Flying Staff

General Electric Aviation, a division of General Electric, announced last week it had acquired assets of Walter Engines of the Czech Republic. Founded in 1911, Walter currently produces turboprops in the same power range as the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-and in fact there are supplemental type certificates for replacing PT6As with Walters on certain […]

Phil Boyer, the ex-television executive who has served as president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for the past 18 years, will retire at year’s end. Replacing Boyer, pending a September vote by trustees, will be Craig Fuller, described by AOPA as “an experienced Washington public affairs executive and political operative.” Fuller is also […]

Eclipse has developed software improvements to the full authority digital engine control (fadec) system of its Eclipse 500 very light jet. Pending FAA approval, the updated software will be made available to Eclipse customers. The software fix is designed to correct a fault that caused the engines of an Eclipse 500 to lock at full […]

Eclipse has received FAA approval for flight into known icing (FIKI) for its Eclipse 500 very light jet. The long awaited approval came following 300 hours of test flying, including up to 60 hours in natural icing conditions in the United States and Canada. Beginning in 2007, the test program involved three test aircraft. The […]

From an NTSB preliminary report on an accident involving a Piper PA-46-500TP (Meridian turboprop single): “An eyewitness, a retired Navy instructor pilot, located about one half-mile northwest of the accident site, reported observing the accident airplane descending through the overcast about 1227. The airplane leveled off about 300 feet above ground level (agl) and turned […]

Mooney Airplane Company has scaled back production from eight aircraft per month to five and has laid off 80 employees. Reduced demand for piston aircraft is blamed for the cutbacks, with sales down 28 percent in the last reporting period by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Perhaps due to the falling value of the U.S. […]

In aviation we admire fat logbooks of experience for both pilots and airplanes. New technology offers promise, but a successful history breeds confidence. And that’s what the new Learjet 60 XR exudes — confidence that you are getting the best of more than 40 years of Learjet heritage. The 60 XR is a refined version […]

With growing success track record, the Parade of Pistons counts Dallas as one of its success stories. More than 1,000 visitors clicked the turnstiles at the event May 15 to 17, and no fewer than six aircraft were sold outright. They included two Mooneys, two Diamonds, a Liberty and a Cessna. A share in a […]

The price of gas, the price of gas. The shaky stock market and the hammered housing industry. These are the circling vultures of today. Suddenly, after years and years of moving up, making more, having more, feeling wealthier, I’m sensing the roller coaster slipping out from under me. On the internet, my trolling activity for […]