12/25/06

Happy Holidays from Aero Trader Insider


HAPPY HOLIDAYS

from Aero Trader Insider

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12/24/06

Light-sport aircraft for under $100,000 take to the skies


Owning a personal plane was once something that only millionares and corporations could do. Some pilots choose to buy used aircraft to have their own ticket to the sky.

Plane and Pilot Magazine's website feature a story on private aircraft under $100,000. These planes are called light-sport aircraft, or LSAs.

Changes in aircraft regulation have allowed smaller planes to go into production and reach a wider market. For some pilots, an LSA could be the perfect way to own a new plane.

Certain restrictions apply to LSAs. They are prohibited from flying at night or out of the United States. Other rules apply as well, so if you think an LSA is for you, read the article carefully for the details.

Do you fly an LSA? Tell us about it. Leave a comment below and share your story.
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12/19/06

World War II PT-19 to be restored, minus woodchucks.


When you look in a dusty old attic or warehouse, who knows what you might find?

KTVB.com features the story of group of aviation buffs who found an old World War II era Fairchild PT-19, stored for over 40 years in a hangar in Idaho.

A group, called the Commemorative Air Force, plan to restore the plane to flight-ready condition.

They have their work cut out for them. Not only was the plane covered with dust and cobwebs, but a family of woodchucks had taken up residence in the wings.
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12/14/06

Civil aircraft sales keep climbing


Reuters features a story on the optimistic forecasts for the Aerospace industry. Sales of aircraft are expected to reach $195 billion next year.

Aircraft sales in this year have been rising as well, climbing 8.4 percent to $184.4 billion.

While sales in defense and space related aerospace have been climbing, civil aircraft sales are also strong, rising $8.3 billion to $47.5 billion.
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12/13/06

Flying from the South to North Pole by Helicopter


Adventurers are hard-pressed to find new records to break or new frontiers to conquer. Flying around the world, scaling the peak of Everest, and landing on the moon are all in the record books already.

Anyone forget about record for flying around the world via the South and North Poles in a helicopter?

According to a story on the Aero News Network, Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill are planning to fly into history by being the first to fly a Bell 407 helicopter pole to pole. The two pilots took off on December 5 to start their journey.

Murray and Bodill landed in Waco, Texas, on December 6 to meet with high school students and discuss their journey. If all goes well, the pilots will arrive at their goal in May 2007.
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12/12/06

Ice warning reach pilots faster thanks to system upgrade


National Geographic features a story on a new way pilots can be warned about dangerous ice conditions.

The system called Current Icing Product (CIP) had been available to air traffic controller and weather forecasters before. Now aircraft pilots can access the CIP information directly thanks to a recent upgrade.

The CIP system combines reports from sources ranging from weather radar to surface observations. The information can now be streamed directly into an aircraft cockpit.

Prior to the system upgrade, reports could only be read by those trained to make sense of the of the data, then the reports were relayed to air traffic controllers and weather experts. Now pilots can access the information while flying, giving more time to avoid dangerous icy conditions.
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12/11/06

Visual flight rules or instrument flight rules? Which is safer?


CentreDaily.com features a story on the debate over rules that determine how small aircraft are piloted.

Following the crash of a small plane that killed Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle, some fear that small planes are flying with too little supervision.

The story explores the difference between flying with visual flight rules (VFR) or instrument flight rules (IFR).

Air Traffic Control also plays a role in determining how small aircraft should fly under different weather conditions.

What do you think? What should be done to make the skies safer for small aircaft? Speak out and leave a comment below.
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12/4/06

New hybrid aircraft engine to take off in 2007


Just like their counterparts in the automotive world, aircraft engine designers are looking for creative ways to save fuel. Insidegreentech.com features a story on how a new hybrid engine could not only save fuel, but change aircraft design as well.

Designed by The Scuderi Group, the engine stores compressed air when the engine is in flight. The design gives the engine boosts of power during takeoffs, allowing aircraft to use smaller runways. The engine also reduces emissions around 80 percent.

When the new engine is introduced, the hope is to make planes and other aircraft lighter and easier to build.

A prototype is expected to be ready in 2007.
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