Most Clicked Aviation eBrief Stories
1. Zodiac CH-601XL certificates frozen without modifications
Aviation eBrief | Nov 16, 2009
The FAA has put a freeze on the issuance of new airworthiness certificates for the Zodiac CH-601XL series, meaning operators will have to prove that modifications designed to prevent aerodynamic flutter were made before they can get certified. The action was followed by news on Friday from the NTSB of another Zodiac in-flight breakup, and the agency noted that the latest crash might have been prevented if the FAA had implemented previous recommendations from the NTSB. AVweb (11/14)
2. GPS navigation appears poised for wide adoption
Aviation eBrief | Nov 17, 2009
A New York Times reporter gets a look at GPS navigation in action in the cabin of a Bombardier business jet, even as the pilot continues to fly the old-fashioned way by looking out the window and talking to controllers. While the FAA touts NextGen avionics as a "supermodern concept of aviation," the newspaper notes that implementation has been "rocky." New York Times (free registration), The (11/16)
3. Staying safe over Ohio
Aviation eBrief | Nov 16, 2009
Unlike aircraft flying out of larger airports, pilots using small airports in Ohio face the challenge of flying without a tower to watch out for them. Cessna pilots rely largely on their eyes to stay safe, but high-tech instruments can help pilots during cloudy conditions. WUPW-TV (Toledo, Ohio) (11/12)
4. Iowa pilot builds 3rd experimental aircraft
Aviation eBrief | Nov 19, 2009
Iowa pilot Jerry Saar started building experimental aircraft in 1990 after working as an auto mechanic. Saar just built his third plane, a light sport aircraft that can travel up to 130 mph. "A lot of the public has always thought that airplanes were a rich man's playtoy," said Saar. "But they're not, really." Daily Gate City (Keokuk, Iowa) (11/18)
5. Emergency AD issued for TCM lifters
Aviation eBrief | Nov 18, 2009
The FAA has issued an emergency airworthiness directive for all Teledyne Continental Motors 240-, 360-, 470-, and 520-series reciprocating engines, effective immediately. The emergency AD, issued Nov. 16, requires determining if certain hydraulic valve lifters, part numbers 657913, 657915, and 657916, are installed, and replacing those lifters if they are installed. Read more.
6. Personal electronic devices boost aviation safety, industry says
Aviation eBrief | Nov 19, 2009
Pilots unions and airline trade groups are united in their opposition to several bills on Capitol Hill that would bar most personal electronic devices from the cockpit. As pilots await more sophisticated avionics, they often find that personal computers and cell phones give them the most up-to-date information. "We would like to have access to tools, and as tools evolve, we would like to have better tools," says one pilot, who warns of "grotesque consequences" if hand-held technologies are banned. USA TODAY (11/18)
7. Hudson corridor air restrictions take effect this week
Aviation eBrief | Nov 17, 2009
New restrictions for the air corridor above the Hudson River, developed following a midair collision between a tourist helicopter and single-engine airplane in August, will go into effect on Thursday, according to the FAA. Under the new restrictions, pilots will be required to use separate altitude corridors specific to whether they are touring or passing through. New York Times, The (11/16)
8. Acrobatic pilot transforms love of flying into film
Aviation eBrief | Nov 16, 2009
Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions have entered into a four-year agreement to co-finance four to six films a year. David Ellison, a 27-year-old acrobatic pilot and the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, owns Skydance Productions. Ellison financed "Flyboys" in 2006, and his company also developed "Northern Lights," a film about acrobatic pilots. Variety (11/12)
9. Adirondack airport faces call to end commercial service
Aviation eBrief | Nov 16, 2009
Some residents of Harrietstown, N.Y., are calling for the town to shut down commercial service at the Adirondack Regional Airport in Saranac Lake. Fuel sales at the airport have declined during the recession, and the town is budgeting $411,000 less for fuel revenue in 2010 than 2009. Cape Air flies out of the airport, and commercial service has increased to almost 10,000 passengers a year. Adirondack Daily Enterprise (Saranac Lake, N.Y.) (11/13)
10. Hudson River rules take effect Nov. 19
Aviation eBrief | Nov 18, 2009
The New York City Class B Hudson River exclusion zone will become a special flight rules area (SFRA) on Nov. 19. While this may change how some pilots operate in the area, the airspace will remain open for general aviation pilots to get a bird's-eye view of the Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty. AOPA had advocated for GA pilots' continued access to the airspace while it participated on the New York Hudson River Task Force. Read more.
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