Aviation News

Air show performer Chris Smisson was killed Saturday in a strange accident at the Gulf Salute 2003 air show at Tyndall AFB, near Panama City, Fla. Witnesses told the Panama City News Herald that Smisson, 55, a Delta international captain and U.S. Air Force veteran, was to race a rocket-propelled truck on the runway. When […]

Owners of Diamond Aircraft have formed their own organization. The new Diamond Owners and Pilots Organization recently debuted online. This non-profit organization was established to “support the owners and pilots of certified aircraft manufactured by Diamond Aircraft Corporation and to educate, promote the safety of and encourage ownership of these aircraft.” The group will also […]

A bill that would require background checks on student pilots has been held back by the Illinois state representative sponsoring it. Rep. Suzanne Bassi (R-54th) has agreed to delay the bill’s introduction pending further consultation with AOPA, which sent her a letter assuring that the federal government has the issue in hand… A replica of […]

The Civil Air Patrol will receive the National Aeronautic Association‘s Frank G. Brewer Aerospace Education Trophy for 2002, in recognition of “significant contributions of enduring value” for more than a half-century of leadership in educating the nation’s young people on the many opportunities available to them in the fields of aviation and space flight… The […]

Lycoming has smoothed out a minor production glitch in its IO-540 recall effort. Spokeswoman Sue Bishop said the line had to be slowed down after problems were found in an unidentified part and replacements were temporarily lost by the airline shipping them. Everything’s back up to speed now and the schedule is being maintained… There’s […]

Airline Training Academy, in Orlando, Fla., apparently ceased operations last week, the Orlando Sentinel reported on Saturday. Students and instructors said the school closed its doors without warning… The 1903 Wright Flyer reproduction built by The Wright Experience for EAA’s Countdown to Kitty Hawk will be officially unveiled in Washington, D.C., on March 18… Two […]

Saturday, Lancair rolled out it’s first aircraft since funding problems stopped the production line back in August. The $55 million infusion from the Malaysian Department of Finance should fund future operations “indefinitely,” company president Bing Lantis told the Bend Bulletin. Lancair expects to ramp up production and fill its backlog of 180 planes before 2005… […]

Cessna recently named a new vice president of administration, Michael (Mick) Hoveskeland, who will handle all Citation, Caravan and single-engine customer contracts; Caravan and single-engine aircraft deliveries; and flight-crew and maintenance training for customers and Cessna team members… Archived papers about the Tuskegee Airmen are now available for research at the Smithsonian’s National Air and […]

The air show that kicks off the Blue Angels’ season each year has been cancelled this year for security reasons. Officials at Naval Air Facility El Centro said the decision to cancel the March 15 spectacle wasn’t taken lightly. There was no specific threat against the base or the show; the cancellation was due to […]

A major snowstorm on Monday closed airports and affected aircraft operations from the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic region. Several major airports were affected, with New York’s JFK International reporting 25 inches of snow and hundreds of flight cancellations. Ronald Reagan Washington National was also closed on Monday and nearby Dulles operated with a single […]