briefs

A European flavor has been added to the aircraft fleet patrolling the U.S. coastline. The Coast Guard has ordered two EADS CASA CN235-300M Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA). The new aircraft, made by the same European consortium that makes Airbus jetliners, are the first in a multiyear, multi-aircraft acquisition in the Integrated Deepwater System’s (IDS) modernization […]

The Wichita City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an incentives package for Bombardier Aerospace’s plant in Wichita. The Wichita Eagle reports that Bombardier’s rent of city-owned land will be chopped by $36,000 a year. According to the newspaper, the city also agreed to split with county officials the $550,000 bill for repaving Learjet Way near […]

The FAA has recognized the growing girth of Americans by revising weight-and-balance estimates used for loading aircraft. Under current guidelines, an adult passenger flying in winter is estimated to weigh 185 pounds, including clothing and carry-on luggage, while the same passenger is calculated at 180 pounds during summer travel. Recently, the FAA ordered 15 airlines […]

A small-town Michigan engineer, who can legitimately take part of the credit for ending the Cold War, was honored for his many contributions to aviation and aerospace technology on May 7. Dr. Sam Williams, founder of Williams International, was inducted into the National Inventors’ Hall of Fame, along with 16 others in the aerospace field. […]

Lots of pilots, including Polly Vacher, have followed the sun on around-the-world jaunts. But the 58-year-old British pilot is doing it the hard way this time around. The practical test of Vacher’s bid began May 6 when she took off from Birmingham trying to become the first person to circumnavigate the globe solo over both […]

GA has a seat at the table as the TSA begins the inevitable discussions on security at smaller airports. AOPA, at the TSA’s invitation, will become part of the agency’s working group to develop security guidelines for GA facilities. Note the use of the word “guidelines.” As a condition of its involvement, AOPA insisted on […]

Forget about X-Men, just look what the X-plane can do — and this is no comic book tale. Boeing’s X-31A VECTOR recently completed three years of testing in which it used vectored thrust to shorten (and soften) landings. On April 29, test pilots (with lavish assistance from a complicated flight-control system) successfully put the VECTOR […]

A Senate committee has approved an FAA Reauthorization Bill that could prevent airport improvement money from being diverted for security projects. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has sent the bill to the full Senate for consideration, the first step in a long process of ratification. It contains language that would require the FAA […]

Federal Flight Deck Officers (pilots certified to carry guns) want those privileges extended beyond the cockpit. Pilots’ groups are asking Congress to amend the current legislation and let them pack even when they aren’t working. “For the sake of safety, we urge Congress to correct this handling issue,” Duane Woerth, president of the Air Line […]

New Braunfels Municipal Airport, in the Texas hills between Austin and San Antonio, becomes the new home of EAA’s Southwest Regional Fly-In on May 16-17. About 600 to 800 planes are expected for the 39th annual weekend. Organizers said New Braunfels offers the best location ever, with 1,000 acres of grass and lots of ramp […]