This May 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. Aircraft: Cirrus SR22. Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: This was the first time the private pilot, who had […]
General Aviation
Making safer general aviation pilots
Many years ago when I took my Commercial checkride, the Designated Pilot Examiner told me that a pilot’s commitment to safety ebbs and flows. We are at our safest right after a checkride. As we gain experience, our vigilance can diminish, replaced by a new-found confidence that can lead to complacency. Over the years efforts […]
Missionary plane dedicated for service in Haiti
Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) recently dedicated a Cessna Caravan aircraft for service in Haiti. Funded by gifts from supporters, the new plane will depart in May for Haiti, where it will support the work of churches, medical teams, and relief workers laboring to rebuild the island nation still suffering two years after the devastating earthquake. […]
Will Big Oil revitalize a general aviation airport?
Revitalizing a dormant general aviation airport doesn’t happen every day, but a surge in oil industry activity in North Dakota has raised that hope in one community — and pilots can help make it happen, according to a report at AOPA.org. It notes that on May 7, the city commission of Killdeer, N.D., may consider […]
Nominations for Air Show Hall of Fame open
The International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) Foundation is looking for nominations for the Air Show Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was created in 1995 to recognize those who made significant contributions to the air show industry. It is currently home to more than 45 heroes and legends representing the pilots, stunt people, […]
Tempest introduces spark plug resistance tester
High internal resistance in aviation spark plugs is rapidly becoming a concern that many pilots and mechanics are beginning to recognize as a source of rough running engines and chronic magneto related problems. Realizing that a growing number of maintenance facilities and pilot/owners are incorporating a spark plug resistance check as part of their preventive […]
Microsoft inks deal with Aspen Avionics
Microsoft Corp. and Aspen Avionics Inc. have signed a patent licensing agreement that gives Aspe access to the latest Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT). It is the first agreement forged by Microsoft in the avionics sector. exFAT is file system improving on its predecessor, the FAT file system, and expands the size of files that […]
African American Pioneers of Flight exhibit at Evergreen Museum
A Smithsonian exhibition examining African American contributions in aviation will be on display at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Ore., from May 12 through Aug. 5. Presented by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, “Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight” examines the contributions of some of the most important African American aviators […]
CFIT kills two
This May 2010 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others. Aircraft: Piper Cherokee Injuries: 2 Fatal. Location: Livermore, Calif. Aircraft damage: Destroyed. What reportedly happened: The flight departed in VFR conditions. The private pilot, age […]