Mark Phelps

I learned to drive in New England, so I knew about slippery roads. But I remember that every year I almost had to relearn some of the lessons with the first snowfall. It seems there was a close call every winter as I re-acclimated myself to the hazards of lost traction on turns and when […]

Conservatives had plenty to cheer about at the close of Election Day 2010, as incumbents were swept away in a wave of dissatisfaction with the status quo in Washington. But for general aviation interest groups, the new class of congressmen represents a new class to be educated about our industry. And in the case of […]

Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.) appears largely unrepentant about his failure to access notams about a closed runway. The senator, a 10,000-hour pilot who has been flying for 50 years, landed a Cessna 340 on a closed runway at Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport in Texas on Oct. 21. The runway was marked with oversize Xs and […]

Most are familiar with the Corporate Angel Network’s mission — arranging rides to and from treatment for cancer patients in empty seats on corporate aircraft. But the breadth of the White Plains, New York-based charity was underscored when it arranged transportation for 317 patients in October this year — the most impressive monthly total in […]

It’s almost two years since US Airways Flight 1549 achieved its ‘miracle’ water landing in the Hudson River. In the time since, pilots Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeff Skiles have spoken before innumerable people to recount their experience. But last June, Skiles addressed a group that not only knows a lot about the bird strike […]

Anyone on the decision-making fence about springing for a new aircraft needs to act fast. The stimulus 50-percent bonus depreciation law covers new aircraft delivered by year end, and the tax savings can be huge. Essentially, buyers are able to accelerate half the overall depreciation of the aircraft into one year, allowing a significant tax […]

There are a lot of unnecessary fears in flying, or at least fears that are overblown. How many aircraft owners resist adding a multi-engine rating, or shy away from buying a twin, based on the fear of loss of control when an engine fails on takeoff? It is certainly a valid concern, and dealing with […]

Responding to the challenges of the current economy for general aviation, Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC) this week delivered 350 pink slips to salaried staff. In a letter to employees, CEO Bill Boisture also outlined the schedule and details of 800 job losses for union-represented hourly workers that had been announced in September. In the Oct. […]

In the years preceding the economic collapse of 2008, the NBAA convention was punctuated by announcements of huge orders for business jets. That custom came to a screeching halt, but this year NetJets burned some rubber with the announcement it plans to buy up to 125 Embraer Phenom 300s. The $1 billion deal includes 50 […]

Kurt Robinson, president of Robinson Helicopter and son of founder Frank Robinson, said the FAA was well represented Monday among the 300 attending certification ceremonies for the company’s new turbine-powered R66. He said, “A lot of the FAA guys were saying, ‘We used to do this all the time, but now, certifying a new aircraft […]