Aviation News

Flight test crews at Lockheed Martin have hit some milestones this month as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program slowly progresses. At the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland on May 10, the F-35B short-takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) Lightning II test airplane completed its first vertical takeoff — a flight that also included a vertical […]

At EBACE Gulfstream president Larry Flynn discussed the fortunes of the world’s most successful airplane manufacturer and concluded that, despite “headwinds” in every market around the world, the company was pleased with its sales and bullish on its prospects. Flynn said that “uncertainty” in financial markets, political instability in the Middle East and elsewhere on […]

GE Aviation says interest in its H80 turboprop engine family has been stronger than expected, leading to a decision to increase production this year to meet customer demand. The H80, a modernized version of the 1960s-era Walter M601, has been certified on the Thrush 510G agplane, as well as by Aircraft Industries in Europe for […]

Bombardier introduced a new addition to the Challenger series this week at EBACE in Geneva. The Challenger 350 is not a clean-sheet design, but rather a modified version of the Challenger 300 super-midsize jet. The new product is largely the result of input from customers, and mostly from one of Bombardier’s most loyal customers, NetJets, […]

In explaining the delay announced last week of the HondaJet program, HondaJet president Michimasi Fujino told members of the press at EBACE that it was prompted by an unanticipated test program glitch with the Honda/GE HF120 turbofan engine that will power the airplane. At a later press conference, GE Honda president Terry Sharp went into […]

Embraer on Saturday showed up in Geneva for EBACE with its emerging Legacy 500 midsize jet. The 500, yet another clean-sheet design from the Brazilian jet maker, marks several firsts for the company and for the segment. The jet, which features fly-by-wire flight controls, extensive envelope protection and a large, nicely outfitted cabin, is slated […]

On Tuesday at EBACE in Geneva, Pilatus launched the PC-24, the much-anticipated, long-awaited follow-on to its popular PC-12 turboprop single. The Pilatus PC-24 is a twinjet, and while it looks in many ways like a conventional business jet, it is a very different animal, bringing together a combination of cabin volume, access, utility, speed, rough […]

The creators of the popular animated Disney movie Cars are about to release a new animated feature called Planes. Set to open in the theatres on August 9, Planes follows Dusty the crop duster as he tackles his fear of heights to achieve his dream of becoming an air racer. A wide variety of animated […]

The U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center is warning that solar X-flares could disrupt satellite communications systems next week, including GPS and ADS-B signals. A series of X-flares emanated from the sun this week, but Earth escaped the direct impact of the flares. Experts are concerned that next week’s flares could be more problematic. X-flares are […]

Oshkosh, Wisconsin-based kit manufacturer Sonex has taken an NTSB recommendation to heart by developing a transition training program for pilots who are building Sonex kits or purchasing airplanes completed by someone else. The NTSB released results last year of a study showing that type-specific training in amateur-built aircraft could improve safety in that segment. Sonex […]