Mark Phelps

The Senate plan for funding the FAA does not include general aviation user fees, but rather an increase in the federal tax of jet fuel to 36 cents per gallon from 21.8 cents per gallon-a 64 percent hike. Congressional proponents of user fees and opponents of the concept, including Sen. Max Baucus (D- Montana), have […]

L3 announced it has simultaneously received an FAA supplemental type certification (STC) and parts manufacturer approval (PMA) for its IRIS (Infra Red Imaging System) enhanced vision system for most models in the King Air 90, 200 and 300 series. The L3 IRIS system includes a KMD-850 multifunction display, but the STC allows King Air operators […]

Swiss airframer Pilatus announced it has received FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval for its Next Generation Pilatus PC-12, to be designated PC-12 NG. The central element to the new version of the popular turboprop single is the Primus Apex avionics suite, and a new cockpit design from BMW Group DesignworksUSA. The Pilatus […]

The National Business Aviation Association announced during Sun ‘n Fun 2008 that it will hold its first Light Aircraft Convention & Exhibition (LAC&E) next spring in San Diego. Set to run March 12, 13 and 14, the event targets business owners who use light aircraft-up to and including very light jets and cabin class turboprops. […]

If you have a portable GPS for emergency backup, or if you use it in your airplane for its terrain awareness or for receiving satellite weather, then your commuting time in your car can be put to good use. Even if you have the road database, it can be more helpful to stick with the […]

The National Transportation Safety Board released its final report for 2007, and the statistics reveal that general aviation has gotten safer, at least in terms of fatal accidents. The number of accidents involving general aviation aircraft (non-airline; not-for-hire charter) was actually up last year to 1,631 from 1,518 in 2006. But fatalities were down a […]

If you’re a scuba diver you’d never dive without a buddy. Some say that’s because, if you meet a hungry shark, there’s a 50-50 chance he’ll choose your buddy from the menu. There are other good reasons for flying with the companionship of another pilot; if not all the time, at least occasionally. This is […]

Avidyne has introduced a product that claims to reduce pilot IFR workload by 75 to 90 percent, compared with “existing units.” Replicating the function of a business jet’s flight management system (FMS), the Avidyne FMS900W works in conjunction with the Entegra integrated avionics suite. The goal is to make operating the system easier; one example […]

Jeppesen has teamed with Hilton Software to offer up to 15 applications for pilots that will interface with an increasing number of smart mobile phones. Jeppesen Mobile expects to be available soon on Blackberrys and iPhones, offering full Airport Facility Directory information, including touch activation for hotlinks to ASOS, ATIS and FBO phone numbers. The […]

The FAA has granted supplemental type certification for Garmin’s three-dimensional Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT). The system displays high-resolution, 3D graphic depictions of terrain, runways, obstacles and even traffic on the primary flight display (PFD). The graphics replace Garmin’s previous blue-over-brown PFD depiction. The user-customizable system also incorporates highway-in-the-sky guidance with rectangular boxes depicted on the […]