Aviation News

Apparently helicopters are the getaway vehicle of choice for high-profile inmates in Greek prisons. But this time the attempt failed. Last Sunday, convicted murderer and racketeer Panagiotis Vlastos was waiting in the courtyard of Trikala Prison, about 205 miles northeast of Athens, when the chartered helicopter swooped down. It is not yet clear if the […]

Canadian TV director John Driftmier was killed on Sunday in an airplane crash while filming the second season of “Dangerous Flights,” a reality program for the Discovery Channel that follows fliers as they “risk their lives in the high-danger, high-stress business of aircraft delivery.” While little is known about the crash, it reportedly took place […]

A half-inch-long crack in a turbine engine blade prompted the Pentagon to ground the fleet of 51 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters on Friday, the latest black eye for the troubled and oft-delayed military jet program. Engineers at Pratt & Whitney planned to conduct a detailed examination of the turbine blade on the F135 engine as […]

On Monday evening Diamond Aircraft Industries Canada President and CEO Peter Maurer made the startling announcement that the company was laying off “the majority” of its Canadian workforce. The move, it said, was temporary pending what it called “restructuring.” In a phone call late Tuesday, Maurer said that the production of piston singles would continue, […]

There’s now an easier way to browse NTSB reports. Aircraft Incidents is a new online source for aviation accidents. The website contains the entire database of NTSB reports and allows readers to narrow their searches by various criteria, including categories such as “Top 10 Airlines” and “Top 10 Aircraft.” It also breaks down the data […]

“I’d never scared off a mountain lion before using a helicopter,” said Monty Emery, a pilot with the California Highway Patrol based near the town of Colfax. But on Saturday, he got his chance. He and copilot David White received a dispatch call about a hiker on nearby Stevens Trail. David Nash had called 911 […]

Testing components of supersonic aircraft in flight can be problematic, and the refined wing design of Aerion’s developmental supersonic business jet (SSBJ) is a case in point. The 40-inch by 80-inch redesigned airfoil section is attached to the belly of a NASA F-15B to test for aerodynamic and temperature effects at speeds up to Mach […]

The NTSB is investigating the crash of a Beech Premier IA on Wednesday night as the pilot was attempting a go-around at Thomson-McDuffie Regional Airport (KHQU) near Augusta, Georgia. Five people died in the crash shortly after 8 p.m. and two others were taken to a hospital, according to officials. NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt […]

Three months after his harrowing collision with an SUV during an approach to Northwest Regional Airport (52F) near Roanoke, Texas, Will Davis has earned his Private Pilot Certificate. The pilot’s wife witnessed the collision and shot a video, which went viral and created a lot of media attention. In interviews shortly after the accident, Davis […]

Bombardier has released its financial results for 2012, and while the order backlog for Bombardier Aerospace products continues to grow, the report delivered some bad news as well. The all-composite Learjet 85, which was slated for entry into service this year, has now been delayed until the summer of 2014. Bombardier cited “several new technology […]