High Performance, Lightweight, Robust Aircraft Lighting

One constant gripe among pilots flying frequent backcountry landings, among all the supposed advancements over the decades, is the anemic, unimpressive performance of factory lighting systems even on new aircraft. It could be forgiven to lag some time behind the automotive industry, but even newer LED lights seem inferior to high-performance HID equipment used on high-end cars and custom off-road light bars. When bringing in a flight in the dead of night, facing an unlit, rural strip, pilots want as much light they can get. Ideally, a landing light for a bush plane would have sufficient throw and coverage, while being bright enough to identify hazards and critters seemingly eager to jump into

After Lift-Off, The Airplane’s Wings Wobbled As It Climbed

On October 21, 2021, at 1631 eastern daylight time, a Mooney M20J, N3933H, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Holly Ridge/Topsail Island Airport (N21), Holly Ridge, North Carolina. The commercial pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, one passenger was seriously injured, and one passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to preliminary radar data obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot and the front seat passenger completed a 30-minute local flight at 1603. Then, two additional passengers boarded the airplane before the acciden