Stephen Pope

One of the most embarrassing things that can happen to a pilot is the case where he starts his airplane’s engine, advances the throttle and goes nowhere – because he forgot to undo the tiedown at the tail. It has happened to plenty of pilots, even those who have performed meticulous preflight inspections and yet […]

A federal judge is weighing whether to allow up to $5.3 million in bonuses for eight senior Hawker Beechcraft executives after the company’s union and federal regulators criticized the payouts as a money grab. The court has approved an exclusivity agreement with Superior Aviation Beijing allowing Hawker Beechcraft to sell the company to the Chinese […]

There are lots of ­reasons you might consider joining a flying club. The most often cited centers on the economics: A flying club with lots of members can offer many of the benefits of aircraft ownership without the hassles or expense of being totally responsible for the upkeep of one. At the same time, the […]

The FAA has awarded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology a $4 million grant to study whether ADS-B technology can be used in light airplanes to provide traffic alerts and advisories that will provide an improvement on current-generation traffic sensing technology. MIT has enlisted Avidyne to develop product hardware for the three-year program, called Airborne Traffic […]

Cessna announced it is moving its 162 Skycatcher out of the light sport category and into the primary category. But before you lose any sleep worrying what the change will mean for you – if you fly a Skycatcher, that is – rest assured, the shift is nothing more than a way to ease approval […]

Aspen Avionics has received TSO approval for Connected Pilot, the first in a series of wireless-enabled flight management applications that are designed to link certified panel avionics with a pilot’s iPad or iPhone. The most interesting of Connected Panel technologies — and the reason why pilots want it — is the ability to create a […]

Simplicity and durability are defining characteristics of so many of the classic American products we love best: The Harley-Davidson Flathead. A well-worn pair of Levi’s jeans. A Rawlings baseball improved by the scuffs and scars and patina of use. For generations of pilots, the object of our nostalgic affection is the Piper Cub. Introduced 75 […]

Van’s Aircraft surprised Oshkosh attendees by bringing a fully finished RV-14 to AirVenture 2012 and parking it at the company’s show booth. The long-rumored homebuilt model features side-by-side seating for two and a top speed of 205 mph in a package that Van’s says has been designed both for aerobatic fun and long-distance cruising. The […]

Cessna Aircraft unveiled a Jet-A version of the venerable Skylane at Oshkosh on Monday, an airplane that will boost the 182’s max speed to 155 knots, high-speed range to 1,160 nautical miles and certified ceiling to 20,000 feet, all while burning just 11 gallons of jet fuel per hour. The new model, called the Turbo […]

Dynon Avionics has unveiled a portable backup EFIS that might just be the perfect budget emergency flight display. The Dynon D1 Pocket Panel makes use of the same micro AHRS (attitude and heading reference system) technology as the company’s panel-mount EFIS displays for the experimental market, but packaged in a small LCD that can be […]