When USA Book News announced the results of its national “Best Books” awards for 2009, Sue Hughes was flying high. The author’s first publication was among the finalists in the national contest’s Children’s Picture Book – Softcover Fiction category. Her book, “The Pilot Alphabet,” presents the phonetic alphabet, an international standard used by pilots. “I […]
Feature
One down, 999+ to go…
SPLOG By DAN JOHNSON It begins! The long-awaited arrival of Cessna into the ranks of Special Light Sport Aircraft has begun, with the first Shenyang-produced SkyCatcher arriving in Wichita. The company reports taking more than 1,000 orders. At Oshkosh 2009, company officials said production would commence as originally planned in 2009 but that 2010 will […]
Pilot shortage on the horizon?
Pilot surplus…pilot shortage. It’s a delicate balancing act between the aviation industry and flight training academies throughout the United States — a balancing act that was the center of discussion at Delta Connection Academy’s recent pilot summi at the academy’s headquarters in Sanford, Florida. “The general consensus in the industry is that a pilot shortage […]
NextGen on track, but has a long way to go
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The next generation air transportation system (NextGen) is getting on track but still has a long way to go and problems to overcome, according to testimony given to the House Subcommittee on Aviation Wednesday. The hearing was the first to discuss a report from the Radio Technical Commission on Aeronautics (RTCA) task […]
Flight for the Human Spirit pilot earns his Sport Pilot ticket
A pilot who plans a 50 state tour in an LSA has passed an important milestone: Michael Combs recently earned his Sport Pilot’s license. Working with US Aviation in Denton, Texas, Combs did his flight training in his REMOS GX, dubbed “Hope One.” He completed his check ride in just over 43 hours of training. […]
Fun Fly Rally: Part race, part scavenger hunt
The Fun Fly Rally in California’s Central Valley is featured in a new report from Wired. Organized by officials with the Seagull Flying Club, the rally is part air race, part airborne scavenger hunt, in which pilots fly 166 miles from Tracy to Los Banos without modern navigational aids. The report notes: “It’s strictly old-school […]
Lycoming retains key certification
Lycoming Engines has retained its AS 9100 certification for another three years following a multi-day recertification audit by NSF, the international registrar of aerospace standards. The AS 9100 standard was developed in 1999 when the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), comprising major aerospace contractors from the Americas, Asia, and Europe, fostered initiatives for quality improvement […]
Plane Wax Weekend slated
The K-State, Salina chapter of Women in Aviation is holding a “Plane Wax Weekend” fundraiser at the Salina Airport (SLN) in Kansas Nov. 7 and 8. Funds will be used to defray expenses for the group’s members to go to the WAI conference in February in Orlando. For a minimum tax deductable donation of $150, […]
Backcountry strips featured in new book
There are two things virtually every pilot I’ve ever spoken has indicated he would love to do: Live on a residential airpark with his airplane in a connecting hangar, and climb into his aircraft and explore the backcountry strips that dot our country, particularly in the West. Well, Capt. Harry B. Hardin doesn’t live on […]