Aircraft

The FAA has certified the Tecnam P2006T twin for VFR and analog IFR. Its Garmin G1000 suite is certified for IFR in Europe with FAA compliance expected later this year. Power comes from a pair of Rotax 912S3s rated at 98 horsepower each. Performance figures list maximum cruising speed at 148 knots, with a 53-knot […]

In the April 9, 2010, issue of the Federal Register, the FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) affecting certification of light turbine aircraft. The new rule would require “real-world” function and reliability testing — previously mandated for larger aircraft, but not required for those weighing less than 6,000 pounds. The NPRM states, in […]

It’s a part of the airport experience. When spring starts to thaw the air and buds begin to sprout on the trees and flowers, the birds begin their annual mating ritual. You can see them flitting around the hangars and pairing off. Of course, for aircraft owners — especially those of us who moor to […]

I have no history with hot air balloons, but plenty with Wacos since my father was an avid restorer of the antique airplanes. And I even had hopes of learning to fly my dad’s mainstay, Big Red. That was before he and two others in the airplane went down into Lake Apopka (I have yet […]

My last day at Sun ‘n Fun was Saturday. And what a day it was. It might be that my colleagues here at Flying, who, between them, have thousands of hours logged in fancier airplanes, many type ratings under there belts and incredible wealth of knowledge about flying — heights, granted, that I will never […]

It wasn’t until I was flying home from Sun ‘n Fun yesterday that I finally did the simple math. My last visit to this event was 1990; and that’s 20 years. A nice round number, though a slightly scary realization. Back then, there were no light sport aircraft, glass panels or electric airplanes. Even GPS […]

In the mid-1980s, I was working on the line at a small Minnesota FBO/flight school and flying when my meager income would allow. Early on in my training, my instructor was fortunate enough to find a second job flying right-seat in a North American Sabreliner Series 60. The chief pilot for this small corporate flight […]

The Hawker Beechcraft display at Sun ‘n Fun featured a unique, signature edition of the twin-engine G58 Baron. The limited edition 50th anniversary Beechcraft Baron celebrates half a century of production for the iconic light twin. This version has high-performance Hartzell Scimitar propellers, some signature interior amenities and a choice of four color schemes dedicated […]

Flight Design president and chief operating officer Matthias Betsch arrived at Sun ‘n Fun direct from the Aero general aviation show in Friedrichshafen, Germany. He reported that the event included a meeting of several national aviation regulatory bodies including the FAA, Europe’s EASA, and governmental aviation regulatory agencies from China, Brazil, India and others. Betsch […]

My morning began with a smile. Bonnier Staff Photographer Jon Whittle and I headed out to Fantasy of Flight (fantasyofflight.com) to get some shots of the Splash In for the Sun n Fun 2010 photo gallery we’ve been posting at flyingmag.com this week. We had been shooting the first two days of Sun ‘n Fun […]