Aviation News

Storm clouds are gathering over the issue of using factory-built Special Light Sport Aircraft (S-LSA) for instrument flying. Since LSA standards are set by ASTM, not the FAA, the issue is complex, and the ASTM IFR subcommittee grapples with reaching consensus findings. Dan Johnson is president and chairman of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA) […]

The image of John and Martha King in handcuffs is still the prime topic of hangar conversations around the country. With the Santa Barbara Police defending their actions (and apologizing to the Kings), the blame for the snafu now falls most heavily on the El Paso Intelligence Center, which contacted the Santa Barbara PD with […]

Comments will be accepted through Oct. 12 on a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the rear passenger doors of Diamond Aircraft DA40 and DA40F piston singles. The NPRM calls for instituting an Airworthiness Directive to alter the procedure for opening the doors in an emergency, and also require replacing the retaining bracket for the […]

Perhaps in response to the rogue Navy UAV helicopter incident on August 2, a new rule was published on Aug. 25 in the Federal Register that would require reporting accidents involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The rule has conditions similar to those for manned aircraft — an accident would consist of any occurrence in which […]

The remote “pilot” of an unmanned Navy MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter lost his datalink to the aircraft on August 2, setting the aircraft free to roam. It wandered toward Washington, D.C., from its Patuxent River base before contact was re-established and it was commanded to land at Webster Field, an element of the Naval Air […]

Referring to last week’s report on Swift Fuel’s news of achieving 102 octane (click here), reader J. Davis took the editor to task, and e-mailed: “GAMI has been claiming for some time that their fuel also does this with some advantages over Swift Fuel.” General Aviation Modifications Inc., famous for their fuel injectors, has indeed […]

Aviation groups are approaching the issue of leaded avgas from two fronts — how to remove the lead; and how much actual environmental danger does the small amount of lead in aviation fuels truly represent. The consensus on the aviation side is that unleaded avgas is an ultimate necessity. But it’s advisable to study further […]

When the U.S. Navy decommissions the 800-acre airport portion of its Naval Air Station in Brunswick, Maine, in November, the runways, control tower and instrument landing system (ILS) are poised to revert to civilian operation. The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA) has submitted its plans to the FAA and could open the day after the […]

Aviation is still buzzing over the N-number mix-up that led to a profound law enforcement blunder. It’s pretty clear that none of the Santa Barbara (Calif.) police who responded to a stolen aircraft alert last Saturday are pilots. Who among us would not have recognized John and Martha King as they deplaned from a 2009 […]

One of the victims of the economic slowdown was the Aces game studio, a Microsoft subsidiary that the software giant closed down. Aces was responsible for developing and maintaining Microsoft’s iconic Flight Simulator game — used by non-flying enthusiasts for entertainment, and pilots for helping to retain some of their flying skills. Now, Microsoft has […]