Early last week my inbox starting filling with breathless news that Innospec, the world’s last producer of Tetraethyllead (TEL), the amazing chemical compound that gives avgas such excellent anti-detonant properties, is planning to end production in 2013. Worse yet, according to an online article in Specialty Chemical News, the company had actually planned to stop […]
Opinion
Lessons from the NFL
A few days before the Seattle Seahawks played the Washington Redskins in the Wild Card round of the National Football League playoffs, General Aviation News columnist, and nearly Washington D.C. resident Charles Spence emailed me to poke a little fun about the upcoming game. I took the comments to Facebook for broader discussion and we […]
Extreme Makeover
Big things are happening to the location formerly known as the Ultralight Area at the SUN ’n FUN grounds on the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Florida. First, the area will now permanently be known by its longtime affectionate name: Paradise City. Once a place of great charm and thick crowds, the area suffered from the […]
Will NTSB head become next Secretary of Transportation?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Will the current chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board become the next Secretary of Transportation? The answer is “yes” if the head of the Senate committee that must approve the next nominee has his way. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Tuesday (Jan. 29) that he was leaving his post. Senator Jay […]
Changing the way the FAA does business
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Michael Huerta, the new administrator at the FAA, sees challenges ahead for all aviation, which creates the need for government and the private sector to work together to resolve those challenges “to achieve the opportunities the next five years will bring.” “We must all be mindful of our respective roles,” he said. […]
Air Creation Skypper wins SLSA #130
Congratulations to Air Creation USA for winning Special Light-Sport Aircraft approval for its newest weight-shift control aircraft called the Skypper. That’s a worthwhile achievement for any new LSA, but before I tell you how this model is different, let me do another explanation. In summer of 2012, FAA issued an internal order — meaning it […]
Building a better yardstick
Periodically, I, like all pilots, am asked to divulge how many hours I’ve logged. How much of that total is single engine and how much is multi engine? I’m asked to break out the land plane time from the seaplane time. Like you, I’m asked to break out night time, cross-country time, taildragger time, and […]
First CTLSi with ADS-B
Aviators love abbreviations and one that has invaded light aviation recently is ADS-B. FAA’s Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast service brings two major benefits for aircraft that install new equipment: Free weather and traffic. LSA market leader Flight Design recently completed the first installation of this in one of its brand-new CTLSi models. New dealer Florida Light-Sport […]
Maine seeks ethanol reprieve
We recently learned of a renewed effort by the Maine State Legislature to reduce or eliminate altogether the blending of ethanol in gasoline. As described in this article in the Maine Sun Journal, “A pair of bills introduced Thursday by state Rep. Jeff Timberlake, R-Turner, could have a significant impact on what goes into the […]