Aero-News Network: The aviation and aerospace world's daily/real-time news and information service

Phil Boyer Quits AOPA

In a stunning change of events that has floored virtually every general aviation pilot alive, and has all the other ones flipping over in their graves, Phil Boyer, the wildly popular President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), has announced his resignation from the organization. The reason? He has accepted an offer to join Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's re-election campaign. As campaign manager, no less. Boyer will helm the Daley Re-Election Korps (D.A.R.K.), and revealed his intentions in a surprise news conference this morning at his Fredericksburg office.

BRS Announces Parachute Sweepstakes

BRS, Inc., the world's leading maker or whole-aircraft emergency parachutes, has announced a sweepstakes that will run throughout 2004. "It's because of the saves," an insider told Aero-News on condition of anonymity. "People are flying less, and they're flying more carefully. They don't do nearly as much dumb [expletive] like fly ultralights into thunderstorms and try to aerobat stuff made from lawn-chair factory seconds. This adds up to fewer deployments. We'll never see our next big milestone of 200 saves if we don't take action. How can we save people unless they have an incentive to try to kill themselves?"

Klyde Does AEA 2004 (Day Four): Klyde Morris-040104

AEA 2004: Klyde Does His Thing Every Day For The AEA Annual TradeShow!

Carnahan Family Returns $4 Million Court Award

Former Senator Jean Carnahan, wife of the late Gov. Mel Carnahan (right), has made legal history by returning the $4 million award that a Kansas City jury awarded her and members of her family against Parker-Hannafin. The award was meant to compensate the Carnahan's for the alleged negligence of Parker and several other defendants in the death of her husband, the late Gov. Mel Carnahan, her son Randy and a third party travelling in Randy's Cessna 335 when it crashed during the worst weather seen in the state in quite some time.

FAA Tests New Automated ATC System

The FAA says a competition that officials had hoped would end forever issues of ATC fatigue, pay and benefits, has ended with results less than what they hoped for. "The idea here was to further automate the ATC system," said FAA Administrator Marion Blakey. "Robots could stay in the tower 24/7. They don't demand raises, they don't take breaks and they don't whine about insurance benefits. This is a promising concept."

Rush Limbaugh Receives Special Issuance Medical in Record Time

Rush Limbaugh has received a special issuance third class medical and student pilot certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration's AeroMedical Office. While we admit that the fact that Rush Limbaugh wants to learn to fly is in and of itself a newsworthy item, we at ANN were rather astounded by the time it took for the special issuance medical to be issued, considering the circumstances. Today is April 1st. The application was forwarded by Mr. Limbaugh's AME to Oklahoma City on March 23rd. You do the math.