Aviation News

Introduction — Eric Jaderborg While I was working as an FAA inspector, every piece of advice I gave — written or oral — came with an elaborate disclaimer. When I left the agency I thought the need for such measures had passed. Phil, however, suggests that the need has just begun, to wit: DISCLAIMER: The […]

Late last year, a decision was handed down by the first federal appellate court to interpret the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 (GARA), which immunized general aviation manufacturers for defects in aircraft or component parts older than 18 years. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals sitting in southern California carved a hole in GARA […]

As anyone who closely followed the saga of the FAA’s certificate action against airshow star R.A. “Bob” Hoover during the 1990s would imagine, the “Hoover Bill” amends the appeal provisions of 49 U.S.C. 44709 (Amendments, modifications, suspensions, and revocations of certificates) to allow a certificate holder to obtain interim review of an FAA emergency revocation […]

If Benjamin Braddock paid more attention to his future – and less to Mrs. Robinson- he might today hold an executive position at a young, new airplane company.All Ben, the central character in the classic film, “The Graduate,”had to do was heed that “one word” of advice he received during theopening reel of the movie: […]

I‘m often asked to sum up an airplane in one word. The problem is that most airplanes resist such a simple label. As a result, my responses usually trend toward “neat,” “cool” and “fast,” to “impressive,” “heavy” and “demanding” or to “slick,” “nimble” and “comfy.” Of course, these choices explain next to nothing about the […]

In many ways, watching Cirrus Design Corp. evolve into the two-model company it is today felt similar to watching a child mature from adolescence into adulthood. From its roots in the experimental community, Cirrus evolved from a niche airplane-kit maker into an advanced manufacturing firm. From serious airplanes for people with money and building ambitions, […]

Diamond’s New Star, the DA40: More than a Katana AllGrown Up Is it safe? That’s generally a good question to ask before any flight in the first of anything: The newer the program, the more daring the design, the more important the question. But rolling the prototype DA40 from base to final at the Plant […]

Imagine a case where the prosecutor can interpret ambiguous regulations in the middle of the trial and the judge is bound by that prosecutor’s interpretation. Even worse, what if the appellate court is also bound to give deference to the prosecutor’s ad hoc interpretations?1 You say that this cannot happen in the U.S. legal system? […]

Over the years, my flying in the Florida has included introductions to dozens of ultralight and light experimental-amateur built designs … and the odd encounter with alligators. Now, imagine yourself in a big, open-cabin experimental airplane, cruising languidly about 500 feet above a mirror-still, algae-green lake outside Sebring, Fla., one known for yielding some awesome […]

Whither The Piston Twin? One of the categories conspicuously missing from the raft of revived production aircraft in recent years is the piston-powered twin-engine airplane. Sure, New Piper is selling Seminoles and Senecas to flight schools and charter operators, while Raytheon still offers the Baron 58 series, but only in a normally aspirated, non-pressurized version. […]