Aviation News

The FAA has thrown in the towel in the fight for Santa Monica Airport, striking a compromise deal with local officials that will permit the city to shorten the runway from about 5,000 feet to 3,500 feet within a year and close the airport forever at the end of 2028. The city is already laying […]

One of the aviation industry’s most popular podcasts, The Airplane Geeks, last week welcomed Flying magazine Editor-in-Chief Steve Pope to the show. Pope spent an hour engaging with the Geeks’ hosts, fueling passionate discussions about industry topics like United Airlines’ recent computer problems, tracking passengers moving through the airport, the search for MH370, ADS-B-capable satellites, […]

San Diego-based Coast Flight Training has responded to the increasing demand for professional pilots by expanding its airline flight training program, opening up a new facility in San Marcos, Texas. The training program is focused on transition training for military helicopter pilots who have a desire to enter into an airline career. “We are very […]

The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team, a collaborative effort of government and industry leaders focused on improving helicopter safety, this week announced 17 educational classes to run during the upcoming Heli-Expo in Dallas March 6-9. The USHST says the bumper list of educational seminars at Heli-Expo represents the largest number of individual workshops the group has […]

Maule Air has added newly certified aircraft to its M-9 series: the M-9-260 Fuel Injected and M-9-235 Carbureted taildraggers. A 260 hp Lycoming IO-540 powers the M-9-260; the M-9-235 runs on a 235 hp Lycoming O-540 that can burn mogas. Both airplanes can seat up to five people and carry 2,800 pounds of gross weight. […]

Textron Aviation, maker of Beechcraft and Cessna aircraft, announced this week it will invest in the future of aviation with a $100,000 donation to Kansas State University’s College of Engineering. The Wichita, Kansas-based manufacturer’s gift is aimed specifically at supporting women engineering students. “Textron Aviation is committed to developing the next generation of STEM professionals,” […]

The crowds at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in its third day at the Sebring Regional Airport in central Florida aren’t overwhelming, but there has been an enthusiastic influx of visitors each day. Highlights of the show have been the aerial demonstrations of LSA on display, especially with strong winds down the runway allowing for […]

Belite Aircraft, a maker of single-seat ultralight aircraft, has introduced its first two-place model, called the Pipper. “I wanted to take my wife flying in a Belite aircraft,” explained James Wiebe, CEO of Belite, “and implement my years of learning about what it takes to make a light plane quick to build, strong and affordable […]

When Bessie Coleman first took flight in 1921, at the age of 29, she not only slipped the surly bonds of Earth but those of the racial prejudice and sexism of the time. Today Google paid homage to Coleman, who was born on this date 125 years ago, on its homepage. The search-engine site marks […]

Quest Aircraft this week named Robert H. Wells, an executive with more than 40 years of aviation experience, as its new CEO. Wells takes over for retiring CEO Sam Hill. Most recently, Wells spent 15 years with TAG Aviation, where he was CEO. “I am very pleased that an individual of Rob’s caliber and talent […]