Any list of general-aviation evergreens is bound to include certain airplanes: The Cessna 170 and 172 would be near the top of the list; Piper’s venerable Super Cub would be a strong contender; Beechcraft’s straight-tail Bonanza would definitely qualify; and the Piper Cherokee Six also would likely make the list. Read More “New Piper‘s Saratoga II TC”
Running out of fuel and crashing is something you might expect from an inexperienced private pilot, but not from a crew of professional pilots or even experienced pilots. Yet that was exactly the case when it came to an accident that occurred on April 8, 2003. It involved a Dassault DA-20C Fan Jet Falcon that was being vectored by ATC in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) for another approach. Read More “Fill ‘Er Up”
A friend of a friend knew the pilot of a King Air that crashed, killing six of the seven people on board, so I was asked to be on the lookout for the NTSB’s final report on the accident. The thinking among those who knew the pilot was that there had to be some sort of catastrophic mechanical failure or a series of problems with the plane and avionics, far beyond the coping capabilities of any mere mortal. Read More “Don‘t Bank On It”
So, what do you do if you’re a national aerobatic champion, and you want to get to the next level? If you’re Walter Extra, you design a new airplaneâand 30 years ago, that’s just what he did. Read More “Beautiful, Nimble, Stout And Fast”¦”
Sporty’s Pilot Shop announced that flight and ground instructors may now earn a $25 Sporty’s Gift Card each time one of their students buys a Sporty’s complete pilot course â available for Private, Sport, Recreational and Instrument training. Read More “Sporty‘s Flight Instructor Rebate Program”
Aircraft owners usually cast a wary eye when the FAA introduces a new technology. With each announcement, owners are concerned about paying a price to retain their rights to use the country’s airspace, and there’s usually a mass grumbling that begins with âWhat’s in it for me?â
Read More “ADS-B: The FAA‘s Bold New Bid To Change The Way We Fly”
A little more than a year ago, the FAA passed legislation creating a new category of airplane, light sport aircraft (LSA), and a new rating, the sport pilot license. The idea was to make flying more accessible (driver’s licenses became the new medicals), easier to complete (minimum flight hours were reduced from 40 for a private pilot to 20 for a sport pilot) and less expensive (LSA are significantly cheaper to own and operate). Despite all the kudos from aviation groups, no one really knew just how successful the new aircraft and license would ultimately be.
Â
Read More “Earn A Pilot‘s License In Two Weeks?”
If you want to start a lively debate with a group of pilots, take a side on the high-wing/low-wing debate, and then stand back. You’re almost guaranteed to hear passionate arguments from both sides of the issue. Cessna has always built its single-engine airplanes with the wing on the top. Columbia Aircraft models are most emphatically not high-wing airplanes. Perhaps for that reason, it came as a surprise in November 2007 when Cessna purchased the rights to a bankrupt Columbia Aircraft for a relatively paltry $26.4 million. |
Read More “Cessna 350: Cessna‘s New-Generation Single”
Everyone remembers their first solo flight. And so when I heard, âStudent pilot, first solo,â transmitted on the radio a few days ago at Van Nuys Airport, it brought me back to that chilly March morning when my instructor Liz DeStaffany hopped out of N2447B and I taxied the Cessna 172 to Santa Monica Airport’s runway 21. |
Read More “From The Editor: “Student Pilot, First Solo””