Tag Archives: general aviation

General Aviation

General Aviation Pilot Protection Act

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

New bill would expand driver’s license medical to pilots,

After nearly two years of FAA inaction on the AOPA-EAA third-class medical petition, Congress has taken matters into its own hands, offering up legislation that would vastly expand the number of pilots who could fly without going through the expensive and time-consuming third-class medical certification process. Reps. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), a member of the House General Aviation Caucus, and GA Caucus Co-Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) on Dec. 11 introduced the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act. The legislation, House Resolution 3708, would dramatically expand the parameters for flying under the driver’s license medical standard. Rokita and Graves are both AOPA members and active pilots.

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General Aviation

Female pilots: a slow take-off

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Emine Saner has written over at The Guardian about the slow adoption of female pilots by airlines.  From the article:

When two children, a six-year-old girl and a slightly older boy, visited her flight deck last week, British Airways pilot Aoife Duggan asked if they would like to fly planes too. The boy said yes but the girl demurred, saying: “I think I’d like to be an air hostess – boys are pilots.” A surprised Duggan says: “I was like, ‘No! Come and sit in my seat, wear my hat.’ “

Four decades after the first female pilot started work for a commercial airline, there are still relatively few women sitting in Duggan’s seat. Of the 3,500 pilots employed by British Airways, just 200 are women, yet the airline still employs the highest proportion of female pilots of any UK airline. Globally, around 4,000 of the 130,000 airline pilots are women, according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots. Fewer still are captains – worldwide, there are around 450.

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General Aviation

Shell reveals unleaded avgas – 10 years in the making!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Shell has announced a lead-free replacement for the 110LL that is currently used by most general aviation piston aircraft.  From the AOPA website:

Shell Aviation, a subsidiary of the multinational oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, announced Dec. 3 that a 10-year effort in the laboratory has produced a fuel that may put a long-sought goal—once thought to be unattainable—within reach: a lead-free “performance drop-in” replacement for 100LL that could power any aircraft in the piston fleet.

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General Aviation

Kansas governor proclaims September Aviation Appreciation Month

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Kansas Aviation Expo is celebrating its inaugural event this year at the National Center for Aviation Training in Wichita, Kansas – “Where the state capital meets the Air Capital!”

The KAE is an event like no other, with various facets of the aviation industry meeting to discuss the current climate and challenges of the industry, and then developing strategies to leverage resources and join forces to work towards a brighter future.

This event is made possible by the collaborative efforts of several industry stakeholders, and under the leadership of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation and the Kansas Commission on Aerospace Education.

From the press release about Aviation Appreciation Month:

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