Mark Phelps

Everyone knows that there is less flying going on, but Lockheed Martin is using the reduced numbers to justify cutting back on Flight Service Station facilities. The company announced last week that five satellite stations will close in February. Facilities due to shut their doors include those in Oakland, San Diego, Denver, Albuquerque and Macon, […]

Thielert Aircraft Engines, currently under insolvency administration in Germany, has doubled the service life of the fuel feed pump for its Centurion 1.7 and 2.0 diesel aircraft engines. Thielert insolvency administrator Bruno Kübler announced the increase in service life for the pump to 600 hours, from 300 hours, reduces the hourly operating costs for the […]

Decades ago, aviation gasoline contributed a tiny percentage of the overall lead pollution in the United States. But after EPA standards were installed in 1978, other sources-most profoundly, leaded auto fuel-were outlawed, leaving aviation fuel as one of the top lead polluters. Though avgas today still represents a tiny fraction of what was emitted 30 […]

When taxiing or braking on an icy ramp or runway, tapping or pumping the brakes will usually increase stopping effectiveness. It’s the way ABS braking systems work on automobiles, gripping and releasing the brakes in short, staccato intervals. Our toes cannot work as fast as the sensors and computers that control anti-lock brakes, but the […]

Earlier this month, Sandel Avionics and S-Tec announced the completion of a successful test program coordinating the 4-ATI-size Sandel SA4550 primary attitude display and the S-Tec System 55, 55X, 60-2 and 65 autopilots. The SA4550 is now an approved flight director for the popular autopilots. The display is marketed as a modular replacement for existing […]

Fractional aircraft ownership specialist PlaneSmart, based in Dallas, now offers management services for owners of “qualifying” airplanes. The company has taken delivery of an Eclipse 500 and is offering shares to customers. Late model aircraft in excellent condition-preferably with “advanced avionics”-are eligible. The company claims existing owners will receive a “significant refund” on their original […]

With its winglets already certified and installed on larger King Airs, BLR Aerospace in Everett, Washington, has turned its attention to operators of King Air C90s, E90s and King Air GTs and GTis. Certification of the winglets was listed as “imminent” earlier this month. The winglets are credited with reducing fuel consumption by as much […]

Converting classic de Havilland bush aircraft to more potent turbine power is not a new prospect, but a Victoria Airport, British Columbia, Canada, company has taken the practice a step further. Viking, a subsidiary of investment firm Westerkirk Capital, made the first flight of its turbine-powered DHC-6 Twin Otter earlier this month. Powered by a […]

Aerion, the Reno, Nevada-based company formed to develop a supersonic business jet, reports it has entered the “proof of concept” design phase. Aerion has targeted 2014 for certification of its Mach-busting bizjet, which is expected to have a maximum speed of 1.6 times the speed of sound. Aerion, led by vice chairman and veteran business […]

The FAA has granted a supplemental type certificate (STC) to Sagem Avionics for installing a modern glass avionics suite in legacy Twin Commander 690 twin-engine aircraft. The configuration includes as many as four 10-inch active matrix liquid crystal displays, or as few as two. The configuration calls for primary flight display, multifunction display with moving […]