NTSB Recommendation Made After Unusual 2016 Crash

While much of the ballooning community has voiced disapproval of what they consider to be an unnecessary bit of over-regulation, NTSB  Chair Jennifer Homendy welcomed new medical rules for hot air balloon pilots while STILL citing the need for greater oversight of air tours. The new rule, adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration this week and mandated by Congress in 2018 after an NTSB recommendation, requires pilots of hot air balloons carrying paying passengers to hold a medical certificate and pass a medical exam – like commercial airplane and helicopter pilots.

Preliminary Figures Show An Increase In Flight Hours In 2021 And Into 2022

Fatal amateur-built aircraft accidents remained under the historic average over the 12-month period ending in September 2022, but the Experimental Aircraft Association notes that an uptick over the previous year’s total shows that focused efforts to enhance safety even further remain essential. For the federal fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration reported there were 56 fatal accidents in experimental category aircraft over the preceding 12 months, including 39 in amateur-built aircraft. That compares to 42 total accidents – 33 in amateur-built aircraft – during the 12-month period between October 2020 and September 202

From 2016 (YouTube Version): Swift Fuels Expands the No-Lead Avgas Option across the Country…

While at EAA AirVenture 2016, ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell, met with Chris D’Acosta, the CEO of Swift Fuels, to get an update about the progress of introducing this new no-lead avgas to the flying public. Let’s quickly review what Swift Fuels is all about. Swift is producing an alternative aviation gasoline that does not use lead. At this time, the fuel they are marketing is the equivalent of 94 octane, and it is a fuel specifically formulated for aviation that complies with all FAA criteria for use in type-certificated aircraft