briefs

Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., are testing a new system this month that may pinpoint the location of water droplets in clouds that cause icing, potentially enabling pilots to avoid dangerous areas, the center announced yesterday. The system, known as S-Polka, combines two existing radars that use different […]

A Boeing 727-100 cargo aircraft with a U.S. registration number was seized by the government of Zimbabwe on Sunday. Officials said the 727 was carrying 64 suspected mercenaries and a cargo of military equipment. The 727 apparently had an N-number, but the Kansas company listed by the FAA as its owner said the aircraft was […]

https://avweb.com/avmail/ Reader mail this week about no-fly zones, aging and accidents, and aviation politics.

____ATIS De-Ice Debacle“Caveat emptor” — buyer beware, as they say. Watch out when someone asks you to sign something that says you’ll pay whatever it takes for a service. In this case, the problem occurred when a pilot tried to get de-iced so he could fly home. _______COLUMNS As the Beacon Turns #74: Backcountry DreamingDeep […]

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Venture Development Corp. would like to know what you think about in-flight weather systems and they’re conducting a short multiple-choice survey this week to find out. We’ve checked these guys out and this is bona fide market research. Click on the link here, complete the survey and you’ll be eligible for a no-strings-attached $1,000 gift […]

Last year it was Boeing’s surrender to Airbus. Could this be the year that Cirrus overtakes Cessna as the world’s leading producer of piston singles? If the early numbers are any indication, it could be shaping up that way. Although it’s projecting to build at least 500 aircraft this year (vs. 459 in 2003), Cirrus […]

Every kid’s dream, every parent’s nightmare? The Royal Australian Air Force is said to be looking in malls, skateboard parks and high schools to fill the cockpits of its fighters. The air force is reportedly planning a recruiting drive aimed at teens as young as 13, according to the Weekend Australian. “The importance of influencing, […]

Talk about your VFR landmarks. How about a 6,000-mile-long stone wall? The Great Wall, as it’s come to be known, is just one of the things mapmaker George P. Sempeles had to work with as he helped the Chinese begin the enormous task of creating VFR charts for the world’s third-largest country. Sempeles, of Winchester, […]

Boeing is scaling back its bid to revolutionize the world’s air traffic control system because the existing setup seems to be working just fine … for now. The Chicago-based firm announced Thursday that it was dissolving its Air Traffic Management division, likely because it didn’t have any customers for the satellite-based, computer data link-dependent system. […]