Plans for shortening the runway at Santa Monica airport (KSMO) are proceeding as scheduled. That means the start date for the project—which will take roughly 1,500 feet off of the 4,973-foot runway—is just two weeks away. Aecom, an engineering firm based in Los Angeles, will be handling the job. It has been reported that this more »

The NTSB issued two safety alerts on Wednesday—one for pilots and the other for mechanics. Both were aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning. As the alerts point out, even in its early stages, CO poisoning can be deadly for pilots. Given that Carbon Monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless, more »

When the Civil Air Patrol was looking for a home base at Punta Gorda, Florida, to base its emergency management operations, EAA Chapter 565 at Punta Gorda (PDG) was quick to raise its hand and open its doors. Punta Gorda, located on the Gulf Coast near some of the worst damage from Irma, is strategically more »

Hurricane Irma won’t be interfering with AOPA’s planned October fly-in to Peter O. Knight Airport (KTPF) in Tampa, Florida. According to AOPA, the airport officials have reported that the airport didn’t suffer any major damage from the storm and is still looking forward to hosting the two-day event. “We feel that now, one of the more »

When GAMA announced that the United States GA fleet had reached a milestone in ADS-B equipage, it was an announcement that seemed like more of a warning. The shocking element of the news was not how many aircraft have been equipped but how many haven’t. The milestone mentioned in the release was that in advance more »

When you think about Sporty’s Pilot Shop, you probably don’t think about insurance, but for a year now, Precision Approach aircraft insurance has been available through Sporty’s, part of its expanding lineup of services it offers in addition to its pilot gear business. The insurance, available for both owners and renters, offers coverage for many more »

New, inexpensive autopilots are coming to market almost faster than we can keep up with, and the latest one, the Trio Avionics Pro Pilot, is ready to ship. The autopilot, STC and install kit sell for $7,500. The autopilot is a two-axis unit (pitch and roll). The arrangement to get the autopilot installed in a more »

The NTSB yesterday published its preliminary report on the crash that killed country music star Troy Gentry, one half of the popular country music duo Montgomery Gentry. The fatal crash took place after the helicopter’s commercial pilot, James Evan Robinson, shut down the non-throttle-responsive engine and attempted an autorotation to the runway at the Flying more »

If the future of aviation is electric, we’re going to need somewhere to plug our cheaper, quieter planes in. Slovenian light aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel has it covered. The company—in partnership with several university students—has developed and installed the first-ever taxi-up-and-plug-in public electric aircraft charging station. One of Pipistrel’s Alpha Electro trainers was the first to more »

With the FAA’s general aviation ADS-B rebate program coming to a close on September 18, significantly fewer than half of the offered 20,000 rebates for ADS-B Out installation have been claimed. The program offers a $500 rebate to, according to the FAA, “help owners of less-expensive general aviation aircraft equip now with the required avionics.” more »

App and Data Company Seattle Avionics has introduced a low-priced ADS-B receiver based on the Statux kit that’s popular with do-it-yourselfers. At a price of $250, Seattle Avionics’ little box comes fully assembled and calibrated. The Merlin is a dual-band receiver with both 978 and 1090 capabilities, dual antennas, an internal battery with a four-hour more »

Hurricane Irma’s wet and windy path along the length of the Florida peninsula resulted in a surprisingly limited amount of damage at the state’s larger airports, while smaller general aviation fields were hit harder. All of the state’s major hubs, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Tampa and Tallahassee, were either already operating by more »

A video showing a Cessna 172 hitting a tree has been released by the Plainville Police Department. Thankfully—and astonishingly— the pilot, 79-year-old Manfred Forst, sustained only minor injuries. He has already been released from the hospital. It has been reported that the Cessna 172P, N54463, departed Robertson Field Airport (4B8) in Plainville, Connecticut. The crash more »

The NTSB has issued the preliminary report on the August 12th crash of a Virginia State Police Bell 407 helicopter in Charlottesville, VA. The accident, which killed officer-pilots H. Jay Cullen, 48, and Berke Bates, took place while the helicopter was re-routing from providing video footage of the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville to escort more »

With the delivery of a fresh-out-of-the-factory Piper Archer this Thursday, ATP Flight School brought its training fleet up to 300 aircraft. The plane is the 80th Archer of an order of 100 that ATP placed as part of a three-year agreement with Piper Aircraft. The new Garmin G500-equipped Archer keeps up the school’s expansion momentum—it more »

For the past nearly two decades, Dassault, the company that makes the Falcon Jet line of business jets, has been using what it calls a “tool” in helping with relief efforts here in the United States and abroad. That tool is a specially outfitted Falcon 900 tri-jet that the company has used to provide humanitarian more »

The new Eclipse Project Canada—now called the EA700—has taken to the skies, at least in part. That part is the wing, to be precise. ONE Aviation modified an an Eclipse 500 with the wing designed for the EA700 and, last Friday, performed a 1.5-hour flight test—a first for the wing design. ONE Aviation reports that more »

For aircraft owners looking for a less-expensive autopilot option, EAA subsidiary EAA STC, LLC has begun selling STCs for TruTrak’s Vizion autopilot. TruTrak got Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) from the FAA for installation of the Vizion in select Part 23 aircraft earlier this spring. At the moment, the Vizion is available for Cessna 172 models more »