Stephen Pope

Just in time for the start of the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) and mere months after the start of commercial single-engine turbine operations in Europe, two competing airplanes have received certification approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency. Cirrus and Piper each announced that their newest products, the Cirrus Vision Jet and […]

The Cirrus Vision Jet is one of those rare airplanes that doesn’t fit neatly into any established category. Priced at around $2 million, it burns half the fuel of light jets that cost twice as much, and sells for less than even single-engine turboprops that don’t fly as high or as fast. Then there’s the […]

The outlook for the fate of Santa Monica Airport remains grim, but all hope is not lost. The U.S. Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit has referred a controversial agreement between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica, California, to close Santa Monica Airport to a “merits panel” for further review regarding […]

It’s a collaboration between two aviation industry heavyweights that pilots have long been asking for. In an announcement today, Jeppesen and ForeFlight said customers will soon be able to view Jepp navigation data and approach charts in the popular ForeFlight Mobile app as part of a long-term “strategic alliance” to combine the capabilities and content […]

The FAA today awarded Cirrus Aircraft the production certificate for the SF50 Vision, the world’s first single-engine “personal” jet aimed at pilots who want to fly themselves at turbine speeds in the flight levels. The approval will allow Cirrus to accelerate aircraft deliveries as Vision jets move down the production line at the company’s headquarters […]

BasicMed is the soon-to-be adopted medical ­certification standard for private pilots written into a new Part 68 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The FAA in January adopted the rules after a long, and at times contentious, fight with aviation groups that had for years pressed for third-class medical reform. The revised regulations that take effect […]

The day the general aviation community has been waiting for is nearly upon us as the FAA has cleared pilots to prepare to fly under new BasicMed rules without holding an FAA medical certificate – as long as they meet certain requirements. The FAA yesterday released the official BasicMed Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist that pilots […]

Mooney informed employees by email that CEO Vivek Saxena and the company “have decided to part ways,” ending a tenure that lasted less than a year but saw significant positive developments at the Kerrville, Texas, light plane manufacturer with the recent certifications of the M20 Acclaim and Ovation Ultra models. Mooney’s new owner, the Chinese […]

Quest Aircraft has landed European certification for the Kodiak single-engine turboprop, permitting deliveries of European-registered airplanes to begin. Quest says Europe is already home to six Kodiaks operating with U.S. “N” numbers. Rob Wells, the newly appointed CEO of the Sandpoint, Idaho-based manufacturer, called the EASA approval a “significant milestone” for the rugged 10-seat utility […]

Embraer Executive Jets delivered the first Phenom 100EV to an undisclosed U.S. customer. Announced last year at EAA AirVenture, the new model is an upgraded Phenom 100 with Prodigy Touch avionics based in the Garmin G3000 system and more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F1-E engines. The 100EV’s new engines, boasting 1,730 pounds of thrust […]