WASHINGTON, D.C. — The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has named Joe Sambiase manager of airworthiness and maintenance. In this new position, Sambiase is responsible for GAMA’s activities related to regulatory requirements governing the airworthiness, production and maintenance of general aviation airplanes. He brings more than 10 years of technical experience in aviation, specifically regulatory […]
Who was really the first to fly?
GUEST EDITORIAL By JOHN BECK Who was the first person to fly? Was it that snappy dresser from Brazil, Alberto Santos Dumont? His countrymen fervently think so. His first flight was Oct. 23, 1906. It was recognized by Brazilians and by the French and other Europeans to truly be the first controlled flight of a […]
NTSB to open docket on Hudson River midair
Washington, D.C. — In its continuing investigation of the midair collision of an air tour helicopter and a small plane over the Hudson River, the National Transportation Safety Board will open the public docket on Wednesday, April 28, at 10 a.m. On Aug. 8, 2009, at 11:53 a.m. EDT, a Eurocopter AS 350 BA (N401LH) […]
There’s a new game in town
Now playing is WINGsReality, America’s only online aviation reality game show. WINGsReality is an interactive game show where contestant “pilots” take to the skies on flights that are assigned to them by the WINGsReality host. For the online viewing audience, WINGsReality pilots provide a fun and realistic flight experience. All WINGsReality pilots are FAA certified […]
Arizona Flight Training Center slates open house
Arizona Flight Training Center, in conjunction with the Glendale Municipal Airport (GEU), is hosting an open house at the main terminal building, on Saturday, May 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Arizona Flight TrainingCenter is a new flight school that commenced operations Feb. 1. In addition to AZFTC’s fleet of aircraft, Warbirds, Light Sport, […]
Flight for the Human Spirit reaches more than 1 million people so far
Every day brings new milestones for The Flight for the Human Spirit, which now has more than 3,600 miles behind the tail and roughly 16,000 to go. “We now have over 125,000 hits a day on our website,” said pilot Michael Combs. “Even our podcasts are consistently getting between 400 and 800 listens every day. […]
AEA elects new officers
Members of the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) elected new representatives to its board of directors this month during the AEA International Convention in Orlando. In addition, the AEA board of directors elected a new chairman and new vice chairman. Three incumbents seeking re-election and one new board member were elected to represent the United States […]
Preventing bird strikes
According to audiotapes released by the FAA, US Airways Flight 1549, known as the “Miracle on the Hudson,” suffered a “double bird strike.” A formation of birds had approached the aircraft while it passed through an altitude of about 3,200 feet. When the aircraft hit the birds, the windscreen quickly turned dark brown and both engines […]
Summer’s danger zones
Climatology — the study of the generally prevailing weather conditions common to a region — often gets short shrift in pilot training curriculums, but there’s a lot to be said for having a good handle on regional weather patterns, according to a story just posted to AOPA.org, which notes: “For those venturing into unfamiliar regions […]