Aviation News

The Small Airplane Revitalization Act, which won unanimous passage in the House last month, took another major step toward becoming law after the bill sailed through a Senate committee. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee’s bill, like the House version, would require the FAA to establish new, less onerous Part 23 airplane certification standards […]

AirVenture 2013 wrapped up on Sunday after a week that was remarkably successful despite a number of challenges leading up to the show. Before AirVenture, EAA was in negotiations with the FAA over the agency’s plan to charge the association $650,000 to staff the controllers at the event, a fee that the EAA was able […]

John and Martha King, founders of King Schools, and Matt Zuccaro, president of Helicopter Association International (HAI), announced at AirVenture this week the launch of a flight instructor refresher course (FIRC) specifically designed for helicopter instructors. This is the first time a helicopter-specific FIRC has been offered online. As with King Schools’ regular FIRC, the […]

Kestrel Aircraft’s CEO and president Alan Klapmeier and the company’s COO and executive vice president of product development Steve Serfling provided an update to the media on the Kestrel single-engine turboprop project in a press conference at AirVenture. Klapmeier said he had hoped to be able to announce full funding for the Kestrel turboprop program […]

OpenAirplane, the airplane rental network that launched earlier this summer, inched closer to expanding nationwide by growing from six inaugural locations to 15. Company founder Rod Rakic said he is in discussions with 90 additional flight schools that could be added to the Zip-car style rental network. The new OpenAirplane locations include Addison, Texas; Scottsdale, […]

At EAA’s annual Gathering of Eagles gala on Thursday night, EAA Chairman Jack Pelton announced the new Young Eagles Chairman, aerobatics star Sean D. Tucker. In a hilarious and energetic acceptance speech (Pelton later said he was pretty sure that Tucker actually accepted), Tucker wowed the crowd with his infectious enthusiasm for the role. “Yeah, […]

Wipaire has received FAA approval for the Wipline 8750 floats for the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan and Grand Caravan EX. This is the first time Wipaire has achieved certification for floats for the Grand Caravan. The new floats allow operators to fly with a gross weight as high as 9,062 pounds. The Wipline 8750 floats […]

Mooney Aircraft is again exhibiting at AirVenture, marking the return of a company that many have left for dead. Not so, says the company’s CFO Barry Hodkin. He says Mooney is in fact in discussions with potential funding partners to get the company producing airplanes again. “Nobody is quitting on the Mooney brand,” says Hodkin. […]

Kenny Dichter, the former vice chairman of NetJets and creator of the jet card concept as founder of Marquis Jet, is pouring his creative energy into a new endeavor anchored around the workhorse Beechcraft King Air 350i. Dichter’s new company, Wheels Up, has placed an order for 105 of the versatile twin turboprops and full […]

In a series of Oshkosh firsts, Terrafugia’s Transition flying car took to the skies to open AirVenture yesterday afternoon, followed by flights by an actual carmaker — Honda — which flew not one but two HondaJets in formation over Wittman Airport. But those performances were mere warm-up acts for the main attraction at Oshkosh this […]