Maintenance

We Americans like our stuff. We accumulate it madly and take it with us when we go places. We happily buy and jam our highways with SUVs, minivans and gigantic pickup trucks, each able to comfortably swallow several people and their stuff. Yet, when it comes to airplanes, it’s tough to fulfill the deep-seated desire […]

Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry officials are claiming that FAA employees and managers are in some cases imposing ad hoc rules on MRO companies. They claim the FAA officials are improperly using the FAAs internal online flight standards information management system (FSIMS), an electronic documentation system the agency adopted to replace the legacy inspectors […]

Three, Gooney Bird, Doug, Dakota, Diesel-3, Douglas Racer-no matter what its called, one can legitimately argue that the most influential airplane on commercial aviation was the Douglas DC-3. It was the first airliner with operating costs low enough to allow a profit in all-passenger service (previously, a contract to carry the mail was essential to […]

Our weekly visit through the news we receive found announcements of some new products ready for release at Sun n Fun as well as word that life limits on Oregon Aero High-G Safety Seats have been lifted and that drawings will be held by Superior Air Parts for free tuition to its XP-Engine Build School. […]

Both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature have passed legislation intended to save aircraft owners and operators money on maintenance and repairs while keeping aviation jobs in the state. The bill has gone to the governor for his signature; he is expected to sign. The legislation creates a state sales tax exemption for all parts and […]

The FAA has rejected widespread industry criticism and appears to be going ahead with an Airworthiness Directive affecting the cylinders on 6,000 engines.In what appears to be a response to the overwhelmingly negative industry feedback it has received, the FAA has taken another look at options to buffer the $82.6 million cost of a proposed […]

ADS-B products continue to perk along and at AEA in Nashville, FreeFlight Systems announced the certification of its RANGR 978 UAT ADS-B solution with an approved model list totaling more than 400 aircraft. The RANGR, at a list price of $5495, provides both ADS-B In and Out solutions in a single box, along with a […]

During the 57th annual AEA International Convention & Trade Show, the Aircraft Electronics Association’s Educational Foundation announced the names of 22 individuals who were awarded individual scholarships worth more than $125,000 for the 2014-15 academic year. The AEA Educational Foundation awards scholarships to students pursuing a career in the general aviation maintenance and aircraft electronics […]

If industry forecasts about the growth of the unmanned aerial vehicle market are correct, there could be as many as 1.2 million drones buzzing around the national airspace during the next decade and someone will need to maintain them. A new company called Robotic Skies sees a robust market in supporting and servicing UAV systems […]

If youve been paying attention to our news columns, youve noticed that new aircraft sales have rebounded in late 2013 and early 2014, although they remain a far cry from the last spike in volume in 2007. For example, Cirrus was happy to report 276 aircraft sold in 2013, a nice bump from 2012, but […]