AOPA News
Youth aviation initiative picking up steam
Aviation summer camps have long targeted youth in hopes of influencing their career aspirations With an emphasis on science technology engineering and math classes in the education system and a growing realization of the declining pilot population and predicted pilot shortage more aviation camps are popping up around the country
NASA takes synthetic vision to the next level
Engineers at the NASA Langley Research Center who developed synthetic vision technology are now working to put it right before your eyes A head-worn display that tracks your gaze and is mounted on an ordinary eyeglass frame promises to project critical information including traffic and terrain in zero visibility
FAA report GA an asset to nation
Over the last century general aviation airports have evolved from unpaved strips to a vital network of aviation hubs that contributed 388 billion to the economy in 2009 says a new FAA study
Nebraska recognizes GA value
With a stroke of the governors pen on May 16 Nebraska joined a growing list of states proclaiming support for - and recognizing the value of - general aviation including the jobs and other opportunities flying creates
Survey Santa Monica airport not key issue
For 30 years AOPA and airport advocates in Santa Monica Calif have worked to defend the city airport from attacks by opponents whose vocal campaigns obscured a lack of voter support for their efforts Now a study commissioned by AOPA has shown that most of those voters prefer that the city turn its attention elsewhere
AVWEB
James Polehinke Sole Survivor
On August 27 2006 Comair Flight 5191 crashed during an attempted takeoff from the wrong runway at Lexingtons Blue Grass Airport killing all 49 aboard save the co-pilot James Polehinke who has now become the subject of a documentary A Chicago film maker will feature Polehinke in the movie Sole Survivor which creates accounts of the lives of people who became sole survivors of commuter aircraft crashes It will be released this fall Polehinke was at the controls of Comairs CRJ-100 as it sped into the grass off the end of the airports shorter narrower Runway 26 It had been cleared for the twice as wide and twice as long Runway 22 Polehinke awoke from a coma after the crash to learn he had facial fractures a complex fracture of the pelvis two fractures of the spine and broken bones in his left leg right foot and right hand The film may show that wasnt the worst of it
Redbulls Latest Aerial Ballet
Redbull Wednesday shared video of one of its latest sponsored adventures -- five wingsuit skydivers joining up with and maintaining formation with two sailplanes in a dive over Austria The team flew two aerobatic LET L-13 Blanik sailplanes and just to complicate things the lead flew inverted and one skydiver formed up inbetween the inverted and upright glider The skydivers and gliders came together in formation at roughly 12000 feet The sailplanes wore wingtip mounted smoke canisters and one skydiver wore one on an ankle The trick of the task was mating airspeed and descent rates and this time all members performed flawlessly Check the video after the jump
Continentals Mattituck Services To Close
Troubled by decreasing volume in a flat aviation economy Mattituck Services one of the northeasts longest-established engine shops will close at the end of May according to Continental Motors Some of the 23 affected employees will move to Continentals Fairhope Alabama facility which offers similar services on overhauls and factory service
Question of the Week Virgin Atlantics New Cell Phone Policy
Virgin Atlantic will allow six cell phone calls at a time on its London-New York flights Is that a plus or minus for youPlus Last week we asked AVweb readers what kinds of cars they drive click through to see the breakdown of answers we received
Cell Phone Calls OKd By Airline
There are a number of catches but Virgin Atlantic passengers will soon be able to make cell phone calls on the airlines flights from London to New York the airline announced this week No passengers will be allowed to have their phones powered up for takeoff or landing and only six people will be allowed to talk at once Each one will pay international roaming rates for the call and must have access to either Europes Vodafone or O2 carriers or the USs T-Mobile By year-end the service should be available on as many as 20 of the carriers aircraft flying 10 routes Virgin Atlantic isnt the first to offer the service but dont expect US carriers to follow suit soon
