The AOPA Summit that opens on Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas, may be the last of its kind, but the turnout is strong -- many of the events are sold out, and the convention floor is filled with more than 400 exhibitors, plus 70 aircraft on static display at nearby Meacham Field. Mark Baker, AOPA's new president, will open the event on Thursday morning, with a talk where he'll lay out his ideas and vision for the future of the organization. Cirrus and Epic Aircraft also will offer updates on the projects they have in the works. Several avionics manufacturers are scheduled to introduce new products here this week, and lots of aviation inspiration will be on hand, from the story of a wounded warrior who learned to fly, to the memoirs of a pilot who flew Marine One, the presidential helicopter. Read More

On the eve of AOPA Summit in Fort Worth, Texas, AOPA spokesman Steve Hedges talked with AVweb's Mary Grady about the changes in how the organization will be reaching out to members in the future -- and highlighted some of the impressive events scheduled this week. Read More

Dynon Avionics has followed up it's popular D1 Pocket Panel portable EFIS with a new product called the D2, which features wireless connectivity to five tablet apps, In today's AVweb coverage of AOPA Summit in Fort Worth, Texas, Dynon's Rob Hamilton gives us a demonstration of the new EFIS. Read More

At AOPA Summit in Fort Worth, Texas, Dynon Avionics introduced a new product called the D2 Pocket Panel. It follows the company's popular D1 EFIS, but the new product, rather than being limited to a built-in display, communicates wirelessly with tablet apps. Read More

Garmin showed up at AOPA Summit in Fort Worth with a new gadget called the D2. It's a sophisticated new pilot watch that includes GPS navigation, altimetry with alerting and a range of other high level features. It will sell for $449. Get a look at it in today's video coverage of Summit. Read More

At AOPA Summit, Garmin International is showing off something new: a sophisticated pilot watch that features GPS navigation, built-in altimetry with alerting, multiple timers, and even wireless camera control. The new gadget sells for $449 is expected to be available in November. Read More

In a letter sent to members of Congress and President Obama, NBAA said on Tuesday the ongoing federal shutdown has "grave repercussions" on the general aviation industry, forcing a "halt in the purchase, sale and production of all new general aviation airplane parts or aircraft." NBAA says none of those things can occur without the written approval of the federal government, including the purchase and use of small GA aircraft for business transport. "Until the FAA Registry in Oklahoma City opens, an important American industry remains on an indefinite layover," NBAA President Ed Bolen wrote. Read More

Seventy-seven-year-old non-pilot passenger John Wildey became his own rescuer when he took the controls of a Cessna 172 at night, Tuesday, and with the help of an instructor on the ground, landed safely at Humberside airport, UK, after the plane's pilot lost consciousness. The pilot was removed from the cockpit after the landing and later died at a local hospital. Early reports suggest the cockpit was dimly lit and the aircraft was not operating external lights -- complicating things for both Wildey and his helpers on the ground. The aircraft's landing came on a fourth attempt and it was not smooth. Read More

According to figures release by the FAA, fatal accidents involving aircraft registered in the experimental category fell 25 percent from 2012 to 2013, EAA reported. For 2012, 73 accidents involved fatalities in the category. In 2013, the number dropped to 55. The number of lives lost to accidents was also down, but by a lower amount, providing an 18-percent decrease. EAA says it has been working to promote transition and recurrent training as endemic with pilots of experimental aircraft and that it is "cautiously optimistic" the the figures reflect its safety initiatives gaining a foothold in the community of experimental pilots. However, some important and relevant numbers are not yet factored in. Read More

For 13 years, a team of warbird enthusiasts in Melbourne, Australia, has been trying to learn the fate of dozens of Spitfires abandoned at a military airfield after World War II -- according to local legend, some of the airplanes may have been buried in fields or hidden in mineshafts to save them from being scrapped. The group is now trying to raise money to continue their research and complete a film about the effort -- and perhaps, find a Spitfire. Any aircraft they find would be donated to a museum, according to James Carter, a researcher on the team. The Australian effort has no apparent link to a British attempt to exhume buried Spitfires in Burma, which ended empty-handed early this year. Read More

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