In July of 2003 we reported that Tom "Sharkbait" Delashaw had died after his Hawker Hunter crashed in Pennsylvania. The NTSB has released a report in which it states that it has found that the aircraft had had an engine change prior to the crash, and the logs had not been signed off by the mechanic to return the jet to airworthy status.  

Kitty Hawk has signed a contract to lease seven Boeing 737-300SF aircraft from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). Kitty Hawk will be the North American launch customer for the 737-300SF, the freighter version of one of the best-selling and most popular commercial passenger aircraft of all time.

General aviation pilots set a record low for the number of accidents in a single year, according to the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's annual Joseph T. Nall General Aviation Safety Report. The nation's most comprehensive examination of general aviation (GA) safety and GA accident trends is now available online. Printed copies will begin shipping soon.

The U.S. Army's Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL) testbed destroyed a rocket on May 4 that's larger, faster and that flies higher than previous threats destroyed by the laser weapon demonstrator.

2003 Record Attempts Certified

Records set by a B-1B Lancer during the 2003 Edwards AFB Open House and Air Show were officially certified April 30 by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Switzerland. In two flights Oct. 25 and 26, the B-1B set 45 world records and broke five previously set records in the National Aeronautic Association C-1Q and C-1R, Group III weight class.

I hope that each of you who are as lucky as I am, to have the GREATEST Mom in the world, took the time on Sunday to say so to your own...  Years ago, when it was painfully obvious that my passion for model airplanes had turned into an even bigger passion for the real thing (hence the reason for those mysterious buzz-jobs my neighborhood experienced throughout my high school years), my Mom was faced with a tricky problem. Flying scared the absolute hell out of her.

Top officials at the FAA have told AOPA that the agency is committed to maturing satellite-based navigation for the long haul using the wide area augmentation system (WAAS). During a meeting at AOPA headquarters on Tuesday, executives from the FAA's Air Traffic Organization shared the agency's latest program developments. They said part of the plan for supporting general aviation's transition to WAAS is to develop 500 WAAS approaches each year, making the system more attractive to GA pilots.

"It was an unbelievable honor to be a part of an event of this magnitude and certainly was the opportunity of a lifetime for most, if not all of us. For the past 11 years, I have been part of a large group of aviators who have been trying to get the world to stand up and take note of the awesome capabilities of the B-1B. Ironically, this record-setting event comes at a time when the B-1B is also proving itself in operations around the world. This event will possibly serve as icing on the cake for the great things the B-1B is doing in support of the war on terrorism and help solidify it as the weapon system of choice for the future." Source: USAF Maj. Troy Asher, 419th FLTS Director of Operations, commenting on the official certification April 30 b

AD NUMBER: 2004-07-13 MANUFACTURER: General Electric (CORRECTION) SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for General Electric Company (GE) CF6-80C2 series turbofan engines.

AD NUMBER: 2004-09-32 MANUFACTURER: Boeing SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that is applicable to certain Boeing Model 757-200 series airplanes.