Aircraft

Lesson 3 with First Landings Aviation got cut short. My effort to miss a likely afternoon thunderstorm by scheduling an 8 a.m. lesson didn’t work this time. The clouds were already starting to build, but not enough so we couldn’t get into the air for at least a half-hour lesson (thanks again to the close […]

The FAA visited some 30 Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) facilities before releasing its assessment of the industry. And the result? They need to tighten up. LSA manufacturers are responsible for complying with “consensus standards” that were developed by ASTM, and the FAA found that most could not adequately substantiate that they met the standards. Without […]

Since releasing its first product in 2003, Dynon Avionics says it leads all other manufacturers in converting light sport and experimental aircraft from conventional mechanical gauges to “glass panels.” Dynon units are installed in more than 10,000 homebuilts and LSAs, according to the company. Products start at $1,600 with the newest SkyView system priced at […]

I don’t usually turn to The Economist for aviation news, but the June 12 edition had a two-page article on the emergence of alternate-power aircraft. Examples included the ’round-the-world hopeful Solar Impulse and several electric-powered aircraft, including the Chinese Yuneec e430 which made its debut at EAA AirVenture last year. While allowing that the prospect […]

After completing several flights, it’s clear that the decision to train much closer to home at First Landings Aviation, Orlando-Apopka, was a sound one. Florida’s temperamental thunderstorms have arrived and the proximity has allowed me to reschedule canceled flights easily. And I’m really enjoying flying an LSA and the more flexible training environment. The Remos […]

JUNE 2010 — ON A COLD WINTER’S DAY, an elegant Boeing 737-700 painted a subdued gray flew low toward the east over a very rural portion of Delaware, arched its back and turned to the north, then reversed course to land on the just barely 5,000-foot runway at Georgetown (KGED). With a spirited roar of […]

A minor upgrade to the Phenom 100? Not even close. Bigger, faster, stronger and more sophisticated, the 300 is a whole different class of airplane.

June 2010 — Like every other aviation journalist, I’ve been watching the development of the Embraer Phenom 300 for a few years now, and the more I’ve learned about the emerging light jet, the more I’ve come to appreciate just what an innovative airplane it is. It is, in essence, Embraer’s attempt to stretch the […]

Cirrus Aircraft officials say they’re not concerned over an FAA proposal to expand the requirement for function and reliability (F&R) testing to include turbine aircraft less than 6,000 pounds (maximum takeoff weight). They say the planned test program for Cirrus’s single-engine SF50 Vision Jet already included most of the F&R testing they expect to be […]

According to industry analyst Brian Foley of Brian Foley and Associates, Sparta, New Jersey, the current “stagnant period” for general aviation is “no cause for panic or even pessimism.” He added, “Most recoveries aren’t linear and the occasional pullback can be expected. A year ago we postulated this recovery might have a W-shape, and that […]