Julie Boatman

The second flight test article for the Cessna SkyCourier program took flight in Wichita on August 11. In Textron Aviation company parlance, the first conforming prototype is referred to as “P1,” and it was this component of the SkyCourier program that made its first flight from Wichita’s Beech Factory Airport (KBEC). Piloted by engineering flight […]

As announced on August 4, general aviation avionics OEM Aspen Avionics has been acquired by The AIRO Group. The new owner has a fairly deep bench in aerospace, holding a portfolio of companies in a wide range of aerospace segments, including commercial and military, and piloted and remotely-piloted vehicles. Flying spoke with Aspen’s CEO John […]

The Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots has inducted its new president, Corbi Bulluck, in a virtual ceremony at the 90-year-old organization’s annual convention in July. The convention was planned to take place in Long Beach, California, but the in-person event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bullock takes over from Jan McKenzie, now […]

In a week of updates for the company, Embraer unveiled a medevac version of the Phenom 300 series—aptly called the Phenom 300MED—on August 4, and it presented its second-quarter financial results on August 5. Embraer talked to Flying about the proposed medevac model during our flight test of the newest 300E back in March—and the […]

In a response to customer feedback—and a desire to push well-loved members of its product line forward—Textron Aviation announced on August 4 the new flagship of the Beechcraft line, the King Air 360 and 360ER. With autothrottles, better pressurization, and increased cabin comfort, the latest King Air aims for easing pilot workload, and turning a […]

Aerobatic flight captures the imaginations of many pilots. Though it isn’t for everyone—and it should be approached with diligence and care—the latest training course from Sporty’s features aerobatic champion Patty Wagstaff as she continues her quest to lay a great foundation for pilots who wish to understand these compelling maneuvers—and learn to execute them safely […]

Epic Aircraft announced on July 23 that it had obtained the production certificate on the E1000 turboprop from the FAA, allowing for it to manufacture and flight test the airplane with a reduced presence from the agency. “Achieving [the] FAA Production Certificate is tremendous milestone,” said Epic Aircraft CEO Doug King. “It is a rigorous […]

After more than 50 years since its first flight, the Boeing 747 faces the end of the production line. The Boeing Company indicated during its second quarter earnings report on July 29 that the company would end production of the 747 four-engine jumbo jet in 2022. The Commercial Airplanes division delivered 20 airplanes during the quarter, with a reported […]

Garmin suffered a ransomware attack that encrypted some of its systems on July 23, 2020. Garmin Connext Service—and connectivity through flyGarmin.com and the Garmin Pilot app—were among those areas affected, though the SOS and inReach systems remained online and available. In an update from the company posted on July 27, Garmin announced, “[Many] of our online services were interrupted including […]

In an action meant to address an “unsafe condition” on Diamond twins using these engines, the FAA published an airworthiness directive on July 27, that applies to certain Austro Engine GmbH model E4s and all E4P engines. The directive follows up on reports of “considerable wear of the timing chain on the affected engines,” according […]