Aircraft

Cirrus today announced the expansion of its Grand Forks, North Dakota, factory, the site of a brand new autoclave oven that will be used in the production of the Cirrus Jet. Modifications to the Grand Forks facility began in May and the autoclave was delivered today, Cirrus said. The building housing the autoclave will be […]

The Pilatus PC-12 is not the only one of its kind. There are a few other pressurized singles as well as other rugged turboprop singles. And there are also additional nine-passenger near-midsize cabin transportation airplanes. Here is a quick look at some of them up against the PC-12 NG. ** TBM 850** The Daher-Socata TBM […]

“This is what flying is all about,” I thought to myself as we sped along the surface of the ­Willamette River, the beyond-crisp western Oregon air rushing past. Our trusty fishing guide extraordinaire, Chad Wiest, from On the Line Guide Service, directed our boat by intuition, through the near darkness to a spot that promised […]

Icon Aircraft, the developer of the Icon A5 amphibious light sport aircraft, has received a $60 million cash infusion from undisclosed investors in North America, Europe and Asia, “led by a top-notch privately held strategic investor from China,” according to Icon’s CEO and founder Kirk Hawkins. Icon maintains full control of the management of the […]

| The light sport category has come a long way in eight short years. What began as an FAA initiative to bridge the price and performance gaps between ultralights and certified general aviation airplanes has evolved into a bona fide market segment all its own. Incredibly, more than 50 manufacturers around the world build light […]

Diamond Aircraft has signed an agreement with Ural Works of Civil Aviation to jointly design and produce diesel-powered light utility airplanes in Russia. Russian market demand for the commuter airplanes is estimated to exceed 200. The 19-seat composite light twins will help connect remote communities in Russia, the companies said at a joint signing ceremony […]

Blackhawk Modifications this week got the nod from the FAA for its STC upgrade for the Cessna 208A Caravan, which we reported on recently. “We are very excited to now be able to offer the XP42A upgrade package to the entire Caravan fleet,” said Jim Allmon, President and CEO of Blackhawk Modifications. “The upgrade significantly […]

At the Paris Air Show, Daher-Socata and Voldirect, a small charter company with six employees, might have made history. The two jointly announced that the French civil aviation authority has officially awarded Voldirect an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) enabling the company to fly commercial passengers on its TBM 850 turboprop single. As U.S. vice president […]

Two teams of four high school students each have traveled to Arlington, Washington, for a very different form of summer camp. The eight campers won’t leave until they have built an airplane — at least to the stage where it will start its engine and taxi. Glasair’s “Two Weeks to Taxi” program is designed to […]

There were plenty of storylines worth following as the Paris Air Show opened yesterday at the famed Le Bourget Airport. The Russians are filling the void left by the absence of U.S. military aircraft and the heated rivalry between Boeing and Airbus is growing more fierce as billions of dollars in deals are on the […]