Stephen Pope

All 16 passengers and crew aboard a helicopter that ditched in the North Sea on Thursday have been rescued, according to Coast Guard officials. The incident, which happened about 25 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland, involved a Bond EC 225 Super Puma that was transporting offshore oil workers to two North Sea rigs. According to […]

The NTSB will hold a two-day forum in Washington, D.C., on June 19 and 20 that will focus attention on general aviation safety issues. The event, titled “General Aviation Safety: Climbing to the Next Level,” will be chaired by NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman with participation from all board members as well as a number of […]

The accident statistics prove it: The base-to-final turn continues to be one of the big killers in general aviation. Most often, troubles arise when a pilot realizes too late that he is overshooting the runway and so tightens the turn while simultaneously hauling back on the yoke. That’s a recipe for a rarely survivable stall-spin […]

Preparing for the commercial written exam, or simply want to retest what you learned in ground school back in the day? Try out these sample questions, crafted to mimic what you might see on the FAA test, and put your knowledge to the test. Launch the quiz here.

We might all be familiar with the efficiency benefits that winglets can provide, but our ideas of what they’re supposed to look like are quickly changing. Boeing on Wednesday revealed the design for its 737 MAX “dual-feather” winglet, saying the unique shape will provide an extra 1.5 percent gain in fuel efficiency compared with the […]

Cessna Aircraft has signed a strategic agreement with the China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) Company for final assembly, sales and customer support of Cessna Caravans in China for the Chinese market. What does that mean exactly? Cessna wants to make it very clear: Caravans for the Chinese market will continue to be manufactured in […]

Bombardier Learjet broke ground on a new $53 million factory near Wichita Mid-Continent Airport on Monday as the company prepares for production of its newest business jet, the super-midsize Learjet 85. “This is an exciting day for the future of Learjet and the Learjet 85 program in Wichita,” said Learjet Vice President Ralph Acs. “We […]

The numbers aren’t huge compared with the massive layoffs that have swept across Wichita, but Cessna had positive news this week, confirming it is adding 150 employees by bringing back some laid-off workers and hiring new ones. Unfortunately, the announcement comes days after Hawker Beechcraft sent 60-day layoff notices to about 350 workers in Wichita. […]

A few months ago I wrote a feature story that took an in-depth look at the future of aviation biofuel, an area of scientific research that is still very much in its infancy but appears poised for major breakthroughs. In the article, I noted that oil price instability is the chief worry of most every […]

A 25-year-old former flight student allegedly showed up at the Compton Airport near Los Angeles not to say hello to his instructor or fellow students, but instead to steal an airplane. Brandishing a gun, Troy Daniel Long of Bellflower allegedly snatched the keys to a Cessna 152, started the engine and tried to make a […]