Aviation News

Mention pilot shortage these days and most people assume some segment of the airline industry is facing dwindling numbers. But the U.S. Air Force said recently it too is having trouble finding enough good people to fly its aircraft. Unlike the regional airline segment, however, the USAF already knows they’re going to be about 700 […]

A new FAA order — specifically JO 7110.65, paragraph 5-7-1 — may leave some pilots wondering if they’ve misunderstood ATC’s instructions when they’re asked to fly airspeeds such as 255 or 195 knots, speeds all calculated in 5-knot increments. At or above FL 240, crews can expect Mach number instructions in 0.01 increments for turbojet […]

The FAA has ruled that the city of Santa Monica must keep Santa Monica Airport (SMO) open through 2023, dealing a significant blow to officials who want it gone. In a ruling released Monday, the FAA denied an appeal of an earlier decision and maintained the city is required to keep the airport open because […]

Mooney International has named a new president and CEO – Vivek Saxena. Saxena, who holds a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Cambridge, most recently worked as an aviation consultant at ICF International and has served in executive roles at Pratt & Whitney Canada for 16 years. Saxena replaces Jerry Chen, who had […]

The FAA has published a controversial airworthiness directive requiring the removal of Engine Components International (ECi) cylinders in some 6,200 Continental engines. The average cost to comply with AD, the FAA says, will be $11,520 per engine. The AD goes into effect on September 15. The FAA cited a total of 82 ECi cylinder failures […]

The FAA has selected teams from the University of Oklahoma and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) to lead the new Air Transportation Center of Excellence focused on Technical Training and Human Performance (COE TTHP). The COE will conduct technical training research and development for air traffic controllers, aviation safety inspectors, engineers, pilots and technicians, as well […]

Industry analysts this week pointed to signs of a possible acquisition in Learjet’s future. Bombardier financial analyst Cai von Rumohr says the sale of the Bombardier subsidiary is “increasingly possible,” with Textron Aviation as the likely buyer, the Wichita Eagle reports. The speculation comes after Bombardier’s second-quarter 2016 earnings call Friday, in which Bombardier executives […]

Pilots can still register for Jeppesen and AOPA’s Captain Jepp Challenge for a chance to sharpen their aviation knowledge and enter to win a free trip to EAA Airventure 2017. By attending free in-person or online educational courses, forums and seminars, participants earn points for prize drawings, including $250 MyGoFlight gift cards and the grand […]

While the GA community is certainly optimistic at hearing the 25th annual Nall Report’s announcement of a positive improvement in GA’s fatal fixed-wing accident rate, one positive year can’t quite be called an industry trend. Using 2013 data, GA’s fatal rate declined 19 percent, for the first time falling below 1.0, to 0.99 per 100,000 […]

About three weeks after its short first flight, Doc is getting ready to take to the skies again. Following the flight, the B-29 Superfortress, which has been restored by volunteers in Wichita, Kansas, for many years, has undergone a very thorough post-flight inspection. Only a few minor issues were found, none of which will prevent […]