Search Results for: Pipistrel

OWNERS TAKE OVER MOONEY MANAGEMENT Mooney announced in August that a new management group made up of “pilots and Mooney owners” has taken over operations at the Kerrville, Texas plant. The new CEO is Jonny Pollack and he said his top priority is to ensure support for the existing fleet. “Our first and immediate focus […]

FLIGHT DIRECTOR “CONFLICT” LED TO CRASH The struggle to find balance between pilot input and autonomous control of aircraft added another chapter with the revelation that the crash of a state-of-the-art military helicopter in April happened during a “conflict” between the pilot and the aircraft’s flight director. The Royal Canadian Air Force is investigating the […]

April 1, 2020, Sequin, Texas Beechcraft M35 Bonanza At about 1340 Central time, the airplane sustained substantial damage during a precautionary landing. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. According to the pilot, after the initial power reduction following takeoff, he heard a continuous “loud exhaust popping” noise. The pilot decided to return to the airport […]

The pilot purchased the airplane the day prior to the accident. He departed the airport and performed maneuvers in the local area, then returned and completed four normal wheel landings. On the fifth landing, at about 30 mph, the tailwheel settled to the runway. When the tailwheel touched down, the pilot stated he felt a rumble “like a machine gun” and the airplane veered to the right. He applied left rudder, and the airplane subsequently veered left off the runway, the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing spar sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain. Examination revealed the tailwheel was cocked to the right, perpendicular to the fuselage.

Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum doesn’t just pay lip service to the future with its name—the Compton, California-based flight academy embraced new technology two years ago as it accepted its first two Pipistrel ALPHA Electro Light Sport airplanes. The Compton-Woodley Airport at which Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum (TAM) is based recently announced the installation of charging stations that […]

The pace of new aircraft development continues to stimulate a great deal of interest in the next generation of business aircraft featuring improved performance, enhanced technology and cabin creature comforts that airplane buyers covet. While several new models — including the Gulfstream G500, Pilatus PC-24, HondaJet Elite, Generation 2 Cirrus Vision Jet, Daher TBM 940 […]

Chinese EHang Air Mobility Group has taken major steps toward making autonomous transportation a reality. The company recently conducted a public flight of its EHang 216 Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV) at the Generali Arena in Vienna as part of the 4GAMECHANGERS Festival, which took place April 9 through 11. While the electric VTOL is not […]

Bye Aerospace has relocated its headquarters to a larger facility at the Centennial Airport, located in the Denver, Colorado, suburb Englewood. The new facility will house the engineering and operations departments for the eFlyer family of airplanes (renamed from Sun Flyer), and will make space for recently added employees. The company has more than doubled […]

As the desert heat is cooling off for the winter, the U.S. Aircraft Expo is concluding its 2018 season this weekend at the Scottsdale Airport (KSDL) in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Expo will be held from 10 am to 4 pm on Friday November 9 and Saturday November 10 at the Ross Aviation FBO, located adjacent […]

A witness observed the airplane make a normal landing aligned with the runway centerline. His attention was momentarily diverted and when he looked back, the airplane was established in a gradual left turn, maneuvering at a slow speed in a three-point attitude. The airplane then collided with the airport perimeter fence and came to rest about 600 feet past the touchdown point. The pilot stated that, despite application of brakes and right rudder, the airplane veered off the runway. Damage included the right wing strut.