Pia Bergqvist

Lancair has delivered the first piston-powered Evolution, equipped with a fadec-controlled Lycoming iE2 engine rated at 350 horsepower. The piston Evolution is designed around the same carbon fiber airframe as the turbine version, minus the firewall forward section. With a 168-gallon fuel tank that is necessary to feed the turbine-powered Evolution, the range of the […]

At a news conference at the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In and Expo, Sporty’s introduced a breakdown assistance program to aid pilots stuck with mechanical issues at unfamiliar airports. Through its association with Mike Busch’s Savvy Aircraft Maintenance Management, the Breakdown Assistance Program allows pilots to call a toll-free number any time, day and night, […]

AOPA’s Mark Baker held a town hall meeting at the Sun ‘n Fun campus yesterday, announcing the industry organization’s plan to bring more people into flying and keep pilots flying. One of the biggest initiatives on the slate is increasing the number of active flying clubs. Baker referred to flying clubs as “the future of […]

Hilton Software has done what many aviation app producers thought impossible. The company has figured out a way to add geo-reference capabilities to Departure Procedures (DPs) and Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs), something that has presented a challenge for software developers because the charts are not drawn to scale. However, Hilton Software’s patent-pending WingX Non-Linear […]

Avidyne announced new capabilities for its IFD-series navigators today at the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Florida. With the latest software upgrade, Release 10.2, the IFD440 and IFD540 will have synthetic vision views, safety functionality that is retrofittable to existing units for free. The R 10.2 release is expected in the […]

For the 42nd year, the gates at the Lakeland Linder Airport opened today for the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-in and Expo. The usual compote of airplanes, avionics, and flight-gear are on display through Sunday, mixed up with an array of educational forums and workshops, and impressive afternoon and evening airshows. This year’s airshow adds […]

Glasair announced yesterday that it has achieved SLSA approval for its Merlin light sport aircraft. While the Arlington, Washington-based company has been in the business of making experimental airplanes since the 1980s, including the Sportsman four-seat airplane built through the two-weeks-to-taxi program, Merlin is Glasair’s first production airplane. Merlin will not be offered as an […]

Garmin’s Team X has developed new equipment for experimental and light sport aircraft, providing new audio panel options and an electronic flight instrument. Garmin’s GMA 245 and remotely mounted GMA 245R audio panels provide “home theatre sound quality to the cockpit,” says Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing. The new audio […]

One of the Reno Air Race Unlimited fan favorites, Precious Metal, a modified P-51 Mustang, will literally return from the ashes to fly again. The airplane caught fire as race pilot Thom Richard was ferrying the airplane to Reno for the races last year. There were initially doubts regarding the feasibility of the restoration, but […]

One of the biggest pleasures of flying airplanes is the freedom it provides. It is not only the ability to go virtually anywhere at any time that excites, but it’s also the ability to explore things you have never seen before from a bird’s-eye view. Part of the joy of flight is discovering some intriguing […]