leadnews

Carmaker Has A Change Of Heart Well, as the old saying goes, everything is for sale and that apparently includes the HondaJet. Days after the (relatively) innovative aircraft went on display at EAA AirVenture, word from Honda’s head office is that it might offer a certificated version of the aircraft. First sales “will be in […]

Boyer says the government hasn’t even made the case for the temporary restrictions, let alone creating permanent ones. “No general aviation aircraft has ever been used in a terrorist attack,” Boyer said. “And the government has determined that not a single ADIZ violation was terrorist-related.” He said the ADIZ is “operationally unworkable” and the FAA […]

FAA Proposes “National Defense Airspace” The FAA is proposing to fold all the various types of temporarily restricted airspace around Washington, D.C. under a permanent designation called National Defense Airspace. According to AOPA, the zone will cover 2,000 square miles up to 18,000 feet and will be announced today. It had not been posted on […]

Flying the airplanes isn’t what keeps people like Rozendaal in them. They are messy, expensive, cantankerous machines. “If you’re flying these airplanes because flying them gets your rocks off, then you won’t be in this business for long.” It sounds clich, but dedicated warbird pilots say the motivation burns from another source. It’s the kid […]

Even normal operations in a warbird require procedures and systems knowledge you don’t see on a Cessna or Columbia. “Every power change in a fighter requires rudder trim. You use rudder trim more than elevator trim on these airplanes,” Rozendaal advises. We learned that climbing into the Corsair is complex enough; put your left foot […]

AVweb‘s Look Behind The Controls Doug Rozendaal arrived at Oshkosh flying a DC-3 and left in an F6F Hellcat. He doesn’t own either of them, nor does he own any of the Corsairs, B-25s or Mustangs he transports to air shows for owners. With a small nod and smile he offered, “I’ve been very lucky […]

By far the most costly item in the FAA budget is wages, and the determination to bring labor costs down is the FAA’s clear stance as contract negotiations continue with controllers. Last week, Blakey revealed details of those negotiations, including controller demands for 5.6-percent wage increases and seven-hour work days. She added the agency’s proposal […]

As if on cue, the Government Accountability Office released its own study of FAA finances and it’s predicting a train wreck. According to the GAO, the agency will have a $4 billion deficit by 2010 if something isn’t done. The GAO does not look at changing the revenue structure, as Blakey has been doing, and […]

User Fees? … Which Users? FAA Administrator Marion Blakey is continuing to call for restructuring of the agency’s funding base, a call that sent a chill through many of those attending her Meet the Administrator session at EAA AirVenture last week. In Oshkosh, she used the phrase “User pays also means user says.” In a […]

Not far away in the North Display Area, Pacific Aerospace Corp. of New Zealand introduced its PAC 750XL to the Oshkosh crowds. The 750XL was FAA certified last year, and five already are operating in the U.S., according to Ray Ferrell, who is the U.S. distributor and also an owner. The big cabin will hold […]