On opening day of Aero, the giant general aviation show in Germany, Pipistrel presented to the world for the first time its latest design, the Panthera. Launched as a project at last year’s Aero, the Panthera is a new four-seat composite cruiser, developed entirely in house. The streamlined design takes four people 1,000 nm and […]
General Aviation
LightSquared continues fight
LightSquared, a company that wants to build a network of 40,000 land-based towers i the U.S. for high-speed wireless transmissions, is continuing its fight. In a recent filing with the Federal Communications Commission, company officials state that a ruling proposed by the FCC staff that would effectively revoke LightSquared’s license to operate its network is […]
Scholarship recipients revealed
The National Air Transportation Foundation (NATF) has chosen the winners of its Dan L. Meisinger Sr. Memorial Learn to Fly Scholarship, Pioneers of Flight Scholarship and NATA Business Scholarship. “NATA is dedicated to promoting general aviation careers with the many scholarships we offer. Through the NATF, we annually recognize aviation enthusiasts and encourage their development […]
Sporty’s introduces Stratus
Sporty’s Pilot Shop has introduced the first completely wire-free weather receiver for the iPad — and it requires no monthly subscription. Stratus combines an ADS-B and GPS receiver into a single unit that wirelessly streams NEXRAD radar, text weather, TFRs and aircraft position to the popular ForeFlight Mobile app for iOS devices. “Stratus delivers exactly […]
Hodgman joins WSDOT Aviation Division
The Washington State Department of Transportation has appointed Robert Hodgman as capital improvement project planner for WSDOT’s Aviation Division. Hodgman served 24 years in the Army and Army National Guard, with eight years of experience in capital facilities management. This included responsibilities as the project manager for the design and construction of a $24 million […]
Pilot forgets to check fuel valve
This April 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: Ercoupe 415-C. Injuries: 1 Minor. Location: LaGrange, Ga. Aircraft damage: Substantial. What reportedly happened: After completing a pre-flight inspection of the airplane, the pilot […]
A word of advice: Be polite for a better outcome
When viewed from a comfortably detached perspective, the ironies of life can be entertaining. Let’s face it, we all get a lot of good stories from the oddities that happen all around us. Then again, those same ironies can be an infuriating series of experiences if seen from a viewpoint that includes personal involvement. Consider, […]
Lycoming gets FAA nod to update list of approved fuels
Just weeks after Lycoming Engines announced it would seek approval to operate certain engines on ASTM D7547 UL 91 unleaded avgas, it has received FAA approval to update its listing of approved fuels. Lycoming’s newly available Service Instruction SI-1070R lists 35 engine models approved to operate on ASTM D7547 UL 91 fuel. The models are […]
Tuscaloosa Airshow thrills
By BOB JAQUES To college football fans, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is home of the famous Crimson Tide 2011 National Champions, but to aviation enthusiasts, Tuscaloosa is rapidly becoming one of the fastest growing regional airshows in the country. This year’s airshow, held March 31 and April 1, was the best, so far, of the three airshows […]