Aircraft

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 […]

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. last week delivered the first all-new Gulfstream G500, officially marking the arrival of a new generation of Gulfstream innovation and design according to the company. The North American customer took delivery of the record-breaking aircraft at Gulfstream’s Savannah headquarters, just shy of four years after the aircraft was announced in October 2014. […]

Astro’s “Elroy” eVTOL, a new personal electric VTOL is undergoing flight testing at Toronto Markham Airport, in Canada, Globenewswire reported. During a recent flight, Elroy flew for four and a half minutes, reaching an altitude of over 60 feet, and speeding along at over 30 mph. The fully autonomous Elroy is and designed for densely […]

What would you call a trip to Quebec City; Bluie West Eight, Greenland; Reykjavik, Iceland; Stravanger, Norway; Amsterdam; Cannes on the French Riviera; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Salzburg, Austria; Lucerne, Switzerland; Tallinn, Estonia; Stockholm; and Edinburgh, Scotland? A trip of a lifetime? What if it were in a private jet? How about if you were the copilot, […]

There are two successful business strategies an aircraft manufacturer might follow when creating a new product. One assumes the new airplane is so innovative that it will create its own market. In the other, an OEM watches a specific market develop until the day it’s ready to launch a competing aircraft, a machine incorporating lessons […]