All 12 FAA-licensed spaceports, and other federal and private launch and reentry sites, are represented on the charts by a rocket symbol. These areas are in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.
Pilots
Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame reveals Class of 2021
The Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame has revealed its Class of 2021, which includes airline executives, air racers, flight instructors, and a World War II combat veteran, and a WASP.
Personal carbon monoxide detector for pilots debuts
Designed at the request of pilots, the new GEIGER CO provides a real time alarm when carbon monoxide levels are dangerously high in the cockpit. The auto calibrating unit includes an aural alarm and a visual LED scale.
Time’s up for aging analog clocks in aircraft
Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics’ new CHRONOS Series clocks features eight modes of operation: Local Time, UTC/Zulu Time, Flight Timer, Countdown Timer, Stopwatch, Volts, Outside Air Temperature (OAT), and Secondary Air Temperature.
New aviation weather app designed to help pilots avoid VFR into IMC
“Many general aviation pilots have a difficult time recognizing the potential for adverse weather along their proposed route of flight, so I developed this automated application that gives them that guidance while factoring in their own personal weather minimums. EZWxBrief helps to quantify the pilot’s personal risk as it relates to weather and provides simple visualizations to enhance situational awareness along the route,” said Dr. Scott Dennstaedt, an aviation weather expert.
Fighting PTSD with flying and fellowship
A grassroots effort to help veterans dealing with PTSD by combining flying in a general aviation aircraft and fellowship afterwards led by a counselor has proven so successful that it’s been expanded to help kids dealing with drug and alcohol addiction.
New study: Pilots downplay the impact of stress on flight safety
“The pilots’ reasoning for their decisions suggests that although they were aware of the risks of flying while ill or tired, the pilots considered flight to be a stress relieving activity, and so they were less likely to cancel a flight based on being under stress. This is despite guidance from aviation regulatory bodies such as the FAA indicating that stress can potentially compromise flight performance.
A promise made and kept
When he was just a 16-year-old student pilot Dan Helsper saw a Pietenpol Air Camper, “the most beautiful thing” he’d ever seen. He vowed then and there to build one of his own some day.
The simple success of the Old Farts Flying Club
The Old Farts Flying Club is very informal and simple: There are no dues, initiation, requirements, or vetting. Just an email list informing pilots where the next gathering will be. Events range from meeting for the mythical $100 hamburger to hangar flying to tours of the Piper factory and NOAA hangar at KLAL.