Stephen Pope

The Civil Air Patrol has been tapped to participate in a major homeland security and disaster response exercise starting on May 16 that will test emergency responders’ ability to handle a massive earthquake in America’s heartland along the seismic-sensitive New Madrid fault. “CAP is a nationwide organization with a tremendous amount of resources it can […]

In general, instrument-rated pilots do a good job of assembling all the information they’ll need to complete a flight as safely and efficiently as possible. They’ll diligently study approach procedures, weather forecasts, fuel minimums, runway lengths, alternates, and notams – in short, all the things we pilots should be considering before every flight, whether we’re […]

Hartzell’s 7391 ‘Scimitar’ blade, the choice of Hawker Beechcraft for the 50th anniversary special edition G58 Baron, is now available for all Baron 55 models, as well as earlier 58 models as the key piece of the Top Prop conversion. The Hartzell kit features Scimitar aluminum alloy blades, derived from Hartzell’s Reno Super Sport racing […]

Lawyers in the $100 million wrongful death lawsuit brought by the widow of New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle squared off in a Manhattan courtroom this week with remarkably different versions of what caused Lidle’s Cirrus SR20 to crash into a Manhattan apartment building in 2006. A lawyer for Cirrus said Lidle and his flight […]

You might have missed the news that Canada held its hotly contested national elections this week, but you can be sure officials at Diamond Aircraft were paying close attention. The election results, after all, could have an impact on an all-important decision related to a $35 million government loan the beleaguered manufacturer says it needs […]

When it comes to diapers, razors, and contact lenses, disposable is definitely the way to go. But disposable electronics? Great for Apple’s bottom line, maybe, but a worrisome trend that will eventually turn your new iPad loaded with all those electronic charts, logbooks, checklists and POH apps into a fancy paperweight. A disposable product is […]

A group of private U.S. investors led by aviation market analyst Brian Foley now appears unlikely to submit a formal counter bid for the assets of Cirrus Design prior to its sale to Chinese interests. “The initial investor response was swift and encouraging,” Foley said in a statement to the press. “We’ve since had time […]

The lingering recession continues to make life difficult for airplane manufacturers, and Wichita giant Cessna Aircraft is no exception. Revenue at Cessna rose about 26 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, but low production and delivery levels contributed to an operating loss for the quarter of $38 million. On […]

I’m not sure where it ranks on my list of life achievements, but I finally did something I’ve thought about doing for a long time. I joined a flying club. I took my club check ride this week with Jon Friedman, a former Navy F-4 pilot turned oral surgeon, who also serves as the club’s […]

A fellow pilot recently recounted the harrowing tale of one of his early solo cross-country flights as a student pilot that inadvertently put him where no pilot wants to be: inside the bowels of a thunderstorm. According to the pilot, the summer haze along his route had cut the visibility to less than five miles, […]