briefs

A young man who according to his sentencing judge loaded two young friends aboard a Cessna 172 in Danbury, Conn., and flew it for three hours before landing almost out of fuel and “drunk” at Westchester, N.Y., will have another year in jail to think about that night. He’ll also have six months of enforced […]

Many piston pilots have likely never heard Aerostar mentioned in relation to anything but an airplane, but to the ballooning community, the Sioux Falls, S.D., company is kind of like Cessna, Piper and Beechcraft all rolled into one — and the company just announced last week that after Jan. 31, 2007, it won’t be in […]

Arkansas Democratic senator Mark Pryor has introduced a bill that would force the FAA to resume negotiations with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association toward a new contract. The FAA imposed a contract on the union in June under the terms of legislation that would have required congressional intervention to resolve the dispute. Under that […]

Cessna may adopt a construction method used by some kit airplane companies to simplify assembly of the aircraft. Computerized match-hole drilling involves pre-drilling sheet metal pieces so that the holes line up perfectly when it comes time to fit them together. Companies like Van’s aircraft (which estimates its homebuilt flying fleet at more than 4,500) […]

A “national treasure” has been grounded indefinitely and it’ll take $3 million to get it back in the air. Fifi, the Commemorative Air Force’s B-29 bomber, has had chronic engine problems for years and the CAF has decided that they must be resolved for safety’s sake. Fifi is the only airworthy B-29 in the world. […]

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COLUMNS The Savvy Aviator #34: Is This Engine Airworthy?How do we assess whether a piston aircraft engine is airworthy? Compression tests and oil consumption are only part of the story … a smaller part than most owners and mechanics think.

Online Now: Listen to, or take AVweb’s no-iPod-required audio news with you. Find exclusive interviews featuring Cessna’s Jack Pelton on his company’s LSA, TCM president Bryan Lewis, NATCA president John Carr, New Piper CEO Jim Bass, Hal Shevers for Sporty’s Pilot Shop, Light Sport guru Dan Johnson, Excel Jet’s Bob Bornhofen, Adam Aircraft’s Joe Walker, […]

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For many wannabes it’s the next best thing, but the same goes for many instrument pilots looking to keep their skills up. It’s almost three years since Microsoft Flight Simulator’s Century of Flight 2004 edition let you trade places with Orville and Wilbur in the original Wright Flyer. The latest flight simulator isn’t quite so […]