Pia Bergqvist

The FAA has eased the arduous COA (Certificate of Waiver or Authorization) application required for commercial UAS operators, allowing for what the FAA calls a “blanket” 200-foot COA. What this means is that any drone operators who hold a Section 333 exemption can fly below 200 feet agl without having to go through the previously […]

Lease terms at Santa Monica Airport were at the center of discussion during a contentious Santa Monica City Council meeting this week — a topic that drew large crowds of airport supporters and opponents alike. About 125 people signed up to speak at the meeting and, as is often the case when airport business is […]

“This whole thing of ‘The sky is the limit’ — it’s not,” says professional aerobatic pilot Rob Holland. “The sky is just a playground.” Nothing could be closer to the truth when it comes to people who engage in extreme flying adventures. Whether they fly powered or nonpowered aircraft, these individuals are pushing the boundaries […]

Are you one of many pilots intimidated by the invisible voices behind the avionics panel? Well, if you are, there is a magic action you can take to overcome your fear. It is as simple as scheduling a visit to a local air traffic control tower or Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility. By meeting […]

Are you intimidated by crosswinds? Do you want to learn more about how to master them without having to pay an instructor? While we always advocate learning with the safety of an instructor in the right seat, you now have an opportunity to get some free tips and gain a better understanding of crosswind landing […]

NASA has selected Tecnam’s P2006T, more commonly referred to as the Tecnam Twin, as the base platform for a new all-electric program named the Leading Edge Asynchronous Propeller Technology project, or LEAPTech for short. Within a few years, NASA hopes to fly a prototype of the airplane modified with a 31-foot wing equipped with 18 […]

It looks like Fifi, the only known B-29 to maintain airworthy status, will soon have some welcome company in the skies. After several decades, the efforts to bring the B-29 bomber named Doc from its dormancy in the Mojave Desert to back into the skies has taken one giant step in the right direction. Doc’s […]

In the FAA’s just-released Aerospace Forecast for the fiscal years 2015 through 2035 the agency expects steady growth in the general aviation sector with an average increase of 1.4 percent per year over the 20-year period. According to the published FAA data, 2014 saw one percent growth in total GA shipments. The single-engine piston market […]

Solar Impulse has completed the fourth of 12 legs on its historic flight around the world using nothing but solar power. A carnival-like atmosphere with local dance performances greeted pilot and co-founder of Solar Impulse Bertrand Piccard as he approached the runway in Mandalay, Myanmar, this morning, landing at 1:21 GMT, 7:51 p.m. in Mandalay. […]

An emergency landing nearly ended in tragedy last week when an airplane was forced down on a ski slope in the French ski resort Avoriaz, the French news outlet Agence France-Presse reports. During the forced landing, the airplane managed to avoid most of the people on the busy ski hill but hit a Polish skier […]