Aircraft

The Veterans Airlift Command (VAC) has received a donated Eclipse 500 that will aid in the organization’s mission of transporting wounded veterans and their families, according to an announcement at the NBAA Convention last week. To complement the donation, Eclipse Aerospace has vowed to provide the upgrades necessary to keep the jet in service. The […]

China is emerging as the world’s fastest growing market for business jets sales, with industry watchers projecting deliveries of hundreds of large-cabin business airplanes worth billions of dollars over the next decade. Evidence of the Chinese market’s sudden strength was on display at last week’s NBAA Convention in Las Vegas, as Embraer racked up a […]

Piper Aircraft today issued a release detailing big changes at the company, which include the departure from Piper of aviation industry veteran and Executive Vice President Randy Groom, who has led the company for the past years to what Piper calls on-target performance despite the down economy. Also out is CEO Geoffrey Berger, who will […]

After years of exploring the dream of a jet-powered Aerostar, Aerostar Aircraft of Boise, Idaho, is test-flying a Pratt & Whitney re-engined airplane. Company president Jim Christy flew the twinjet to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for AirVenture in July. The airplane, which has very little time on it, is still a work in progress, though the most […]

Airline Transport Professionals (ATP) has agreed to purchase up to 30 Seminoles from Piper Aircraft, the two companies jointly announced at the NBAA Convention in Las Vegas. The deal includes a firm order for 10 Seminoles, to be delivered next year, with the option for 20 additional aircraft for delivery over the following two years. […]

Buyers of 2012 model year Piper M-Class airplanes (Matrix, Mirage and Malibu) are getting a host of upgrades on the inside and out, the manufacturer announced at the NBAA Convention. For the same base price as a comparable 2011 model, Piper is throwing in interior and exterior LED lighting, a pair of Bose A20 headsets […]

Bombardier Aerospace has announced new suppliers for the Global 7000 and 8000 long-range business jets. The airplanes will be equipped with the Global Vision flight deck, based on the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics suite. The avionics system will be essentially identical to the Global Vision flight deck certified by Transport Canada for […]

Honda Aircraft Company president and CEO Michimasa Fujino announced at an NBAA press briefing in Las Vegas that the development program for the company’s HF420 light jet has been pushed back due to a delay in the certification of the GE-Honda HF120 engine. Fujino said the delay is due to a redesign project caused by […]

On Monday at the NBAA Convention, Eclipse Aerospace announced that it was restarting production of its EA500 very light jet. First delivery of the new jet is planned for 2013. Eclipse is calling the new model the Eclipse 550, but it will retain the type certificate of the original while incorporating some noteworthy changes to […]

Bombardier has begun production of the first Learjet 85 test aircraft, the company announced on Sunday at the NBAA Convention. According to Bombardier, teams in Wichita, Montreal and other locations throughout the world are now actively engaged in the manufacturing validation process. A full-length fuselage, as well as several other key parts of the all-composite […]