Aviation News

When 2016’s billing numbers were released this week by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Cirrus Aircraft easily captured the top slot, having delivered 317 aircraft, fully a third more airframes than its nearest rival, Textron Aviation’s Cessna Aircraft Company. Last year’s totals represent the third year in a row the Duluth, Minnesota, aircraft builder topped […]

It made a monumental, historic journey to the moon and back, and now it might be trekking to a city near you. The Apollo 11 command module Columbia is being prepared for a nationwide tour to the cities of Houston, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Seattle, where it will serve as the centerpiece in an exhibit […]

Embraer has turned to the financial sector for a leader to head its Executive Jets business unit, hiring Michael Amalfitano as president and CEO to succeed Marco Tulio Pellegrini, who will assume another leadership position within Embraer “to be announced soon.” Amalfitano has no prior aviation OEM experience but spent his 35-year career in business […]

A passenger-carrying Flybe airliner suffered substantial damage on Thursday at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol after its landing gear collapsed on touchdown. Flight 1284, arriving from Edinburgh, Scotland, battled severe weather from Storm Doris, which struck western Europe with winds up to 100 mph. Wind gusts were reportedly at 30 to 40 mph when the Flybe pilot […]

A Belgian company called Sonaca Aircraft is making progress on a two-seat, single-engine airplane named Sonaca 200. The airplane is designed for the training market, and recent modifications to the design include structural reinforcements to allow the airplane to withstand the rigors of regular flight training. With the beefed-up landing gear, the airplane also will […]

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association today released year-end aircraft shipment and billing numbers for 2016 that paint a picture of an industry in transition — if not outright turmoil — with business jet deliveries reaching their lowest level since 2004. Airplane shipments globally fell 3.9 percent, from 2,331 units in 2015 to 2,241 units in […]

There’s a lot of buzz going on lately about drones and how they might be integrated into our daily lives, with the FAA creating rules for commercial use and a growing list of private companies developing pilotless modes of aerial transportation. Package-delivery company UPS added to the conversation Monday with the first test of its […]

Airport surveillance videos detailing last week’s incident at John Wayne International Airport (SNA) involving actor Harrison Ford have surfaced. The actor was cleared to land his single-engine Aviat Husky on SNA’s Runway 20L, but instead landed on the airport’s taxiway “Charlie” that runs parallel to Runway 20L. As the Husky approached the intersection of taxiway […]

Welcoming drone pilots into the general aviation community, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association announced a new line of memberships for pilots of unmanned aircraft. “Drone pilots are seeking their place in the larger world of aviation and looking for opportunities to expand their experience,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “This is an ideal time […]

Developers of electric aircraft are rejoicing now that the Part 23 rewrite is complete. Unlike before, the new rule will allow for certified airplanes to be developed with electric propulsion. “The new Part 23 rewrite allows for the full benefit of electric propulsion in the larger, heavier general aviation size of aircraft,” says George Bye, […]