Mark Phelps

“We are thrilled to be expanding our dedicated pilot team during this exciting growth period,” said Flexjet vice president of operations Jason Weiss, “and anticipate hiring in the double digits in 2013 and beyond.” With fractional and jet card sales almost doubling from January 2012 through January 2013, the Bombardier subsidiary is bullish on its […]

According to Xsight Systems, 40 percent of bird-related incidents occur on the ground. Additionally, 44 percent of the most damaging accidents involving birds happen at ground level, said Alon Nitzan, CEO of the Tel Aviv-based company. With that in mind, Xsight has added new BirdWize algorithms to its FODetect airport radar systems to detect and […]

On August 8 at around 5:30 p.m. local time Key West Seaplanes pilots (and co-owners) Julie Ann Floyd and Nikali Pontecorvo were ferrying one of their pontoon-equipped Cessnas from Key West to Miami when they heard a distress call. An unidentified pilot was having engine trouble in the vicinity of Key Largo and wasn’t sure […]

Dual Electronics’ XGPS170 combination GPS/ADS-B receiver is now compatible with WSI’s Pilotbrief Optima iPad app. WSI’s app, available through the Apple iTunes store or at wsi.com/pilotbrief, provides what the company describes as “professional-grade weather services at a private pilot price.” It also incorporates charts and flight-planning software. Adding ADS-B via the Bluetooth connection on the […]

On Saturday August 24 the National Transportation Safety Board will hold a seminar on “lessons learned” from accidents involving experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft. Though some 33,000 E-ABs constitute a bit less than 10 percent of the U.S. GA fleet, the category accounts for 15 percent of accidents and more than 20 percent of fatal accidents, […]

Cirrus Aircraft was one of the players behind this year’s improved delivery numbers for the first half. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association report, aircraft deliveries were up 8.9 percent overall compared with last year’s first six months, with deliveries of piston airplanes up 16.1 percent. Cirrus reported a 32-percent increase during the second […]

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has released its figures for aircraft delivered in the first half of the year, and the numbers are mostly good. The only red mark was on business jet sales, with deliveries down 4 percent compared with last year’s first half (283 this year versus 295 in 2012). On the other […]

Two teams of students participated in Glasair’s “Two Weeks to Taxi” fast build program, and the aircraft they helped produce were on display at Oshkosh AirVenture last week. During a ceremony at the Jeppesen tent, most of the students were introduced along with their teachers. After the two-week initial build period was completed, further assembly […]

Not all of the display aircraft at EAA AirVenture are pristine examples. A Grumman FM-2 Wildcat fighter used to train World War II Naval aviators is on display, its remains lashed to the back of a flatbed truck. The barnacle-encrusted single-seat fighter crashed on takeoff from a training aircraft carrier on Lake Michigan in December […]

Rich Gibson’s airshow work is impossible to ignore. His company, Rich’s Incredible Pyro, is responsible for the gigantic walls of flame that accompany simulated aerial attacks during EAA AirVenture and other airshows around the world. This year will be Rich’s swan song at Oshkosh, but he has left indelible memories for anyone who’s seen his […]