Aircraft

With the understanding that building airplanes is just one facet of its overall business, Cirrus Aircraft has launched what it calls Cirrus Services, a division “created to build lifetime relationships with customers by addressing their needs before, during and after initial aircraft ownership,” the company said. The new business unit combines flight training, service and […]

Take Flight Aviation, a flight-training provider based in Montgomery, New York, that operates a fleet of Diamond Aircraft piston singles and twins, has been named by AOPA as Best Flight School in the Nation for 2018. Take Flight Aviation was honored for providing a high level of service to its customers based on responses to […]

Aerion’s CEO Tom Vice announced at NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention and Expo that the conceptual design phase for the AS2 supersonic jet is complete. The company is now starting the preliminary design phase and expects to begin initial flight testing of the 12-passenger jet in 2023. The Reno, Nevada-based company hopes to achieve certification for […]

What better way to introduce a pair of disruptive new business airplanes than to create a press conference outside the normal Monday NBAA routine? The Brazilian aircraft builder yesterday brought people together at Orlando Executive airport to hear about the Praetor 500 and 600 super midsize business aircraft soon to be added to the company’s […]

Bombardier Business Aircraft’s flagship Global 7500 ultra-long range business jet was recently awarded a Transport Canada Type Certification, paving the way for entry-into-service later this year. The company said certification by the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency is expected to follow shortly. Transport Canada’s stamp of approval followed more than 2,700 flight test […]

An increase in the weight limit for LSAs from 1,320 pounds to more than 3,000 could be coming before the end of 2019 or in 2020 according to news published by both the EAA and AOPA. Should that weight limit become a permanent part of the LSA guidelines along with a number of expanded pilot […]

The Airbus A321LR was last week certified by both the FAA and EASA, a move that allows the aircraft to hit a 4,000 nm destination with reserves, as well as ETOPS approval for flights on one engine while more than 180 nm from a suitable airport. That maximum range is possible with 206 passengers aboard. […]

I used up my entire allotment of blunders for the year in our July issue, where 1) I incorrectly referred to a Robertson STOL conversion as Robinson; 2) I said that the small forward lifting surfaces on the Robertson Wren 460 (a modified Cessna 182) were nicknamed “Wren’s teeth,” when in fact that name applied […]

Garmin International is continuing to expand its scope, teaming up with Textron’s Bell Helicopter to develop and integrate the autonomous vehicle management computer (VMC) systems needed for Bell’s recently announced, yet-to-be named VTOL aircraft. In this partnership, Bell will be responsible for making the VTOL fly while the GPS and avionics systems giant will create […]

Seattle-based Zunum Aero has teamed up with French engine maker Safran Helicopter Engines to supply the hybrid electric engine needed for its ZA10 people mover that is expected to work as a Toyota Prius of the skies, albeit one that can transport a lot more people. Zunum announced the idea last year and has made […]