Mark Phelps

If you’re a pilot or maintenance technician who’s lost your job due to the economic downturn, FlightSafety is here to help. This week, the training organization announced the new, trademarked Proficiency Protection Program, in which pilots and maintenance technicians can receive continuing training at no cost while they look for work. The program provides business-aircraft […]

Operators of most Cessna single-engine models may now install Forward Vision’s infrared thermal imaging camera systems under a Supplemental Type Certificate issued by the FAA. Only Model 208 Caravans and P210s are not included, and Forward Vision is working on acquiring an STC for the latter. At a cost of about $15,000 (uninstalled), the Forward […]

The terrorist threat of light GA aircraft has been compared to “marshmallows thrown against a windowpane.” Apparently, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General office agrees. In a report issued last month the DHS office wrote: “We determined that general aviation presents only limited and mostly hypothetical threats to security.” We in the […]

Though it has largely faded from the discussion, much was made of the conversation between the two pilots of Continental Express Flight 3407. Their de Havilland Dash 8 Q400 crashed on approach to Buffalo on February 12. Mostly, people remarked on the subject matter — for example, the copilot’s discussion on her inexperience with icing […]

When five members of the British activist group Plane Stupid chained themselves to a business jet at London City Airport, the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) stepped up. Chief Executive Guy Lachlan called the group’s efforts “politically driven” and “misguided,” and he backed up his assertion with some interesting numbers. All of aviation […]

Acting President Bob Marinace and Executive Vice President Gil Wolin have resigned from Wayfarer Aviation, the corporate successor to JetDirect Aviation. Former JetDirect Chief Operating Officer Marinace has formed his own consulting group, and Wolin will hang out a shingle as a sales, marketing and communications expert for hire. JetDirect was bought and renamed Wayfarer […]

Deborah Hersman has been named as the nominee for chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. She would replace Mark Rosenker, who has been serving as interim chairman since his term expired last August. Hersman has been a member of the NTSB since 2004 and has led the investigations of many high-profile business aviation accidents, […]

The pulse of general aviation activity continues to show signs of life. Aviation research firm ARG/US compiles flight activity data through its TRAQPak program. The data represents serial-number-specific aircraft arrival and departure information for all IFR flights, including Hawaii and Alaska. In the ‘it’s not getting worse’ category, activity for May 2009 was down 15.5 […]

Taking a page from luxury car sales strategy, Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC) now offers five years of free maintenance for Premier 1A jet buyers, or 1,000 hours, whichever comes first. The deal is available until September 30. Buyers are also able to take advantage of bonus depreciation in 2009, with potentially significant tax savings. The […]

A few months after Cirrus announced it had chosen Garmin to provide avionics for production versions of its developmental Vision light jet, L-3 Avionics Systems’ legal department has reacted. L-3 had been on board with Cirrus as the avionics provider in the early stages of the Vision single-engine-jet project with L-3’s SmartDeck integrated suite. According […]