Aircraft

In May 2020, Bearhawk Aircraft launched the latest addition to its line of kit-built backcountry-ready airplanes with the Model 5—a six-place tailwheel aircraft “designed to fly fast and land slow,” according to a company release on March 1. That news shared that the first four of the Model 5 kits had gone out to customers, […]

A trio of former Cessna Aircraft Company executives has joined forces to launch a program to rehabilitate and upgrade legacy Cessna Citation Excel jets, first certified in April 1998 and precursors to the Citation XLS that debuted in 2004. The group, CitationPartners LLC, based in Wichita, Kansas, has christened the refurbished mid-sized jets “Citation Excel […]

Business and general aviation weathered the storm of a generation in 2020, and now that the skies are slowly clearing, the resilience and innovation of the industry is coming to light. That’s the primary message from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s State of the Industry conference, demonstrated not only in the prevailing attitude and observations […]

Surf Air Mobility says it’s acquiring Ampaire and its hybrid electric powertrain technology as a critical component of Surf Air Mobility’s plans “to improve the affordability, accessibility, and environmental footprint of regional aviation travel.” Surf Air Mobility added in a news release that “Ampaire is currently creating hybrid electric powertrains for existing popular aircraft, aimed […]

NEBOair, a UK-based electric transport company, announced this week that Pipistrel’s Velis Electro has received UK CAA certification. The company plans to use the all-electric, two-seat airplane primarily for sightseeing flights and flight training, but also for its “micro airline” operations, transporting one customer at a time between London and the British Midlands. NEBOair representative […]

A few years ago, I strolled a back alley in Volterra, Italy, and stumbled upon a cluttered workshop where craftsmen were sculpting large chunks of alabaster into gorgeous works of art. Every surface wore a light coating of fine alabaster dust probably dating back to the 16th century. The worn hand tools and the techniques […]

“We’re on pace,” which is amazing given the pandemic, said Gulfstream’s Collin Miller, senior vice president of innovation, engineering, and flight. Gulfstream’s flight test team—including Miller and Jake Howard, lead test pilot for the G700 program—provided an update on the G700 development program, which is on track, with high-altitude testing complete and flight into known […]

For the past three years in the aviation press, occasional spy photos have appeared, showing an unusual blimplike airplane parked at the former George Air Force Base, now Southern California Logistics Airport, near Victorville, California. This oddity has now made its formal debut. Its name is Celera 500L, and it is a product of Otto […]

The flagship of the super-midsize line for Embraer Executive Jets, the Praetor 600 has gained type certification from Transport Canada, the company announced on February 12. The jet was first delivered in June 2019, and a total of 18 600s went out the door for Embraer in 2020—along with 10 Praetor 500s, 50 Phenom 300s, and 6 Phenom 100s. […]

In its annual earnings report for 2020, presented on February 11, 2021, Bombardier’s leadership announced the cessation of production for the Learjet series in Wichita, Kansas. The Montreal, Quebec-based company will refocus its facilities in Wichita towards flight test and special missions aircraft. With the end of major aircraft manufacturing there, the Learjet 75 model […]