently, Rebecca Kessler, a science and environmental journalist based in Providence, R.I., published an article titled “Sunset for Leaded Aviation […]
Revenues, deliveries up at Piper
VERO BEACH, Florida — Piper Aircraft ended 2012 with a 13% jump in revenue, fueled by a 16% rise in deliveries of new aircraft. According to Piper officials, revenue from new aircraft sales in 2012 reached $148,968,967, up from $131,263,539 in 2011. The company delivered 158 aircraft in 2012, up from 136 the previous year. […]
IMC Club introduces the ‘Brown Jacket’ Instrument Mastery Award
A brown (leather) flight jacket will be awarded annually by the IMC Club to one outstanding general aviation instrument pilot for his or her safety, proficiency and contributions in helping other pilots in their quest to “Master the Art of Instrument Navigation.” This recognition will be an award similar to the “green jacket” award in […]