Search Results for: general aviation inc

If you’re looking for in-flight WiFi for your general aviation airplane, Avidyne may soon have a solution for you. The Lincoln, Massachusetts-based avionics and ADS-B systems provider has announced a partnership with Globalstar Inc. that will allow for the development and certification of Avidyne-branded satellite-based Internet and voice-communications solutions. “By leveraging [Globalstar’s] new Sat-Fi technology, […]

How to Save Big on a Used Airplane By Stephen Pope If you’re in the market for a used airplane, the good news is there are thousands available for sale on trade-a-plane.com, barnstormers.com and tacked to the bulletin boards at local airports. The bad news is most of them are so old you might wonder […]

The controversial FAA reauthorization bill now being debated in Congress includes a provision that would allow private pilots to use the Internet to connect with people who want to share the costs of a flight. The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC), could upend FAA rules that prohibit flight-sharing websites like Flytenow.com. Flytenow took […]

The safety consequences associated with procedural noncompliance-failing to correctly perform normal checklists-have become hot button issues within the business aviation community and the NTSB. All general aviation pilots should heed the warnings raised.

One of the more common complaints heard when pilots gather is that someones spouse and kids wont fly with them or dont like flying in little airplanes. The person issuing the lament insists he (its almost invariably he) cant figure out why. Often the reason is he has scared the bejabbers out of his family members at least once and has displayed absolute cluelessness when it comes to making the flight an enjoyable experience.

I take issue with the suggestion that it is generally a good idea to retract the landing gear before retracting the flaps to a mid/approach setting. There are a lot of pilots who are going to find that getting medical clearance to fly will be harder, not easier, under this proposed law. My fear is that the process will be foisted back on AMEs without liability protections nor the ability to order tests to verify fitness without a patient/physician relationship.

From the beginning of our primary training, we learn how to check our airplanes fuel quantity and quality, and how to position various controls to ensure the engine starts and stays running. We know we can turn the fuel off and on, and perhaps select from which tank the engine will draw, but what happens after that often is a mystery. Whats going on between the fuel selector valve and the engine?

Key officials introduced legislation in Congress that would establish an independent, not-for-profit corporation to modernize and operate ATC in the U.S. The federally chartered ATC corporation would be governed by a board representing the aviation systems users and the public interest. Many major U.S. airlines applauded the bills.

What if getting to B by burning as little fuel as possible is our objective? Or we want to stay aloft as long as possible? There are speeds to fly to achieve those goals, but well have to slow down, usually a lot. And those exact speeds, for best range and for best endurance, usually arent published for personal airplanes. A workaround is to simply use the lowest book power setting. If no limitations prevent it, best range or endurance usually is found at even lower power.

When the Environmental Protection Agency began phasing out leaded gasoline in the 1970s with the passage of the Clean Air Act, aviation got a pass. Because lead was needed to boost octane levels and prevent detonation (also known as “knock”) in high-­compression piston aircraft engines, leaded avgas was exempted from the law. Lead is a […]