Aircraft

One of Cessna’s newest bizjets, the Citation M2, took to the skies on Friday for its maiden flight, remaining airborne for approximately an hour and half as the prototype’s crew conducted the first round of preliminary tests of the aircraft’s Garmin G3000 avionics suite, autopilot and engines. During the flight, which also included tests of […]

The FAA is asking the public to weigh in on the criteria for six future unmanned aircraft test sites in the United States in anticipation of the larger integration of drones slated to take place in North American airspace over the next few years. The comment period, which officially opens on Friday, will remain active […]

Russian company Enterprises LLC has acquired Bend, Oregon-based Epic Aircraft. The acquisition has the potential to push FAA certification forward for Epic’s LT – a six-seat single-engine turboprop that has been sold as a kit. An Epic spokeswoman said the company expects certification in three years. Enterprises LLC, a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company, […]

Placing large loads onto small pins using an Erickson Air-Crane, a machine with 9,600 shaft horsepower and a 72-foot rotor, is a bit like threading a needle with a leaf blower. The key is the back-seat driver. Unique among helicopters, the Erickson Air-Crane has a third pilot’s seat, facing aft toward the tail rotor. An […]

Just a few months after Gulfstream’s flagship G650 snagged provisional certification from the FAA, the company’s newest airplane, the Gulfstream G280, has accomplished a similar feat. All that is left to finish on the Gulfstream G280 for the full FAA nod is an update to the super-midsize jet’s avionics system, the company said late last […]

All three men aboard a Cirrus SR22 died last Wednesday when the airplane crashed while attempting to land at Melbourne International Airport after a controller instructed the pilot to “cut it in tight” to avoid other traffic. ATC audio recordings show a busy traffic pattern at the time of the crash, as well as some […]

Esterline CMC Electronics‘ SmartDeck integrated avionics system has its first OEM customer after Evektor of the Czech Republic this week announced the cockpit’s selection aboard the multipurpose EV-55 Outback twin turboprop. SmartDeck has had a long gestation, starting out in the mid 1990s as a project begun by Goodrich. The cockpit system has been improved […]

The phone rang — it was my dad, and it was bad news. “I’m standing on the sand,” he said, using a phone borrowed from the resident of a Malibu beach house. “I’m looking up the hill and the fire’s heading right for our house. The guys fighting it on the ground can’t get in […]

The Falcon 900LX, certified late last year, is the latest entry in Dassault‘s lineup of triengine, wide-body, long-range business jets. It is a popular choice for buyers looking for an ocean-hopping airplane with a big range — 4,750 nm — a fabulous cabin and all the latest safety features. That kind of range is new […]

The FAA National Kit Evaluation Team recently gave a thumbs up to Sonex Aircraft‘s single-seat kitplane known as the Onex, granting Onex builders access to approved checklists for the foldable-wing design that will allow them to show compliance with the 51 percent rule. Powered by an 80 hp AeroVee engine and small enough to fit […]