Aircraft

As a result of multiple cases of cylinder head cracks and cylinder head-to-barrel separations related to cylinder assemblies supplied by Engine Components International (ECi) in Continental engines, the FAA has proposed an airworthiness directive that could cost aircraft owners big money. The affected engines include Continental’s IO-520, TSIO-520, IO-550 and IOF-550 among others — engines […]

On Saturday August 24 the National Transportation Safety Board will hold a seminar on “lessons learned” from accidents involving experimental amateur-built (E-AB) aircraft. Though some 33,000 E-ABs constitute a bit less than 10 percent of the U.S. GA fleet, the category accounts for 15 percent of accidents and more than 20 percent of fatal accidents, […]

Cirrus Aircraft was one of the players behind this year’s improved delivery numbers for the first half. According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association report, aircraft deliveries were up 8.9 percent overall compared with last year’s first six months, with deliveries of piston airplanes up 16.1 percent. Cirrus reported a 32-percent increase during the second […]

Two teams of students participated in Glasair’s “Two Weeks to Taxi” fast build program, and the aircraft they helped produce were on display at Oshkosh AirVenture last week. During a ceremony at the Jeppesen tent, most of the students were introduced along with their teachers. After the two-week initial build period was completed, further assembly […]

John and Martha King, founders of King Schools, and Matt Zuccaro, president of Helicopter Association International (HAI), announced at AirVenture this week the launch of a flight instructor refresher course (FIRC) specifically designed for helicopter instructors. This is the first time a helicopter-specific FIRC has been offered online. As with King Schools’ regular FIRC, the […]

Kestrel Aircraft’s CEO and president Alan Klapmeier and the company’s COO and executive vice president of product development Steve Serfling provided an update to the media on the Kestrel single-engine turboprop project in a press conference at AirVenture. Klapmeier said he had hoped to be able to announce full funding for the Kestrel turboprop program […]

Wipaire has received FAA approval for the Wipline 8750 floats for the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan and Grand Caravan EX. This is the first time Wipaire has achieved certification for floats for the Grand Caravan. The new floats allow operators to fly with a gross weight as high as 9,062 pounds. The Wipline 8750 floats […]

Mooney Aircraft is again exhibiting at AirVenture, marking the return of a company that many have left for dead. Not so, says the company’s CFO Barry Hodkin. He says Mooney is in fact in discussions with potential funding partners to get the company producing airplanes again. “Nobody is quitting on the Mooney brand,” says Hodkin. […]

Kenny Dichter, the former vice chairman of NetJets and creator of the jet card concept as founder of Marquis Jet, is pouring his creative energy into a new endeavor anchored around the workhorse Beechcraft King Air 350i. Dichter’s new company, Wheels Up, has placed an order for 105 of the versatile twin turboprops and full […]

Redbird’s Skyhawk project, which it calls the “Redhawk,” takes an existing Skyhawk and makes it like a new training airplane, with a Centurion 2.0 turbodiesel engine, new flat-panel avionics, a new comfy but utilitarian interior, an airframe overhaul and new paint. As part of the project, the first Redhawk got a fanciful paint scheme with […]