Experimentals

A devastating fire broke out at the manufacturing facility for Belite Aircraft late last week. The company produces the Chipper experimental and the UltraCub ultralight, as well as the Radiant instrument line.  According to company founder James Wiebe, “It appears that the fire started at our CNC router dust collection system. Intense smoke filled the building, […]

An unusual teardrop-shaped aircraft with a pusher prop has been undergoing taxi tests at California Logistics Airport near Victorville, California, leading to speculation the Celera 500L is ready for its first flight. The plane has been under secret development for about a decade and is said to be an “extremely low drag” design that will […]

The EAA and the FAA carried out a two-day Recreational Aviation Summit at the association’s Oshkosh, Wisconsin, headquarters last week focusing on legislative matters important to recreational pilots. No doubt the 20 FAA officials attending were happy not to be talking about Boeing 737s. “This summit is a unique, fruitful way to engage FAA policymakers […]

Flooding at the Jefferson City, Missouri, airport has caused the cancellation of the Salute to Veterans Airshow scheduled for May 25-26. This after the show had to be relocated from the Columbia Regional Airport because of construction there. Salute media chair Jessica Houston said, “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the cancellation of […]

Industry veteran Randy Lervold is joining Glasair Aviation as its new CEO effective today. An experienced pilot and homebuilder, Lervold will be responsible for spearheading “Glasair’s refreshed presence in the market.” “This is a great opportunity to build on Glasair Aviation’s rich history and legacy,” he says. “I think we can improve operations and sales, […]

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) on May 2 in which it reiterated issues with Lycoming cylinders shipped between September 1, 2013, and April 30, 2015, but the agency has declined to issue an Airworthiness Directive to enforce replacement of these cylinders. The suspect cylinders were the subject of a […]

Here’s a case of an old, albeit fast dog learning new tricks: Garmin is celebrating the first flight of a G3000 integrated flight deck in an F-5 fighter. Garmin says that training firm Tactical Air Support finished the design and installation of the multi-panel suite over six months, giving the 1950s-era Northrop fighter the reliability […]

Bob Barrows, who designed the Bearhawk line of experimental aircraft, suffered a landing accident on approach to Holly Ridge/Topsail Island Airport (N21) on Monday. According to reports, Barrows clipped power lines on approach and the Bearhawk LSA impacted the turf runway in a strongly nose-down attitude. Photos of the aftermath show the airplane crumbled right […]

The airshow season is about fast-moving, rapidly gyrating aircraft. For some, it’s about witnessing a watchmaker’s level of finesse required to land on a dime and stop in one fuselage length. That’s the audience for the new Sod Buster STOL Competition (Facebook link), to be launched this August at the Milaca, Minn., airport (18Y). Starting […]