Aviation News

Two seemingly unrelated Silicon Valley icons are about to unite, provided that a lease agreement now in the works can be finalized. NASA and the United States General Services Administration (GSA) have chosen Planetary Ventures LLC, Google’s real estate subsidiary, to take over the operations at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California, and restore the […]

The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed a bill requiring the FAA to go through the normal rulemaking process before subjecting overweight pilots to sleep apnea screening. The FAA’s airman medical branch wants pilots with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher to undergo testing for obstructive sleep apnea, a change many […]

The FBI says it will pay out $10,000 under a reward program for information that leads to the arrest of anyone who points a laser at an aircraft in flight. The reward initiative will run for 60 days as part of an awareness program with local law enforcement to educate teens about the dangers associated […]

As pilots increasingly rely on electronic devices as vital tools in the cockpit, the FAA announced this week that it will be adding new restrictions prohibiting the personal use of electronic devices on airline flight decks. The rules, which cover the use of cell phones, laptops and any other personal electronic devices, are slated to […]

As pilots (sailplane fliers aside), we all need our engines. While they’re a source of worry (we do need them to keep running), pain (overhauling one is not for the faint of heart or checkbook) and frustration (who doesn’t have a bad hot-start story?), we still love our engines. Even for non-pilots, they’re fascinating. Watching […]

There is new evidence that when Cessna Aircraft CEO Scott Ernest said at the NBAA Convention in October that the Skycatcher has “no future,” he meant it. While no official word has come out of Wichita, Cessna has removed all traces of the LSA from the single-engine product line on its website, seemingly moving the […]

After a five-year production hiatus, Mooney is again building airplanes in Kerrville, Texas — albeit at a slow pace for now. Mooney International Corp. CEO Jerry Chen confirmed that the troubled manufacturer has begun production of the first new Mooney since the factory closed in 2009. The assembly line will officially start moving again on […]

Robinson Helicopter Co. is introducing glass cockpit choices for the R22, R44 and R66 models based around an Aspen Avionics EFIS package paired with optional Garmin GTN 600/700 touch-screen navigators. The basic cockpit includes an Aspen primary flight display and multifunction display that interface with several optional components, including Garmin GTR 225B comm radio, GMA […]

In their continued efforts to protect the future of one of the most highly threatened airports in the country, Santa Monica Municipal Airport, NBAA and AOPA have jointly filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court of Los Angeles supporting a motion filed by the FAA on January 10 to dismiss a lawsuit filed […]

The latest software update for Garmin’s G500 and G600 cockpits is now available and includes a number features that are specific to certain airframes and installations. Here’s a rundown of all the changes, available now as a free software upgrade: · With the latest software, Garmin says many TBM 700/850 models with a G600 flight […]