WASHINGTON, D.C. — Have you seen any drones flying around you recently? More are in the sky than you might realize.
Information about where they are and where they might be was recently released by the FAA responding to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The Mail newspaper, in London, England, published the data.
Even as we prepared for this year’s Sun ’n Fun, I attended a meeting relative to the area known as Paradise City or the Light Plane Area, though some simply call it the Ultralight Area. Whatever you call it, dramatic changes are underway and you should pay attention.
One of the most picturesque flying routes down the eastern U.S. coast is over North Carolina’s spectacular Outer Banks. Pilots making the trip now have an even greater reason to overfly the northern end of the Banks since the Currituck County Regional Airport added lead-free, ethanol free autogas last month.
If you plan to fly anywhere near Thurmont, Maryland (May 18-19) or Chicago (May 19-21) be very careful. Thurmont is playing host to a G-8 Summit while a NATO Summit will be Chicago. Flight Advisory’s for Thurmont and Chicago events have been posted to the FAA website.
The language in these advisories are very strong. “The restrictions are designed to provide a safe and secure environment for the event” and “The United States Government may use deadly force against the airborne aircraft, if it is determined that the aircraft poses an imminent security threat.”
Tourism may not seem like a natural partner of the general aviation community, but it can be. It can even be argued that it should be. And as an naturally argumentative sort of fellow, I’ll be happy to take up that issue and carry it wherever I have to in order to make progress for GA.
According to a French dealer for Cessna, 80 Skycatcher orders have been cancelled, but Cessna officials in the U.S. say the Wichita giant has just temporarily suspended taking orders for the LSA in Europe.
Our choices can lead us to amazing destinations…or nowhere.
“This kind of flying,” was Bill Langdon’s answer to my asking, “What kind of flying do you mostly do?”
We’d just lifted off from the back country mountain strip at the Minam River Lodge en route to nearby Joseph, Oregon, with a load of trash. [You can read about the Minam Airlift here.]
Recently an airport commissioner in North Carolina contacted us regarding his commission’s plans to add autogas as a means to lower the cost of flying and increase overall activity at his airport. A large Shell-branded avgas supplier based in his state refused to provide autogas, but he was able to find a local fuel jobber owned by a fellow pilot who was happy to bring 93 AKI ethanol-free fuel to this small airport, even in small quantities of a few thousand gallons.
At this time, the airport’s avgas supplier provided the commissioner with Shell Aviation Bulletin SAB Q109, which originated in the company’s U.K. office in 2009. An article authored by Shell’s Technology Manager for Aviation Fuel, Rob Midgley, starts with the bold headline “Motor Gasoline — The Dangers in Aviation Use.” The airport commissioner recently sent us SAB Q109 and asked us to comment on its accuracy.
On Day 1 of Aero 2012, Dave Unwin reported hearing many comments about EASA’s halting move toward acceptance of the concept of Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft, which was invented in the USA. The European Union, with an equally proud heritage of aviation, is showing familiar reluctance to embrace what another country has achieved, even when aircraft builders in the EU seek a one-for-one alignment of the rules so that aircraft certified in one country can be sold in another, as happens now with (most) European airplanes being accepted in the USA.
The truth is out there… somewhere.
Last week, a proposed amendment to the House’s National Defense Authorization Act caused a bit of a firestorm. The proposed amendment from Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio) would “bar the Department of Defense from loaning or gifting any U.S. military aircraft or parts to any entity except those that would put the aircraft on static display, such as in a museum,” says an EAA story posted on April 18.
The General Aviation Airport Coalition has initiated a petition on the White House website that, if signed by 25,000 people or more by May 16, 2012, will elicit...
Air Racers 3D, the first IMAX movie devoted to the Reno Air Races, is rolling out across the country at select IMAX theaters, including the Naval Aviation Mus...
Really? Are there only 3,035 general aviators out there who are against paying a $100 per flight user fee? Click here to sign the petition. If you’re not a...
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 fro...
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 fro...
