Search Results for: general aviation inc

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) announced this morning that association president and CEO Craig Fuller will be leaving the organization. The release quoted AOPA Chairman of the Board William C. Trimble III as saying that the organization would immediately start the search for a replacement. “During his more than four years as president […]

In 1992, Scaled Composites built a radio-controlled UAV intended for 48-hour flights at 65,000 feet. Called Quiver (it was later changed to Raptor, for “Responsive Aircraft Program for Theater Operations”), it had a wingspan of 66 feet and an 80 hp Rotax engine. Scaled also home-brewed the autopilot, and there was some uncertainty about how […]

When you think about instrument flying, your first thought is probably on flying instrument approaches. Admittedly, there is nothing quite like flying through a thick cloud bank only to see a runway magically appear right there in front of you. Because of the obvious importance of the approach phase of flight and the increased task […]

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 […]

The following is an excerpt from official NTSB summaries of general aviation accidents in the United States. _ _ NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report. Cessna 172R Wendover, […]

The following is an excerpt from official NTSB summaries of general aviation accidents in the United States. North American T-6G Perry, Michigan/INJURIES: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious The pilot stated that the run-up and takeoff were normal. After takeoff to the south, he was planning to overfly the runway for a “photo pass.” He reported that […]

The only time ice on the airframe is a good thing is when it’s tied down and you really didn’t want to go flying today, anyway. Otherwise, it’s always something to be avoided. As we all should have been taught, ice adhering to the wings, tail and other components tends to add weight and drag. If it forms on an airfoil, the surface’s lift characteristics can be dramatically different, in addition to the weight and drag. Bad karma all around. But ice can affect other systems, too. The pitot/static system is problematic, as is the electrical system, as more current is demanded to keep things warm. Depending on the aircraft, ice also can extend the landing gear, fail an engine or cause critical electrical failures. The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) recently updated one of its database report sets, the one covering icing incidents among commuter and general aviation aircraft. The incident descriptions have several lessons for us and highlight airframe icing’s complications, even if having the stuff on the airfoils turns out not to be a factor.

Each of us flies for different reasons. Many pilots started (or continue) as enthusiasts interested in airplanes as recreational machines. Others learned to fly as a prelude to a career in the cockpit. For many, aircraft primarily are a means of transportation for business or personal reasons. In fact, if I did not require an airplane for travel, I would not bother to fly any more. If you seek to use general aviation aircraft for travel, I believe a special approach to safety—implemented through targeted training and consistent flight operations—is required, especially if you are trying to meet any kind of schedule. Unfortunately, our training and operating procedures generally don’t prepare us for these flights. It is possible, however, to achieve high levels of safe utility, even with single-engine piston aircraft, if you employ a few simple techniques to achieve efficiency and reliability while managing risk.

It seems that fitting general aviation airports into categories is more difficult than the FAA first envisioned. The agency has announced Phase Two of its airport study, “General Aviation Airports: a National Asset,” and the focus of this follow-on effort will be on pinning down the categories of 497 airports that don’t quite fit the […]

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 […]