briefs

Built in Baltimore in the early 1940s, the last two remaining four-engine Martin Mars seaplanes, now owned by TimberWest of Vancouver, British Columbia, are up for sale — but the owners may be among a local minority that would like to see the aircraft go. And so it is that while the Glenn L. Martin […]

BRAINTEASERS Quiz #115: Beyond Fixed WingWe’ve taken it on the chin for not quizzing much outside the fixed-wing realm. The Brainteaser’s response: “You can fly without fixed wings — who knew?” See what you knew about things that go whump-whump-whump in the night.

AVweb posts audio news on Mondays, plus a new in-depth interview each Friday. In last Friday’s podcast, you’ll find an interview with NORAD’s Stacia Reddish on its Santa tracking project. And AVweb’s podcast index includes interviews with Bill Lear, Jr.; NATA President Jim Coyne; Eclipse Aviation’s Vern Raburn; Honda Aircraft’s Jeffrey Smith; Cirrus Design cofounder […]

Despite the interest in sport-pilot training, the number of pilots in the U.S. has been steadily declining for the last 20 years, and that has repercussions through all of aviation, The Wichita Eagle reported on Wednesday. Manufacturers worry that the market for their aircraft won’t be there in the future. Airlines and other operators worry […]

As the sport aircraft sector has ramped up in the last couple of years, one concern has been getting enough qualified instructors and sport aircraft at airports around the country to train eager new students. One company working on a solution is Sportsplanes.com, which has created a network of Sport Aircraft Regional Centers. On Wednesday, […]

A team of engineers in Maryland has developed a scramjet engine design that they say solves the problem of how to mix fuel efficiently in an aircraft that might be traveling as fast as Mach 25 (that’s not a typo). Faculty members from the University of Maryland teamed with Astrox Corp. to develop the combustor […]

Virgin America‘s application to operate in the U.S. was tentatively denied Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Virgin America would have to demonstrate that it is independent of the Virgin Group and other non-U.S. citizens, and that the president of the company and at least two-thirds of the board of directors are U.S. citizens, […]

A pilot in Alaska endangered hunters, guides and another pilot when he harassed them with his Super Cub, a jury decided last week. Edward Lamb, 38, a hunting guide, was found guilty of assault for the aerial attacks, the Anchorage Daily News reported. In one incident, Lamb buzzed a competing guide who was scouting in […]

The venerable Cessna 172 Skyhawk faces a lot of competition these days for spots on the flight school lines where it once dominated. But four European flight schools are upgrading their aircraft fleets with new Skyhawks, Cessna said last week. Flight schools in Romania, Italy, Spain and Germany have ordered a total of 22 new […]

Our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, is conducting a research project on customer experiences with ECI’s CermiNil cylinder plating process. If you have experience with this product and would like to participate, drop an e-mail to aviationeditorial@comcast.net and we’ll send a questionnaire your way.