Flying Camera with No Remote! 4-17-13: I just read an article about a company that is marketing a flying camera for the masses that will follow you around and take videos or pictures and stream them to your smartphone or iPad. It can be programed to received verbal commands or to hover around you automatically. I've also read bogus articles in supposedly legitimate publications that apparently were eager the first with innovative articles. I don't know how legitimate this article is but I can't imagine a bunch of people walking around with video quad copters following them around. Also, on small RC helicopters, the lithium batteries don't usually last more than a few minutes.

Blohm & Voss BV 141 German aircraft 4-16-13: We all get them. The various emails articles of the weird, unusual, and the OMG. It can be hard to come up with something new and unusual, but during WWII the excitement and sense of urgency seems to have sparked a level of creativity that defies the imagination. How about this German WWII aircraft. It was in an email of WWII aircraft. I have to admit, if I was sitting in a company meeting for new ideas of an aircraft design, this is one that would cause amazement.

EAA Newsletter  4-8-13: Here's the EAA Newsletter from Gerry Peterson:

 

TFR REISSUED DUE TO CHANGE IN TIMES 4-08-13: ((REISSUED DUE TO CHANGE IN TIMES)) A NOTAM has been issued that will restrict flight in the area during President Obama's planned visit. Location: On the HARTFORD VOR/DME (HFD) 347 degree radial at 15.9 nautical miles. Times: 4:15 PM local until 7:30 PM local Monday, April 8, 2013 Location: On the BARNES VORTAC (BAF) 188 degree radial at 13.3 nautical miles. Times: 4:15 PM local until 5:15 PM local Monday, April 8, 2013 6:30 PM local until 7:30 PM local Monday, April 8, 2013 Location: On the HARTFORD VOR/DME (HFD) 333 degree radial at 12.4 nautical miles. Times: 4:45 PM local until 7:00 PM local Monday, April 8, 2013

TFR NOTICE over WINDSOR LOCKS/HARTFORD 4-06-13: The FAA TO ESTABLISH TFR OVER WINDSOR LOCKS/HARTFORD, CT MONDAY. A NOTAM has been issued that will restrict flight in the area during President Obama's planned visit. Location: On the HARTFORD VOR/DME (HFD) 347 degree radial at 15.9 nautical miles. From the surface up to but not including 18000 feet MSL Times: 3:45 PM local until 6:45 PM local Monday, April 8, 2013

Cardinal On the Ramp  4-01-13: The Cessna 177 Cardinal always seemed to me to be such a practical model. It was supposed to replace the Skyhawk back in the seventies, but it never happened. Many reasons have been given why it never took hold but I suspect it was the bottom line. Some of the main features that distinguished it from the Skyhawk and Skylane were: no wing strut, a wide door so you don't have to push the seat back to get out, a stabilator and a more streamlined fuselage with curved surfaces instead of flat panels. All of which apparently added enough cost that was too much for the average Skyhawk owner and not enough airplane for the Skylane owner. The next time you go for some touch-n-go's, be sure to look around the ramp for a few minutes and see what you can discover. How about a Cirrus parked a few spaces from the Cardinal. Click on the Cardinal (the plane, not the bird), to see the Cirrus and other pics of the day.