Aviation News

Citing safety concerns and privacy issues, the FAA has delayed the selection of U.S. sites for the testing of unmanned aircraft, effectively putting the brakes on a push to integrate UAVs into civil airspace. In a letter to Republican Congressman Howard McKeon of California, chairman of the House Unmanned Systems Caucus, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta […]

The island of Nantucket could be hosting an important visitor for the Thanksgiving (post-election?) break. A VIP temporary flight restriction, FDC 2/4277, goes into effect today at 3:45 local time over Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts. Restrictions will be in place over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The TFR covers two areas, the first centered […]

One use for pilotless drones could be to provide lifesaving data and communications links after a natural disaster. A circling drone could serve as a sort of temporary AWACS platform, beaming WiFi and cell phone coverage down on an area stricken by downed powerlines and damaged cell towers. After the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, for […]

Three men were killed Friday night in a Cessna 172 when the airplane hit a truck on takeoff from Knox County Regional Airport in Maine. After the collision, the airplane reportedly climbed to about 150 feet before banking east and nose-diving into a wooded area, killing 22-year-old David Cheney, 24-year-old Marcelo Rugini and 24-year-old William […]

The FAA recently signed off on the type certificate for XtremeAir’s XA42 — a two-seat, all-carbon-fiber aerobatic airplane, which has been EASA certified since March 2011. Powered by a 315-horsepower Lycoming AEIO-580 engine, the German airplane boasts a max cruise speed of 210 knots and load factor limits of +/-10 g. Center sticks in front […]

Volunteers at the Connecticut Air & Space Center museum in Bridgeport have started the process of cleaning and restoring the historic Curtiss Hangar at Sikorsky Memorial Airport. Visited over the years by aviation pioneers including Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes and Igor Sikorsky, the Curtiss Hangar will become a focal point for the museum, […]

Zaon Flight Systems has introduced a portable traffic alerter that the company says is designed to incorporate ADS-B 1090 extended squitter and TIS-B data with the company’s existing PCAS XRX traffic detection technology to provide a “triangle of protection” in flight. Zaon’s 1090MX unit is a $599 portable TIS-B and ADS-B receiver that links with […]

Except for the assault vehicles on display, the cruise and shoulder launched missiles, the Vogue-style models sporting paramilitary jumpsuits and dark glasses, and the thousands of security personnel, Airshow China 2012 is pretty much like EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, but only if you don’t look too closely. Called the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition […]

Over the past several years the FAA has highlighted a few safety concerns designed to stop the most serious mishaps, but the agency has pursued none of these efforts as energetically as it has worked toward putting an end to runway accidents, a focus we applaud. It’s an effort that, unfortunately, has shown spotty results, […]

Jonathan Trappe’s flights in his cluster-balloon craft have captured the hearts and imaginations of aviators; and just about everyone else. He now plans to launch his unique aircraft from the East Coast and ride the prevailing winds across the Atlantic – hopefully to Paris, but his final destination could end up being anywhere in Europe […]