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3 weeks ago | 
generalaviationnews.com | Janice Wood
A new study finds that spatial disorientation is a “distinct threat” to general aviation due to the high risk of fatalities in these accidents. According to 2025 research from the FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, general aviation accidents caused by spatial disorientation had a 94% fatality rate compared to the 19% fatality rate for all GA accidents.
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3 weeks ago | 
generalaviationnews.com | Janice Wood
A California court has denied a motion from the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) asking the court to uphold a 2014 settlement with FBOs and fuel distributors that required leaded avgas to be banned once a “commercially available” unleaded alternative was available. CEH noted that since General Aviation Modification Inc.’s G100UL is FAA-approved and selling at FBOs in California, the court should enforce that settlement agreement. However, Judge S.
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2 months ago | 
generalaviationnews.com | Janice Wood
There’s an old saying “it takes a village” and that certainly is true at Cameron Park Airport (O61) in California. Volunteers with the non-profit Cameron Park Airport Foundation raised close to $70,000 over the past 18 months to pay for an upgrade to the airport’s Automated Weather Observing System.
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Feb 5, 2025 | 
generalaviationnews.com | Janice Wood
Who knows an airport better than the pilots based there? That’s why it makes sense to reach out to pilots at an unfamiliar airport to learn about everything from traffic to local restaurants to help with maintenance. And that’s why Les Vancil created the iOS app Fly Like A Local. The app brings together the general aviation community by providing two key components: Communication and information, he says. “Before takeoff have you wondered about the status of your destination’s airstrip?
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Jan 24, 2025 | 
generalaviationnews.com | Janice Wood
New research suggests that integrating Flight Simulation Training Devices (FSTDs) and Augmented Reality (AR) into general aviation pilot training could significantly enhance safety, reduce costs, and modernize learning methods. Conducted by researchers at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, the 2025 study highlights strong pilot interest in these technologies, pointing to a transformative potential for general aviation.
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Dec 1, 2024 | 
generalaviationnews.com | Janice Wood
When Cason Brinkley, 16, soloed for the first time, he made history, becoming the youngest African American to solo an airplane in Mississippi. Cason, who plans to earn his private pilot ticket before graduating high school, soloed July 15, 2024, at Panola County Airport (KPMU) under the guidance of his CFI Ken Taylor, owner of New Heights Aviation. Taylor is a retired Army helicopter pilot and has two sons who are helicopter pilots in the Army stationed in California.
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Nov 27, 2024 | 
generalaviationnews.com | Janice Wood
A Michigan pilot has achieved his dream of creating his own seaplane base near Vanderbilt, Michigan. John Marvin has worked diligently for the last two years to get approvals for the new JCM Seaplane Base (MI79). Marvin, a veteran pilot and A&P, began flying in 1981 in his father’s Cessna 150. Soon after earning his private pilot certificate, he realized he was putting his life in the hands of people he didn’t know, so he went to an A&P school in Florida.
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Nov 26, 2024 | 
generalaviationnews.com | Janice Wood
The 34th edition of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute’s Richard G. McSpadden Report shows that total accidents were up slightly in 2022, while flight hours were up by more than 500,000 hours. The report also notes that fatal accidents were down in 2022, the latest year when all accident data is available. According to the report, there was an increase in total accidents from 1,120 in 2021 to 1,152 in 2022.
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Sep 16, 2024 | 
generalaviationnews.com | Janice Wood
The latest issue of the FAA Safety Briefing Magazine includes a story by Tom Hoffmann offering pilots six tips on taxiing. The first is a good one for more than taxiing: Expect the unexpected. “With the excitement of the destination in your head, the chatter of anxious passengers, and changes that crop up, it’s understandable that pilots can become distracted and sometimes complacent during taxi.
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Aug 7, 2024 | 
generalaviationnews.com | Janice Wood
As a general aviation pilot, seeing a runway up close at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) probably isn’t going to happen — in your airplane. That’s because it’s the busiest airport in the United States in terms of airlines, with more than 45.4 million passengers every year. But if you are really interested, you can sign up for the 10th annual Mayor’s 5K on the 5th Runway.
