Aircraft

Piper Aircraft has gained EASA approval for its Pilot 100i. The single-engine trainer can now be used by flight training organizations in Europe. With a base price of $298,900, the Pilot 100i is suitable for use in both initial and instrument flight training. “This milestone certification represents a continuation of Piper’s strategy to provide competitively […]

Editor’s Note: “Taking Off in Public” is a new digital series written by Craig Fuller, the new owner of Flying magazine. In this series, Fuller will provide insight into his plans for Flying and a first-hand look at how Flying is being built for the next generation. One of the things I love about covering […]

Textron Aviation has completed the initial ground-test runs of the GE Aviation Catalyst engine on the Beechcraft Denali at one of the company’s facilities in Wichita, Kansas. The clean-sheet design Catalyst was put through its paces to determine its baseline operational status and fuel system functionality. The powerplant’s interface with the avionics and electrical system […]

Bristow Group and Electra.aero signed an agreement Thursday that commits the two companies to collaborate on Electra’s hybrid-electric short take-off and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. Electra expects to deliver 50 of these low-emission aircraft to Bristow. “Just as Bristow pioneered the vertical transportation market some 70+ years ago, this [agreement] sets the stage for early collaboration […]

Florida Tech has purchased a Velis Electro from Slovenian company Pipistrel. The purchase makes the school the first U.S. college to own and fly an electric airplane. “While we can teach students flight test techniques using older aircraft, having them test an airplane with the latest technology prepares them for contemporary designs,” said Brian Kish, […]

Sonex Aircraft has presented its first high-wing design, expanding its range with a new single-engine, piston-powered configuration. The company debuted the design on its website on Tuesday. Flying spoke with Sonex Aerospace CEO Mark Schaible about the news. “We’ve been working hard to finish the two-seat jet—it’s a natural evolution for us, with niche demand,” […]

The FAA has opened the comment period on a nose-gear airworthiness directive (AD) for the Tecnam P2006T piston twin that follows onto a mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) initiated under EASA in March 2019. The proposed AD and MCAI address an unsafe condition driven by a manufacturing defect in the nose landing-gear (NLG) piston tube. […]

California-based green energy startup HyPoint and aircraft developer Piasecki Aircraft Corporation have announced they are partnering to develop hydrogen fuel cell systems for electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) applications. The multiphase agreement, announced Tuesday, seeks to deliver a customizable Federal Aviation Administration-certified, zero carbon-emission hydrogen fuel cell system to the global eVTOL marketplace […]

Electric air taxi developer Archer Aviation says it is moving forward with a planned merger next month that will take the company public amid an ongoing legal dispute with rival Wisk Aero. The agreement with Atlas Crest Investment Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) is expected to be voted on by Atlas shareholders during […]

Aerospace company Electra Aero has begun working with the FAA Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovation (CECI) and the Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) to define the certification path for its electric short-takeoff-and-landing (eSTOL) aircraft. The company has hired industry veteran Randy Griffith as its director of certification. Griffith led the certification of the Eclipse […]