Mark Phelps

The first nine months of 2008 were terrific for general aviation. The same time frame this year has been a disaster, by comparison. Manufacturers shipped close to 3,000 aircraft through Q3 last year (2,982 to be exact — according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association). This year’s total through September is 1,587 — off by […]

At the AOPA Summit in Tampa, Avidyne announced some new products and enhancements to its DFC90 and DFC100 autopilot systems. New to the market is the latest EX600 multifunction display, priced starting at less than $10,000. Designed for aircraft without an MFD or those that need an upgrade, the EX600 includes new map-panning keys and […]

Outgoing president of Piper Aircraft John Becker (leaving “to pursue other career goals”) will be replaced as of Dec. 1 in that role by current CEO Kevin Gould, who will carry both titles. Gould was vice president of operations when Singapore-based Imprimis Fund acquired the airframer last May. He replaced President and CEO James Bass […]

Supersonic natural laminar flow is the trump card for Aerion — the company that hopes to be the first to certify a Mach-busting business jet. Advanced aerodynamics at supersonic speed is projected to enable the Aerion aircraft to fly with dramatically low fuel consumption. Though Aerion acknowledges the depressed worldwide economy has slowed development, the […]

The Experimental Aircraft Association has gone on record urging operators of Zodiac CH601 and CH650 light sport aircraft (LSAs) not to fly their aircraft. Five in-flight breakups have led to concern for the design’s overall safety, including the areas of stick force, airspeed calibration, structural stability, wing structure and flutter. In a special review of […]

“Fly right, or don’t fly at all,” is the admonition for airline pilots from FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. He spoke in reference to the pilots of Northwest Flight 188 who were so engrossed in their laptop computers that they overflew their destination airport by some 150 miles. Showing little sympathy for the pilots’ plight, Babbitt […]

OK, so it’s been a rough year for me. In May, I broke a small bone in my left hand that put me in a cast for a month. And on Nov. 5, I cracked a rib on the back side – halfway between my spine and my side. I broke the hand playing ice […]

By now, most pilots are well aware of the peril they face from snow- and frost-encrusted wings. The increased friction and resulting compromised lift can render an otherwise clean airplane unflyable — and you wouldn’t know until you reach liftoff speeds, only to find that Bernoulli has taken that morning off. So almost all of […]

I received the following letter after the Flying Tip of the Week that addressed dehydration was published two weeks ago: “Plain water can actually exacerbate the reduction of brain function no matter how much water a pilot drinks. This is the fallacy of rehydration. Electrolytes (not just sodium and potassium replacements in sports drinks) are […]

For the first time since it began seven years ago, the annual “migration” of Cirrus owners will not flock to Duluth, Minnesota, but rather to Dayton, Ohio next June 17-20. Curtis Sanford, president of the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association said the group is moving from the place “where two brothers brought a new generation […]