Aircraft

As investigators continue to probe the fatal 2011 crash of a Gulfstream G650 test aircraft, the NTSB recently voiced some harsh words regarding Gulfstream’s handling of the investigation. In a letter dated April 4, 2012, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman outlined a number of offenses committed by the bizjet giant, including information withholding, noncompliance with NTSB […]

The upcoming integration of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into the National Airspace System within the next few years has local, county, state and federal agencies pining for drones, this according to a story in the Christian Science Monitor. The story points to the public’s conflicted view of drone operations — they like them for hunting […]

The Pilatus PC-12 that crashed near Lakeland earlier this month had changed course to avoid bad weather directly before the crash, according to a preliminary report released by the NTSB this week. The NTSB cited ATC transmissions showing a controller warning the 45-year-old Pilatus PC-12 pilot of a sizeable area of precipitation northwest of Lakeland […]

Hawker Beechcraft’s path to solvency will likely include a major decrease in bizjet production, according to a recent report by the Wichita Eagle. As part of its recent bankruptcy filing, Hawker Beechcraft submitted a “Project Flight” plan outlining three potential options for moving forward, all of which preserve the company’s piston, King Air and military […]

After lying on the bottom of the Baltic Sea for more than half a century, the wreckage of a rare Junkers Ju 88 is being brought to the surface by a group of German military divers. The wreckage, located just off the coast of the German island of Rugen, was first found in the 1990s […]

E-Volo, the company that performed the first flight of an all-electric, 16-propeller multicopter last October, is pressing forward with the development of commercial versions of the craft and giving the public a glimpse into just what those variants might look like. Over the next two years, the company says it hopes to develop a regulation […]

Those who know John Monnett would say he has an acerbic wit and sometimes acts like a relative of Don Rickles. But he’s also a genius, passionate about flying and far cleverer than a room full of Boeing engineers. John Monnett has had a fascinating career in aviation…without any formal training. He’s more of an […]

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), which has entered the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano in the United States Air Force’s Light Air Support competition, is crying foul over the latest developments in what is proving to be an ongoing drama with elements of international intrigue. To be sure, one of SNC’s complaints is an en eye-opener. To […]

Icon Aircraft, the maker of the hotly anticipated Icon A5 amphib, said it has begun a close collaboration with carmaker Lotus to help design the light sport airplane’s automotive-inspired interior. Icon said Lotus Engineering USA has been brought onboard because of its experience designing and mass-producing lightweight vehicle components. The work is focusing on the […]

The U.S. Air Force has agreed to buy four Cessna Caravans in a $12.4 million contract that further cements the 208’s reputation as a versatile and rugged multi-role aircraft. The deal, which includes training for 16 pilots and 14 maintainers to be conducted at Cessna’s Wichita facilities, stems from the Special Defense Acquisition Fund, set […]