In 1972, Hurricane Agnes didn’t just flood Lock Haven — it ended the production of the iconic Piper Comanche. Decades later, pilot Pat Brown proves that while nature can stop a factory, it can’t dampen the spirit of an aviator dedicated to keeping this classic, high-performance machine in the sky.
Pilots
Aviation Fuel Prices Continued to Rise in April
According to the latest figures from iFlightPlanner, national 100LL prices moved higher in April, with 100LL Full Service costing an average of $7.20, an increase of $0.40 (5.8%), while 100LL Self Service averaged $6.01, up $0.33 (5.7%).
Four New Hangars Coming to Tampa Executive Airport
Almost 42,000 square feet of aircraft storage space will open at KVDF by the end of the year thanks to $6.4 million in private infrastructure investment.
New Investigative Data Added to NTSB Aviation Accident Dashboard
The NTSB has updated its Civil Aviation Accident Dashboard to include investigative findings, offering deeper insight into what causes aviation accidents. This enhancement replaces the standalone General Aviation Dashboard, providing a streamlined, searchable resource for analyzing U.S. aviation safety trends.
Control Confusion Leads to Runway Excursion
Probable Cause: The commercial pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff. Contributing was the student pilot’s application of brakes during the takeoff roll and the failure of both pilots to maintain a positive transfer of controls.
Picture of the Day: Hangar Flying With a Young Eagle
Rob Stapleton submitted this photo and note: “Gael Morales, 9, gets an explanation of instruments and controls of a 1979 Cessna 182 during a Young Eagles event by Dave Wampole, 81, a pilot and aircraft owner who is a member of EAA Chapter 620. Wampole, a retired sixth grade teacher, keeps his plane at a hangar at Miami Executive Airport (KTMB) that is a teaching area for Miami-area Young Eagles projects and flights.”
Human Factors: Know Thy Airplane
What can we learn from an accident that happened while taking kids up for their first flights by a pilot who didn’t have full knowledge of the airplane’s systems and a mechanic who missed a clogged fuel line?
Everybody Loves Air Shows
As part of the FAA’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday, the agency recently posted a video on YouTube looking at where air shows began. The National Air & Space Museum’s Aviation Historian Dorothy Cochrane walks us through the Thomas W. Haas “We All Fly” gallery to discuss the moment when general aviation truly took off.
Grant Awarded to Develop Camping Area at 37N
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) has awarded a grant to help build a camping area at Garrison Dam Recreational Airport (37N) in North Dakota.