Learn to Fly

So now it’s finally reality. The Third-Class medical exemption is a real thing, or at least it will be in May. Oddly, I am underwhelmed; like winning the lottery and learning that money can’t buy happiness. (OK, but all the same, I’d like a new TBM.) I think I’m not alone in this sentiment, yet […]

Last month Icon Aircraft announced it had opened its second Flight Center to support its A5, a light sport amphibian (S-LSA). Based on Tampa’s Peter O. Knight Airport, the Center will provide flight training, sales, demos and service for the aircraft. At first glance, the announcement was generic good news that a general aviation manufacturer […]

Colton Harris-Moore, whose two-year teenage crime spree included the theft of several small airplanes — which he had taught himself to fly from manuals and videos — pled guilty in 2011 to 33 counts of burglary and theft, and now has served his sentence and is seeking funds through GoFundMe to start his legitimate flying […]

Stemme is planning to deliver its $369,000 next-generation S12 motorglider to U.S. customers this coming December. The new S12 picks up where the Stemme S10VT (which will remain in production) left off. It sports a longer 82-foot wing and an impressive 53:1 glide ratio, more baggage space, an integral tail water ballast system, a Dynon […]

AeroJones, which took over manufacturing and distribution of the Flight Design CTLS line, said it plans to expand early next year with a new facility in Florida. At the Deland Sport Aviation Showcase this week, AeroJones’ John Hurst told AVweb that the company hasn’t settled on a site yet, but the new sport aviation village […]

In perfect weather and overlapped with the NBAA convention in Orlando, the Deland Sport Aviation Showcase opened Thursday morning with about 100 exhibitors. This is the Showcase’s first year and it’s clearly positioned to compete with the Sport Aviation Expo to be held in January in Sebring. With broad support from the Deland Airport, show […]

In his influential book, Stick and Rudder, Wolfgang Langewiesche states the rudder “. . . causes the greatest difficulty for beginners,” and “. . . even the more experienced pilot often has trouble using it correctly.” Commenting on improper rudder use as a contributing factor in accidents, he states, “In the typical fatal accident, which […]

Women in Aviation International has disbursed more than $10 million in scholarships to help more than 1,300 women advance in aviation careers, and this year they have $662,625 to give away to contenders who apply by Nov. 14. To qualify, applicants must be a WAI member by Nov. 1, so there’s still time, but the […]

Last week, I attended a briefing at the local town hall where airport officials briefed a new arrival at the airport, a skydiving operation. As I figured it would, that ignited a minor freakout among the local pilot community, but they listened politely and asked good questions of the operator, who intends to start selling […]

Back by popular demand is AVweb’s penetrating review of why pilots fly patterns that are just insanely, infuriatingly too large. Extra stripes available by request. view on YouTube