Half a Million Dollars Up for Grabs

The American Bonanza Society Air Safety Foundation (ABS/ASF) has increased its prize for the development and certification of parts vital to vintage V-Tail Bonanzas. The infamous ruddervator, now increasingly difficult to service and maintain, is a source of stress for operators keeping otherwise good birds running. The prize is good for $500,000 to the first enterprise that certifies and markets kits to replace the combination rudder/elevator skins on V-tail bonanzas, with the ASF requesting ABS members to match the amount for a $1 million total. 

Alaskan Aviation Still Untamed

The NTSB has announced the search for information leading to a collision near Sutton, Alaska, that substantially damaged an aircraft while in flight, Alaska chief Clint Johnson said. A Cessna 180J (file photo, below) received wing damage, while its accident counterpart kept flying. “We don’t think there was any damage to the other plane, but we don’t know that because it kept going. This is an accident, and we’re trying to figure out what took place. We’d like to get both sides of the story, so we are actively looking for that airplane,” said Johnson. Investigators have found few leads, so far, after combing through available radio communications in the area. Stumped, they are

Grouches In Charge Say City Ordinance Bans Landings, Takeoffs

Jeffrey Walker, owner of an 80-acre plot seemingly outside the metro area, has been charged with 5 misdemeanor counts for violating Afton (MN) city restrictions. The charges mark the latest in a long-running, recurrent fight between municipal city rules, tattling neighbors, and a local aviator. As far back as 2005, neighbors seeing small, light aircraft landing and taking off from the airstrip have reported the activity to the sheriff's office, lodging 9 visits to the site through 2007. The city cited Walker for a city ordinance prohibiting all aircraft takeoffs and landings outside of emergencies. The airstrip on his land appears to be in development from 2004 satellite photos, an

Accident Flight Was The First Flight After Completing An Annual Inspection Of The Airplane

On September 22, 2021, about 1926 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-14 airplane, N4276H, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Chickaloon, Alaska. Of the two occupants onboard, the first pilot sustained minor injuries, and the second pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the first pilot, the accident flight was the first flight after completing an annual inspection of the airplane. The first pilot, who was flying the airplane at the time of the accident, did not possess a current Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate, and the s