Author: Hank Gibson

  • Stratos 716X

    Cirrus Vision Jet, meet your competition. In July, Stratos Aircraft completed the first test flight of the single engine Stratos 716X personal jet. Stratos, based in Redmond, OR, is taking a page out of Epic Aircraft’s book in how the company is planning on bringing the Stratos 716X to market. Epic Aircraft first released the…

  • Santa Fe Fly In Canceled

    Sadly, Texas Top Aviation is having to cancel it’s 2020 Santa Fe Fly In due to COVID. New Mexico has continued to implement travel restrictions, making it difficult for Texas Top Aviation to complete the event. Mark your calendars now, though, as Texas Top Aviation has scheduled is 2021 Fly In. We are returning to…

  • An Educational Runup

    When a pilot thinks of an engine runup in a single engine piston airplane, typically it is let’s find out if the engine is running rough or not, meaning a spark plug is fouled.  Believe it or not, there is a little more to learn from a runup than just checking the spark plugs. A…

  • Diamond DA50 RG

    Diamond Aircraft announced in June that the company is going to bring it’s Diamond DA50 RG to market. The company expects European certification in early 2021 and FAA certification toward the end of 2021. This is not the first iteration of the Diamond DA50, but it is the first with retractable gear. Diamond is known…