Flying Staff

Early every year the National Aeronautic Association recognizes some of the most memorable flights of the previous year, and 2001 had a number of unusual and exceptional flights to note. Interestingly, two of the flights that made the list for 2001 were made by aircraft without a pilot onboard. The solar-powered AeroVironment Pathfinder I, or […]

The National Aeronautic Association has named as winner of the prestigious Collier Trophy the integrated lift fan propulsion system (ILFPS) that makes possible the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The STOVL JSF, which will be flown by the United States Marines, is one of a number of […]

||| |—|—| | | | The FAA proposed the broadest changes to existing pilot and light plane certification standards in decades, when it published its proposal for the new Light-Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rules. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) was published in late January. The public has 90 days to comment on it […]

I bought a new Cardinal RG in 1976 and, while I liked the airplane, my mission changed. I had been living in Little Rock, Arkansas, working for Flying, and the general aviation business of that day was concentrated in the middle of the country. My average jaunt was about 300 nm. In 1977, I moved […]

||| |—|—| | | | The title of this column is “Gear Up” because I like the symbolism of takeoff and flight. It means to me the moment just after positive rate has been established when, with a short upward pull by the pilot, the airplane is reconfigured, while accelerating, to assume the shape it […]

I don’t know if there are 10,000 lakes in Central Florida to match Minnesota’s famous license-plate claim, but I wouldn’t be surprised. As I flew over the region in the Saratoga on my way down to Sun ‘n Fun, I looked down at a landscape freckled with lakes, lakes big and small, blue and green, […]

In a revision of its annual forecast presented shortly after the September 11th attacks, Honeywell says that it foresees a “modest decline” of seven to eight percent in bizjet deliveries in 2002 when compared to 2001. Deliveries are expected to increase again in 2003, rising to the record level of deliveries in 2001. In the […]

||| |—|—| | | | Think driving is cheap? Think again. Runzheimer International, a management consulting firm, added up the costs for several trips of around 500 miles and found that driving, which obviously doesn’t save any time on a trip of that length, doesn’t save money either. Once all the costs were figured (fuel, […]

||| |—|—| | | | After nearly a decade’s hiatus, the Tiger has returned to production. On December 3rd Tiger Aircraft hosted a roll-out ceremony at its Martinsburg, West Virginia, factory to announce that it had obtained an FAA type certificate for the sprightly single. For good measure, the company also rolled out the first […]