Aviation News

What’s the biggest hurdle to getting young people involved in aviation? Some might say that it’s the money; others might offer that it’s the lack of exposure to aviation or the lack of active involvement in the activity. In any of these cases, a new endeavor, the Lakeland Aero Club, starting up in Central Florida […]

Icon Aircraft, the maker of the hotly anticipated Icon A5 amphib, said it has begun a close collaboration with carmaker Lotus to help design the light sport airplane’s automotive-inspired interior. Icon said Lotus Engineering USA has been brought onboard because of its experience designing and mass-producing lightweight vehicle components. The work is focusing on the […]

The U.S. Air Force has agreed to buy four Cessna Caravans in a $12.4 million contract that further cements the 208’s reputation as a versatile and rugged multi-role aircraft. The deal, which includes training for 16 pilots and 14 maintainers to be conducted at Cessna’s Wichita facilities, stems from the Special Defense Acquisition Fund, set […]

The Navy lost one of its unmanned aerial systems (aka, “drones”) in a crash in Maryland on Monday. The craft crashed in a sparsely inhabited area across the Chesapeake Bay from the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, where the drones are being used for training, according to the Navy. The RQ-4A BAMS-D drone is a […]

China is gearing up for what will be its fourth manned space launch and possibly the country’s first launch to include a female astronaut, according to a recent announcement made by a government news agency over the weekend. The mission is expected to include the launch of three astronauts into space aboard the Shenzhou 9, […]

The FAA recently published updated practical test standards (PTS) for several certificates, including the private and commercial pilot certificates. While the FAA published these documents last fall, they just came into effect on June 1st. This is significant if you’re a flight instructor or a student working on a rating since the examiners are bound […]

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified the first three airplanes in a newly created certification category for light sport aircraft. Airplanes approved under the new framework are the Czech Sport Aircraft PS-28 Cruiser, Flight Design CTLS-ELA and Evektor SportStar RTC. Airplanes in the European LSA category are limited to two seats and a […]

NetJets on Monday announced orders with Cessna and Bombardier for up to 425 new business jets worth $9.6 billion that will form the cornerstone of the private aviation giant’s new NetJets Signature Series fractional ownership program. NetJets called the purchases the largest deal for private aircraft in aviation history. The Ohio-based fractional ownership firm said […]

A Pilatus PC-12 carrying a family of six crashed in Central Florida on Thursday, killing all six individuals aboard after what appears to have been an in-flight separation of the aircraft, authorities say. Just 30 minutes prior to the crash, the single-engine turboprop had made a stopover to clear customs in Fort Pierce, Florida, while […]

The top-secret Boeing X-37B space plane that has been orbiting the Earth for the last 15 months is scheduled to descend on Vandenberg Air Force Base “during the early- to mid-June timeframe,” according to a statement issued by the base. The landing will constitute the second for the unmanned spacecraft, following the completion of the […]