Rockwell Collins is integrating regional sand and dust storm forecast information into the company’s ARINCDirectSM flight planning tools, enabling business aviation operators in those areas to improve safety and on-time performance. The data used by ARINCDirect is sourced and exclusively licensed from the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, host of the first World Meteorological Organization’s Regional Specialized…
Garmin announced integrated weight and balance calculations, as well as aircraft performance tables and calculations within the Garmin Pilot app on Apple mobile devices. Also new to Garmin Pilot, Freehand flight planning allows for quick and easy flight plan editing from the moving map page. Pilot-configurable checklists are also integrated within Garmin Pilot, providing pilots…
Garmin is pleased to announce an aviation-specific addition to the VIRB Ultra 30 action camera family, offering several new accessories tailored to capturing rich, high definition footage in-flight. VIRB Ultra 30 is a waterproof action camera with the power to shoot stunning Ultra HD footage at 4K/30fps. The VIRB Ultra 30 contains a suite of…
Service Bulletin 27-3459, Rev. 2: Flight Controls – Flight Control (Gust) Lock Inspection/Replacement Issued (Original): September 2002 Revision: November 2016 Synopsis of Change: This Service Bulletin has been revised to further define the Compliance period, correct and add flight control (gust) lock part numbers, and reflect the latest change in the publications table. No further…
When an earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, a group of volunteer pilots coordinated 715 flights that brought more than a million pounds of critical supplies to the island nation and transported 3,800 passengers, including medical personnel, injured patients and relief workers. Pilots and aircraft owners have donated 13,000 flights to wounded veterans for medical and…
Last month I was invited to meet up with the Silver Foxes, a group of people that worked for Beech Aircraft “back in the day.” Most are long retired, but have stayed in touch with colleagues from what they fondly call “the Golden Days of Beechcraft.” Their reunion this year happened to be in my…
I recently received an email from Jay Vierling of Cincinnati, Ohio, seeking my opinion on some pressurization anomalies and what the mechanics had found. Here’s what he wrote: I have a question and haven’t been able to find any good answers. I own and fly a King Air C90B. I’ve been noticing erratic pressurization during…
Election Results Related to the Aviation Industry For some notable legislators who have supported aviation, there were some close races and some losing their seats. In what media is calling a “stunning” loss, Rep. John Mica (R-Florida), who served as the chairman of the House aviation subcommittee and then of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,…
In 1948, senior management at Beech Aircraft Corporation saw the need for a new military trainer to equip postwar air forces. Their solution was the “Mentor” that would become one of the most popular Beechcrafts ever built. When World War II ended with the unconditional surrender of Japan in September 1945, the United States Army…
CenTex Aerospace, Inc. announced that it has received FAA approval of a new addition to the popular Halo series of gross weight increase conversions. The new Halo 275 conversion for King Air 200 and 250 series airplanes increases the maximum takeoff weight to 14,000 pounds and the maximum landing weight to 13,500 pounds. Price of…