Stephen Pope

Airbus caused a stir two years ago by announcing an ambitious plan to build a hybrid-electric four-seater for the U.S. light plane market dubbed the E-Fan 4.0, plus a smaller two-seat all-electric trainer called the E-Fan 2.0, both of which the company predicted would enter production before the decade was out. That idea has faded […]

The Airbus E-Fan 1.2, a new version of the aerospace giant’s vision for the future of general aviation flight, will make its U.S. debut next week at EAA AirVenture, highlighting a brand-new hybrid-electric propulsion system pioneered for the project with partner Siemens. This latest version of E-Fan features a gasoline engine that greatly extends the […]

The next avionics breakthrough from Garmin has arrived. It looks like a typical SD card that you might use to upload navigation data to your GPS receiver, but it’s oh so much more than that. The Flight Stream 510 MultiMediaCard (MMC) provides wireless connectivity between the Garmin Pilot app and GTN 650/750 touchscreen navigators with […]

Piper Aircraft delivered the first M600 single-engine turboprop yesterday, handing over the keys to the airplane to its new owners a day after Flying had a chance to put the model through its paces, which was closely followed by the FAA’s final validation flight before signing off on the production certificate. The first M600, painted […]

EAA AirVenture should be prime selling season for ADS-B Out avionics needed to meet the FAA’s 2020 mandate, but a rebate program that takes effect in the fall could give buyers pause. Why buy now when after September they can be assured of receiving a $500 rebate check from the government? Here’s why. Several avionics […]

A deal being brokered by the House and Senate to keep the lights turned on at the FAA beyond July 15 includes third-class medical reform language, which has already passed in the Senate but has been held up in the House over the contentious fight to privatize ATC. GA forces remain staunchly opposed to the […]

Fifty years ago, on Aug. 12, 1966, the Lear Jet 25 made its maiden flight in Wichita, Kansas. It was the last model to fly before Bill Lear, the inventor of ADF, the 8-track cassette and 150 other things, sold the company in the midst of a crushing recession to the Gates Rubber Co. Many […]

The use of a pulse oximeter allows pilots to monitor the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in their blood. How a pulse oximeter works is pretty ingenious. Rather than directly measuring hemoglobin concentration, the small device, which costs about $40 and can be purchased online, takes constant measurements of the absorption of specific wavelengths of light […]

The pilots of a Learjet 36 cruising high over Cleveland Center’s airspace are fighting a desperate battle for survival — but they don’t realize it. Suffering the effects of extreme hypoxia in the thin air at 32,000 feet, the copilot is passed out. The captain in the left seat is barely hanging on. Most chilling […]

We’re just 24 days from the start of EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and the excitement is building to sky-high levels. We all know why Oshkosh is so great, of course: The planes, the people and the electric atmosphere make it the highlight of any GA pilot’s year, with enough memories to last a lifetime. […]