Stephen Pope

Piaggio Aerospace officially opened a sprawling new factory in Villanova d’Albenga, Italy, today, where the recently restructured company is moving all its aircraft production. The maker of the Avanti Evo pusher twin recently changed its name from Piaggio Aero Industries to Piaggio Aerospace and announced a company-wide reorganization splitting the manufacturer into three units, one […]

Deliveries of general aviation piston airplanes climbed by 9.2 percent through the first three quarters of this year compared with the same time period in 2013, showing a mix of bright and not-so-bright products and market trends. According to the latest numbers released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, a total of 806 piston singles […]

Initial customer deliveries of Cessna’s new diesel-powered 182 JT-A won’t be made until some time in 2015 as engineers continue to hone the design, the first production piston single from the manufacturer intended to run on jet-A fuel rather than avgas. Cessna last spring said certification of the 182 JT-A was “imminent” after stumbles in […]

After a drought of pilot job openings in the last decade, the airline industry is on the verge of what could be the biggest surge of pilot hiring in history. Below are the top five reasons why pilots are suddenly in high demand. Revamped Pilot Training Requirements – With an eye on safety, the FAA […]

Results from an MIT survey administered last spring in Flying’s Enews reveal that general aviation pilots value ADS-B In traffic and weather information as a tool to increase situational awareness, decision-making capability and safety. Of the 1,407 pilots who responded to the survey, 56 percent indicated that they had used ADS-B traffic and weather services. […]

The inaugural Flying Aviation Expo is in the books and I’ve got to tell you, I’m a little bummed. It’s that same post-show letdown I get after each Sun ‘n Fun and Oshkosh. I’m completely worn out from the frenzy of it all, and still, I didn’t want the party to end. In the case […]

The test pilot who was killed in last Friday’s crash of** Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo** prematurely unlocked the craft’s feathering tail structure, most likely leading to a catastrophic inflight breakup high over the Mojave Desert, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Acting NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart said the error was made by 39-year-old copilot Michael […]

The inaugural Flying Aviation Expo in Palm Springs, California, is off to a respectable start, drawing thousands to the Palm Springs Convention Center, the site of scores of well-attended seminars and panel discussions, a busy show floor and static displays of airplanes under bright blue skies outside. “Flying Aviation Expo will be the event of […]

Air Fare America, a new aviation-themed reality TV show coming to a cable network near you, is at the Flying Aviation Expo asking showgoers the all-important question, “Where do you fly for food and fun?” This weekend, clearly, the answer is Palm Springs, California, the site of the inaugural Flying Aviation Expo, where thousands of […]

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane suffered a “serious anomaly” over the California desert on Friday morning, breaking up and crashing. One pilot died and one was seriously injured. The reported problem came after SpaceShipTwo fired its rocket engine in flight for the first time in more than nine months. Two pilots fly in SpaceShipTwo’s cockpit […]