Ultralight Aircraft Safety Concerns Raised

A series of recent crashes in southwest Florida involving ultralight aircraft has highlighted the risks of operating these non-standard, unregulated aircraft – for the pilot, and people on the ground…

Homebuilt

Homebuilt airplanes are aircraft built by individuals and then licensed as “experimental”. They are used solely for educational or personal purposes. Many thousands of homebuilt airplanes are being flown in the world, and there are four main types. The first is built from steel tubing which is welded together and then covered with fabric. The [...]

Pietenpols Honored at EAA AirVenture 2009

Just more than 80 years ago Bernard Pietenpol set about designing some of the most user-friendly and original aircraft concepts in the world. He quickly set about building a company and marketing his products. His brand of homebuilt aircraft designs made flying accessible to millions and many of them are still built regularly today. This year the Pietenpols Experimental Aircraft Association will be celebrating their 80th anniversary during the 2009 EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh.

2009 Cable Air Show

Looking for a great airplane-orientated activity to enjoy with the family early next year? Look no further than the 2009 Cable Air Show! This great weekend-long event will have Californians arriving in their droves to some great flying-orientated family fun.

AirVenture 2008 Casts Spotlight on Homebuilt Aircraft

Every year the Experimental Aircraft Association holds its AirVenture celebration, but lately fans have been worried that that the event is slipping further and further away from its homebuilt roots. Indeed, it has been giving more and more floor space to plane manufacturers like Cessna and Cirrus over the years, but this year the EAA is attempting to ensure that homebuilt aircraft gets the spotlight.

Build Your Own SparrowHawk III Gyroplane

It is a legal requirement in the United States that all amateur built and homebuilt aircraft must be inspected and then registered with the Federation Aviation Administration (FAA) before an Airworthiness Certificate can be issued. This is a thorough, and sometimes painstaking, process which can be drastically simplified for the builder if the aircraft kit is on the FAA Eligible Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits list. On 21 February 2008, Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc. announced that the FAA has confirmed that their SparrowHawk III gyroplane kit meets the necessary specifications to be included on the Eligible Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits list.

Valkaria Air Fest 2008

The annual Valkaria Air Fest is always a major event on the aviation calendar. On the 16th of February 2008 the Valkaria Airport, in Florida in the United States of America, will be the host of this magnificent festival that promotes all forms of flight and pays respect to the pilots, engineers and visionaries of the past who have played vital roles in bringing aviation to this point. The Valkaria Air Fest 2008 is guaranteed to be a day of fun, fascination, excitement, entertainment and education.

Benefits of EAA SportAir Workshops

As technology continues to advance and become more readily available, more and more people are taking to the air – many of them in aircraft that they have built themselves. A variety of weekend EAA SportAir Workshops are offered on a regular basis to help aviation enthusiasts build their own airplanes, as well as to qualify owners to maintain their aircraft within regulated FAA safety standards.

The Remarkable Cri Cri

The Cri Cri aircraft is still considered to be an ingenuous masterpiece of aviation engineering, and is the smallest two engine aircraft in the world. What makes this aircraft even more spectacular is that it is a home built project. Pilots are able to construct their own Cri Cri according to the kit project specifications. Today there are approximately a hundred and fifty Cri Cri aircraft that are registered.

Cessna May Use Kit Building Trick in New Plane

After Cessna’s prototype for the light sport plane was received well by attendees at the AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh this year, the company is now thinking about how they may want to manufacture the plane. To keep it under their target price tag of $100,000, Cessna will have to minimize building costs and consider more innovative production methods. They’re even thinking about using a trick that homebuilders of kit planes have been doing for years. It’s called matched-hole drilling.

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