SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON Cessna’s LSA entry helps to validate the concept of industry consensus standards in lieu of government certification. SkyCatchers will populate airports as shipments ramp up in 2010. Other big companies also are looking at LSA — as most LSA enthusiasts know, Cirrus offered...
Cessna delivered its first Model 162 Skycatcher Light Sport Aircraft Dec. 18 during a ceremony at Yingling Aircraft in Wichita, Kan. Yingling is one of three U.S. re-assembly facilities for the Skycatcher. Rose Pelton, wife of Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton, received the first Skycatcher...
Chinese national XueQiang Si is building a Sportsman 2+2 at Glasair’s Two Weeks To Taxi program and, upon completion, will fly it to China. XueQiang Si, who will base his plane in city of Laiwu, in Shandong province, reports that his Sportsman will be the first experimental category aircraft to fly...
A really cool video on YouTube showcases the return from England of the oldest B-25 World War II era bomber, “Grumpy,” to its new home at the Historic Flight Foundation’s Restoration Center, slated to open March 1, 2010, in Everett, Wash.
The FAA’s new Airport Compliance Manual adversely affects every federally funded airport by its new mandate telling local airports how to deal with their neighbors, according to the organizer of ThroughTheFence.org. Brent Blue notes the new policy forbids local airport authorities from entering...
Tenants at Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in Southern California — the largest GA airport in the country — have requested relief from increasing rental rates and charges that have contributed to job losses at the airport and left many businesses struggling to survive. An independent survey conducted by...
(l-r) Ed Roufa, TEX vice chairman, Rich Nutall, airport manager, John Micetic, TEX chairman, astronaut Neal Armstrong, and Scott McQuade, Telluride Tourism Board CEO, cut the ribbon on the improvement project. Photo by Brett Schreckengost Local officials and community supporters, including astronaut...
Reader Donald Gutridge II let us know about one airport that’s using the workshop method to plan its future. While the first workshop was held several months ago at the Oakdale Airport (027) in California, an article about it in the local newspaper showcases the workshop model, as well as gives...
Pilots have discovered a timely new iPhone app from Energizer Software. With 25 simultaneous counters and timers, pilots can use the Easy Up/Down Timers with Tilt and Shake Control for flight times, fuel and leg timers. Each timer can be started and stopped independently of the others. The possibilities...
Cessna has been granted Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for the Innovative Solutions & Support Inc.-developed AdViz flat panel display system, which is now available for retrofit in some legacy Cessna Citations, including the 500, 550, S550 and 560. The Cessna AdViz glass cockpit retrofit...
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON Much lamenting has been heard regarding the price of LSAs. It isn’t hard to understand given prices that now exceed $140,000. Was such inflation supposed to happen? I’ve explained how this occurred, and the biggest culprit, by far, is the exchange rate difference between...
Deputy Sheriff Dan Hodess was off duty and on his way to work on April 5, 1998, when he spotted a stranded motorist on I-95 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. He could have passed her by, but chose to pull his cruiser over to help. Moments later, another car hit him, pinning him between the two vehicles, and...
Officials at parent company Textron say Cessna continues to see stabilization in the business jet market, noting Cessna management has observed that availability of used aircraft is declining, customer utilization of the existing fleet has stabilized, availability of financing is improving and customer...
Although winter’s official start begins Dec. 21, many aircraft owners have already chosen to park their planes. If you’re among these ranks, or perhaps considering storage options for the near future, there are several important points to keep in mind when storing your plane. In the article “A...
Brent Wouters, president and CEO of Cirrus Aircraft, has offered assurances that his company’s debts to the Duluth Economic Development Authority will be repaid, according to a story in the Duluth News Tribune, which quotes Wouters as saying: “If there’s one message I want to deliver, it’s that...
The fourth Evolution by Lancair is now flying. On Dec. 20, Jeff Edwards flew his new Evolution for the first time. ... read the rest of Evolution #4 takes to the air (177 words)
What’s better than a fun T-shirt? A fun T-shirt that is all about aviation, say Sporty’s officials. “It only takes two things to fly: Airspeed and Money” is the message of one shirt. Another charts the four forces of flight, which are dreams (up), reality (down), money (forward...
My Traffic 2010 is the latest version of the My Traffic flight sim series. Optimized for the Microsoft Flight Simulator X, it provides realistic air traffic in the air and on the ground for more than 8,200 airports. More than 140 aircraft models were newly designed for FSX, including nearly all current...
Naples Jet Center (NJC) has delivered its first dual Garmin G600 panel refurbishment in a Twin Commander 1000. The dual G600 retrofit was part of a larger panel redesign and aircraft refurbishment, according to company officials. ... read the rest of Naples Jet Center delivers first G600 panel (152...
When Duncan Aviation’s Provo, Utah, service center opens in August 2010, it will be a Bombardier Authorized Service Facility for Learjet and Challenger aircraft, as well as an Aircraft On Ground (AOG) Line Maintenance Facility for Global aircraft. Duncan Aviation will lease hangar space from Million...
Some pilots are trying to convince the California Energy Commission that power plants and pilots don’t mix. The pilots are opposed to the construction of a gas-fired power plant near the Byron Airport (C83) in Alameda County east of San Francisco. Pilots are worried that the emissions coming from...
While municipalities across the nation struggle with debilitating fiscal woes, record unemployment, and depressed property values, Winter Haven, Florida, has taken an unexpected but welcome turn. This small, central Florida city has adopted a decidedly pro-aviation stance that has led to the investment...
Kurt Barnhart, professor and head of Kansas State University’s Department of Aviation, was awarded the Frank E. Sorenson Award for 2009 by the University Aviation Association. ... read the rest of Barnhart receives Sorenson award (241 words)
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON Bad as in-flight break-up accidents are, many opinions blur the big picture. Last spring NTSB recommended FAA “ground the fleet,” so to say, of Zenith Air and AMD’s CH-601 aircraft. FAA chose further study. When additional CH-601s became involved, media outlets...
A well-known aviation businessman once said, “Pilots are information starved; they read anything and everything that pertains to their area of interest.” With that in mind, leading Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) website, ByDanJohnson.com, now offers a larger array of content after enlisting...
Procedural checklists modeled after preflight checklists used by pilots seem to encourage safe practices among medical personnel. According to a story at MedPageToday.com, medical personnel who used checklists were more likely to report safety-related incidents and feel empowered to address safety issues...
The new ASB.tv kids’ program called “Mike Da Mustang” features a friendly and lovable P-51 Mustang named Mike and his airport friends. This new aviation show, produced by ASB.tv, is part of a series of episodes about Mike Da Mustang’s experiences in flying, playing, and hanging...
A New Bias Technology (NBT) Michelin tire has been developed for Hawker series aircraft in a cooperative effort between Hawker Beechcraft Corp. and Michelin Aircraft Tires. The NBT tire will provide increased durability and shoulder wear, which translates into improved landing performance and reduced...
Seattle was a hub of aviation long before it became “JetCity.” On Dec. 26 at 2 p.m., Seattle authors Ed Davies and Steve Ellis present a program at the Museum of Flight based upon their new book, “Seattle Commercial Aviation 1908-1941.” Anscel Eckmann became the first person...
All Weather, Inc. (AWI), a manufacturer of automated weather information systems and meteorological sensors, has launched AWOS Web in the quest to provide easy access to AWOS data from anywhere at anytime. AWOS Web will enable all users with Internet access the ability to monitor up to 200 weather stations...
