News

Do you think you can find Latvia on a map? Do you know anything about the country? I was underinformed about Latvia and had no awareness of its aviation capabilities. Hint: Latvia is east of Sweden, well north among the Eastern European countries. It is reasonably distant from hostilities in eastern Ukraine. One Latvian company’s ability […]

With the return of spring, they start making plans to increase their flying and that often means getting the rust off their IFR skills. A lucky few are doing so as part of the inaugural Spring Proficiency class, an immersive proficiency clinic for instrument rated pilots slated for April 24 through 28 at the EAA […]

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a fantastic introduction to the world of aircraft ownership. It is affordable, easy to maintain, and very forgiving in the air. Parts are plentiful—always a key consideration when selecting an airframe—and with over 44,000 produced, you are bound to find someone to provide guidance. In September 2022, FLYING named the 172 one […]

Setting aside the politics of FAI-recognized record flights, no question remains that designer Alberto Porto is determined to create a very fast-flying aircraft. Gear up with an adjustable prop and flown at common cruise altitudes, it’s clear that Superveloce lives up to its name. Just a quick note that while Superveloce is LSA-like, with features […]

Yesterday, after flying across the Atlantic and starting to run low on energy and affected by the time zone change, a small group of us eagerly took a walk through Aero’s cavernous 12 halls to get a early peek. As I’ve observed many times, the night, mere hours before a show opens it appears to […]

Over the weekend my wife and I experienced the magical power of a light piston airplane to add hours to the day. At least that is how it felt. On Sunday morning our college-age son’s rowing team was competing close to home in New Jersey where it was easy for us to watch and spend […]

FRIEDRICHSTEFAN, GERMANY— You know the expression: “What goes up, must…” What goes up must come down and after it does, something needs to stop it. Here’s where one company has staked its claim. France’s Beringer left the high-speed action of motorcycles for even faster aerial machines …yet slowing them to a gentle stop is a matter the […]

OK, I admit it. I’m a huge fan of Aero Friedrichshafen. This show packs a lot of delight into four days and 12 gymnasium-sized exhibit halls. In 2023, many of the aircraft on display are known to Americans. However, Europe tends to produce more proof-of-concept projects than we see in America. This is partly as European […]

Short of an erroneous forecast or calibration issue with your immersion thermometer, if you can remain below the lowest freezing level during your entire flight, there’s typically no chance for an encounter with airframe ice. Induction ice is certainly possible, but not airframe ice. If you plan an altitude where the temperature aloft is zero […]

A new FAA program should reduce the difficulty of finding spare parts needed to keep vintage aircraft flying, according to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). The Vintage Aircraft Replacement and Modification Article, or VARMA program, allows maintenance personnel to validate that “low-risk,” off-the-shelf replacement parts are suitable for use in type-certificated aircraft without requiring a […]