Stephen Pope

The NTSB is investigating the crash of a Beech Premier IA on Wednesday night as the pilot was attempting a go-around at Thomson-McDuffie Regional Airport (KHQU) near Augusta, Georgia. Five people died in the crash shortly after 8 p.m. and two others were taken to a hospital, according to officials. NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt […]

Facing looming sequestration budget cuts that are due to take effect on March 1, the Air Force has decided to cancel a number of popular upcoming airshows. At the same time, the Defense Department says it is prepared to put a halt to all “non-essential” military flying on April 1, including performances this year by […]

Garmin has introduced its first radar altimeter, the GRA 5500, an all-digital design intended to bring extremely high altitude accuracy to general aviation aircraft. The GRA 5500 is able to process hundreds of altitude measurements per second and apply advanced digital filters to help detect and mitigate false altitude returns, Garmin notes. The result is […]

Officially out of bankruptcy after a tough 10-month stretch, Beechcraft will now shift its focus to reestablishing its battered brand, supporting its customers and developing new piston and turboprop airplanes as the foundation of the company’s future. “Today marks the rebirth of an 80-year-old American aircraft manufacturing business with a globally recognized brand,” said Beechcraft […]

Complacency is one of the biggest enemies pilots face. As we go about our business accomplishing flight-related tasks, over time they can become rote actions performed without the necessary forethought to ensure we’re not acting out of habit. The NTSB is warning pilots of several recent incidents where pilots pulled a lever or hit a […]

Italian police arrested the current and former CEOs of helicopter maker AgustaWestland on Tuesday, charging both men with bribery stemming from an Indian helicopter contract. Giuseppe Orsi, the chairman and CEO of Finmeccanica and former CEO of AgustaWestland, was taken into custody by police while current AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini has reportedly been placed under […]

American Airlines and US Airways will form the world’s biggest airline after the companies agreed to a blockbuster, $11 billion merger on Wednesday under the American name. The combined carrier will be run by US Airways CEO Doug Parker, while American’s CEO, Tom Horton, will remain as chairman of the new company until mid-2014. The […]

As many of you already know, I recently started flying a new Diamond DA40 XLS as one of the inaugural “members” to sign up with DiamondShare, a new concept in aircraft ownership that is seeking to dramatically alter the economic equation for buyers. I first heard about DiamondShare last summer at the Oshkosh Airshow. My […]

In an economic climate where “flat is the new up” for general aviation manufacturers, there was plenty of good news to report at GAMA’s annual state of the industry media briefing in Washington, D.C., this morning. You guessed it, 2012 was another flat year for makers of GA airplanes. Total billings last year were nearly […]

As the hunt for fugitive ex-cop Christopher Dorner continues in California, the Transportation Security Administration has released an advisory cautioning that the accused killer might try to use general aviation aircraft to evade capture. “It is believed that Dorner received flight training during his time in the U.S. Navy, but the extent of his potential […]