briefs

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Our repetition of the most prevalent myth surrounding the innovative (to spare our server we dare not say quirky) Ercoupe resulted in a torrent of sometimes-angry e-mail. Our apparently pathetic attempt to explain how we got into the mess made even more ‘Coupers upset so, here, from Ed Burkhead, of the Ercoupe Owners Club, is […]

The NTSB says over-control by the pilot and inadequate preflight briefing contributed to the crash of a Challenger 604 test aircraft at Wichita in October of 2000. The plane was rigged to be aft-heavy to test the pressure-feel simulator. During the takeoff run, the NTSB report says, fuel rushed to the rear of the tanks, […]

While some aviation museums struggle to keep the lights on, money isn’t a factor for the Flying Heritage Collection in Arlington, Wash. Billionaire owner Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft) will soon open the collection, in a limited way, to showcase possibly some of the rarest and most meticulously restored vintage aircraft anywhere. Everything from the […]

Forget about your instrument scan, how about a device that scans your instruments directly onto your retina? Microvision has sold the first of its Nomad retinal laser-projection systems in the civilian market (to Honda, to help mechanics fix cars faster) and it’s likely only a matter of time before they end up in more cockpits […]

The FAA says it’s working on ways to adequately warn pilots of “pop-up” temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) that will become much more common as the election campaign goes into full swing. It’s expected that no-fly zones for GA will accompany not only President Bush, but Vice President Dick Cheney, Democratic contender John Kerry and whomever […]

Like an overdue train, we keep craning our necks trying to see if economic recovery for the aviation industry is just around the corner. But rather than wait for it to pull into the station, some media outlets can’t wait for that whistle to blow. Florida Today recently devoted a big chunk of its business […]

Well, at least Warrant Officer Barry Jones is a realist. “I know it won’t go smoothly, nothing ever does, but that’s part of the adventure,” Jones, a British Army helicopter pilot, told a news conference before setting off on a round-the-world flight in an open-cockpit gyrocopter. He’ll cover more than 25,000 miles (including long stretches […]

https://avweb.com/avmail/ Reader mail this week about keeping ATC current on emergencies, fans of Ercoupes, and more.

_________INSURANCE Insuring the Transitioning PilotThe aviation economy is finally starting to rebound, and that means more pilots getting ready to buy a plane or to step up to more-sophisticated aircraft. But beyond any FAA requirements, insurance requirements loom as a major factor that can financially make or break the transition to a new type of […]