The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) have reached an accord to help students in that school’s burgeoning aviation program. AOPA will fund an annual scholarship worth $7,500, and will provide membership to every student in the aviation program. “Membership in AOPA provides benefits that can be especially helpful […]
21 win PennDOT’s Aviation Art Contest
Twenty-one students have been selected as division winners in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s “The History of Flight” aviation art contest. “We received more than 1,000 entries and were very pleased with the creative, insightful work the students produced,” said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E. Entries were judged in two divisions: first through third […]
Able Flight scholarship winners to train at Purdue
Able Flight, which provides scholarships to handicapped people to help them learn to fly, and Purdue University’s Department of Aviation Technology have partnered for a joint flight training project next summer. Beginning in late May or early June, between two and four Able Flight scholarship recipients will live in accessible university housing and be trained […]
5,000-foot runway opens at FCM
After years of planning and months of development, the south parallel runway at Minnesota’s Flying Cloud Airport (FCM) reopened Nov. 13 with an extended length of 5,000 feet. “Improvements to Flying Cloud Airport represent an important investment in the future of the region,” said Jack Lanners, chairman of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. “A 5,000-foot runway […]
First SkyCatcher to be delivered this year
Cessna will deliver the first Model 162 Skycatcher Light Sport Aircraft to the first customer of the model later this year. The customer, Rose Pelton, wife of the company’s chairman, president and CEO, will use the LSA to pursue her private pilot’s license. “When I first saw the Skycatcher mockup at Oshkosh in 2007, I […]
Avidyne unveils new autopilot
Avidyne Corp. has unveiled the DFC90, its new attitude-based Digital Flight Control System and Entegra Release 8.0 as an upgrade specifically for Cirrus SR20 and SR22 aircraft with Avidyne’s Entegra Flight Deck Systems. The DFC90 adds the precision of an attitude-based flight control system and Avidyne’s safety-enhancing Flight Envelope Protection capability, according to company officials, […]
EZ Flap now available
Aircraft Spruce and Specialty now offers the “EZ Flap” FAA STC-PMA manual flap handle assist device, allowing pilots with the old ”Johnson Bar” flap control to easily reach the flap handle without leaning down in the cockpit or taking their focus off of flying the airplane. The device is FAA approved for Cessna 170-185 aircraft, […]
Echelon STC for Mooneys certified
Lycoming Engines recently received FAA Type and Production certification for its IO-390-A3A6 engine, followed by an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), the second STC earned as part of Lycoming’s Echelon STC program. The IO-390-A3A6 provides more horsepower as well as improved climb and cruise performance, while maintaining the same footprint as the IO-360 engine, according […]
Airbags available for Barons, Bonanzas
AmSafe Seatbelt Airbags are now available for the pilot and co-pilot seats on Baron and Bonanza aircraft. Hawker Beechcraft Corp.’s (HBC) parts and distribution organization, RAPID, is taking orders for the airbags, which can be installed at any AmSafe approved service center. Statistics show that most crash events are survivable, especially when head and neck […]