Aircraft: Glastar. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: Wilsonville, Ore. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The pilot took off from the airport in his amphibious experimental airplane with the intention of flying a closed traffic pattern. Because he planned to land back on the runway, he left the landing gear in the extended position. During the […]
General Aviation
The post-war bubble
On May 17, 1945, with the war in Europe ending and military production being cut back, the War Production Board announced the end of the prohibition on the production of civilian aircraft, providing such manufacturing didn’t interfere with war output. Aviation magazines and the mainstream press jumped on the news of the post-war aviation potential. […]
Innospec news — a shot across the bow?
Early last week my inbox starting filling with breathless news that Innospec, the world’s last producer of Tetraethyllead (TEL), the amazing chemical compound that gives avgas such excellent anti-detonant properties, is planning to end production in 2013. Worse yet, according to an online article in Specialty Chemical News, the company had actually planned to stop […]
Innovations: Add ANR to your old headset
Many pilots have upgraded their headset to one of the many popular ANR headsets on the market. But what to do for a passenger without a headset or for someone yet to make the leap to an ANR? If you have an old non-ANR headset, consider an ANR Kit from Headsets Inc., which makes kits […]
NTSB commends AOPA for response to safety recommendations
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman has praised the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for its response to NTSB safety recommendations. AOPA took action that exceeded the NTSBs recommendations following the investigation into the Aug. 9, 2010 airplane accident in Alaska that killed former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens. The NTSB recommended that AOPA […]
FAA mandates inspections of older Pipers
In a new Service Bulletin, the FAA is mandating enhanced inspections and repairs where necessary to cables that control tail surfaces on about 30,000 Piper aircraft. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the bulletin, prompted by at least one accident and a serious incident stemming from such malfunctioning flight-control systems in recent […]
Paragon FBO network grows
Paragon Aviation Group continues to expand its roster of independent FBOs in The Paragon Network with the addition of DuPage Flight Center (DPA) in Chicago and Henriksen Jet Center (TME) in Houston. Located in West Chicago, DuPage Flight Center boasts a 14,000-square-foot executive terminal that features an array of amenities, including on-site catering, a restaurant […]
Court approves Hawker Beechcraft’s reorganization plan
WICHITA – The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has approved Hawker Beechcraft’s Joint Plan of Reorganization (Plan), paving the way for the company to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the second half of February. In confirming the plan, Judge Stuart M. Bernstein found that it satisfied all of the […]
In-flight engine failure for Aeronca
Aircraft: Aeronca O-58C. Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Minor. Location: San Luis Obispo, Calif. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: The airplane was in cruise flight at 3,500 feet MSL when the engine quit. The pilot restarted the engine, and it ran for about 20 seconds before quitting again. He then applied carburetor heat and made […]