Bethany Whitfield

Hawker Beechcraft has received an order for up to 12 Hawker 800XPRs from San Francisco-based charter operator XOJET. The agreement includes a firm order for seven aircraft, slated to be delivered next year, with the option for five additional airplanes.The deal constitutes a potential $50 million sale for Hawker and is the result of steady […]

Automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast is a GPS-based system meant to replace the traditional radar-based technology ATC has relied on for decades to detect and manage aircraft traffic. Accuracy and Efficiency ADS-B relies on an aircraft’s GPS receiver to determine highly accurate position and groundspeed information, which it calculates by receiving radio signals from a network of […]

For decades, aircraft have used engine bleed air for a variety of purposes, spanning everything from engine starting to cabin pressurization to anti-icing. Here’s how engine bleed air works.

First developed in World War II, TKS systems were created for Royal Air Force bombers as an alternative to pneumatic boot deicing. Today, the technology continues to buy crucial time for pilots as they work to implement exit strategies when faced with dangerous icing conditions. How It Works TKS systems dispense an ethylene glycol-based fluid with a freezing […]

Accidents attributed to controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) have decreased significantly over the years thanks to the introduction of the terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS). The technology provides life-saving information and serves as a vital layer of protection as aircraft navigate changing terrain in various weather conditions. TAWS pulls aircraft position, speed and direction […]

Attitude and heading reference systems (AHRS) have been providing heading and attitude information with greater accuracy and reliability than traditional mechanical gyros for years now. But how do these solid-state systems deliver this information, and how do they do so using increasingly smaller and lighter equipment? Micro Electronics An AHRS’s key features include ­micro-electronic mechanical gyros, […]

A quick turn of the key is all a pilot usually needs to start the engine and go, but have you ever wondered what’s really going on beyond the fire wall to excite those spark plugs? The aircraft components that make it happen, of course, are the magnetos — simple and highly reliable electrical generators. […]

Take a close look at the inner workings of a modern turbofan engine and you’ll discover a marvelous network of parts that puts Newton’s second law of motion to work with elegance and surprising simplicity, allowing today’s jets to go farther on less fuel while making less noise and emitting lower emissions. Here’s how a […]

According to BRS, tests have shown that its parachutes can be pulled and still fully inflate at altitudes as low as 260 feet and speeds as high as 187 knots. Individual pilots have testified that they successfully deployed their chutes ­below 100 feet. BRS does not provide a specific minimum-altitude limitation (Cirrus recommends a minimum […]

Getting the airplane of your dreams doesn’t always have to include a stop by the showroom to check out the latest models. For would-be owners who have the time and money to invest in upgrading an aging bird, the possibilities are endless. Longtime pilot and aircraft owner Christophe Jouany recently went through that exact process, […]