Aircraft & Ownership
Aircraft & Ownership News and Resources
Suppliers chosen for speedy Sikorsky Raider
Sikorsky has invited 35 companies to help it build two scout-attack helicopters for evaluation by the Pentagon. The helicopter, called the Raider, will cruise at 220 knots and have a dash speed of 240 kt. The prototype X2 has already surpassed those speeds.
Additional Resources
Answers for Pilots: Flying south to Mexico?
Many pilots have discovered the beauty and charm of Mexico and now it's easier than ever to fly there. The requirement for private aircraft to be equipped with 406 MHz ELTs has been extended. Pilots with aircraft used exclusively for private flights now have until June 30, 2013, to replace their 121.5-MHz ELT with a 406-MHz model or until their existing 121.5-MHz ELT needs to be replaced, whichever comes first. More good news: we've received a letter of clarification on insurance requirements that may save pilots hundreds of dollars when planning to fly in Mexico. The letter spells out once and for all what the insurance needs are for private aircraft flying to Mexico.
Aging Aircraft
This course will help you recognize the symptoms of aircraft aging, understand its impact, and mitigate the risks (approx. 45-60 minutes). (Read the disclaimer.)
Take the minicourse >>
AOPA Forums
Nearly 10,000 pilots share their insight and experiences in our fun, informative AOPA Forums. Join in the discussion with pilots from around the world or use the more than 500,000 posts to research a wide variety of flying topics. It’s another benefit of AOPA membership! Read More >>
NBAA asks lawmakers to extend depreciation rule
A valuable tax incentive for business aircraft owners has scaled back for 2012, and a coalition of manufacturing groups led by the National Business Aviation Association is urging Congress to keep "bonus depreciation" intact.
Innovative GA concepts earn award nominations
Two pioneering general aviation aircraft designs, and two advances at the other end of the aircraft spectrum, have been nominated for the National Aeronautic Association's 2011 Robert J. Collier Trophy.
Hawker Beechcraft protests trainer contract
After Embraer's A-29 Super Tucano won a bidding contest worth $355 million over Hawker Beechcraft's AT-6, HBC was stunned. The company launched an all-out effort to review and reverse the decision, but Sierra Nevada Corp., which partnered with Embraer for the Super Tucano bid, says the Air Force got it right.
Friends rally to fulfill a pilot's final wish
Walter Crosby spent the last seven years of his life working on the Piper Cub he had dreamed of restoring since he paid $650 for the tattered two-seater in 1962. In October, Crosby and his wife, Geri, returned to Florida for a seventh winter of work on the Cub, and the sixth year of Walter Crosby's battle against cancer.
Walking sharks, komodo dragons: Pilatus tours Indonesia
Submerged in the dark waters around the Raja Ampat Islands, pilot Richard Wood watched the region's elusive "walking shark" - some of the vast biodiversity that makes the archipelago what Wood calls "some kind of Mecca" among scuba divers. Wood, his wife and daughter, and another couple saw the bottom-dwelling wobbegong shark and enormous manta rays in the area during a 4,500-nautical-mile trip across Indonesia in a Pilatus PC-12.
Analyst: Helicopter sales to require greater justification
Aerospace analyst Brian Foley says future helicopter sales will receive greater scrutiny by accounting departments, and require a strong business case to be made. Still, there are strong sales to be had.
Hawker Beechcraft hires new CEO, 'The Turnaround Kid'
Newly hired Hawker Beechcraft CEO Robert "Steve" Miller expressed confidence that the company will weather the financial storm during an interview with local media on Feb. 7, the day he was hired to replace Bill Boisture.
Micron's Appleton lost in Boise crash
Micron Technology CEO Steve Appleton died in the crash of a Lancair airplane at the Boise, Idaho, airport Feb. 3, according to a report on the company website. He was 51.
Things you never want to see in D.C.
The F-16 suddenly appeared off the left wing of the GippsAero G-8 Airvan. It wagged its wings, and its engine, in afterburner, shook the sky like an aerial earthquake.
