Blog

Does Santa’s sleigh run on horsepower or reindeer power? The point is moot this week, as the jolly old soul opts for an updated mode of transportation. Santa Claus will make a grand entrance at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in style—in a helicopter.  The touchdown is scheduled for 11 a.m. right outside the […]

By Julie Boatman The FAA Reauthorization Bill made it this far through a polarized U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year. Now it faces an equally charged path through the Senate in order to cross the finish line. With more than 2,000 “unique requests” logged from members of Congress and around the industry, according to […]

Hartzell Engine Tech, a prominent name in aviation, has successfully acquired Kelly Aero LLC, renowned for manufacturing aftermarket aircraft magnetos, replacement parts, and ignition harnesses for both general aviation and military aircraft. President Keith Bagley expressed the company’s excitement about this strategic move, stating, “With this acquisition, Hartzell Engine Tech is excited to add manufacturing […]

Earthstar Aircraft’s Thunder Gull, a  remarkable small, single-seater—until the company’s Odyssey model came out—was ahead of its time. Over a successful run dating back to the 1990s, the Thunder Gull evolved into several variations, and developer Mark Beierle experimented with various propulsion systems. A gifted designer, Beierle pursued development more than production, so the total […]

Editor’s Note: Looking for holiday gift ideas for a pilot? Consider offering to spring for EAA AirVenture early access tickets when they become available.  The traffic targets were thick on ForeFlight, a swarm of blue triangles trying to wedge into the same path. I fell in behind a Cessna 180 to begin the arrival, and […]

By Wayne Pinger I dipped the fuel tanks with my home-calibrated doweling, a dipstick gas gauge I made and strategically notched at 9 and 18 gallons, or average one and two hours of flight. I cross-drilled it and glued a smaller dowel through to form a T to avoid dropping it in the tank. Still, […]

The Schweizer 300C series has trained a whole lot of new helicopter pilots over its long lifetime, and now the new company shepherding this classic rotorcraft model has a great way to take older airframes and give them a second life. Schweizer has finished the first of its factory refreshed S300CBi helicopters. The new program […]

A little after 9 a.m., 45 seconds after takeoff, one of the pilots of a Velocity V-Twin radioed the tower at Janesville, Wisconsin (KJVL): “We’d like to circle back and land Runway 32 and…work through some engine issues if we could.” ATC acknowledged the request, asked the pilot to report turning final for Runway 32, […]

By Amy Wilder As seismic activity increases beneath Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall volcano, experts warn of a potential eruption that could have far-reaching consequences for air travel. The Icelandic Meteorological Office has been closely monitoring the situation, raising the alert level, and prompting discussions about the potential impact on both commercial and general aviation operations. The Icelandic […]

By Amy Wilder Skywings Flight Training has secured a deal for four new Austro Engine jet-fuel powered DA40 NG aircraft from Diamond Aircraft, the school announced at the European Airline Training Symposium (EATS) in Cascais, Portugal. Skywings also purchased a Diamond flight simulator, and its aircraft investment increases the Diamond Aircraft fleet at Antwerp International […]