Aviation News

During its inaugural dealer conference last week in Albuquerque, New Mexico, ** Eclipse Aerospace** announced the official production launch for the Model 550, the successor to the original Eclipse 500 very light jet. To mark the occasion, members of the Eclipse management team and board of directors on Friday signed the fuselage of the first […]

Pieces of a cosmetic jar found on a remote Pacific island have rekindled speculation over what happened to Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan during their ill-fated circumnavigational flight attempt in 1937. The jar remnants, found by the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) on the island of Nikumaroro, reportedly resemble pieces of a […]

Members of the House General Aviation Caucus have sent a letter to congressional leaders opposing an amendment to a federal transportation bill that some say could kill the nation’s air tour industry. Eighteen representatives signed the May 30 letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. John Mica (R-FL), whose committees will be considering a […]

On the heels of SpaceX’s successful mission to the International Space Station, the FAA has given the green light for another commercial venture to move one step further toward space flight by granting Scaled Composites an experimental permit for rocket-powered test flights of SpaceShipTwo. With the permit in hand, Scaled says it anticipates the commencement […]

The first privately built spacecraft to travel to the International Space Station returned home on Thursday after successfully completing a historic mission that proved commercial firms can indeed take over duties that until now have been reserved for large governmental space agencies. Descending beneath three giant red-and-white parachutes, the SpaceX Dragon capsule ended its nine-day […]

Burgeoning aircraft designer John McGinnis is searching for support for an aircraft design with quite an ambitious goal: To provide the fuel efficiency of a small jet 10 times over while cutting the price tag by the same measure. That design, known as Synergy, was unveiled last year at the CAFÉ Electric Aircraft Symposium in […]

The Nova Southeastern University (NSU) has teamed up with American Flyers to provide flight training for NSU’s new Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services Administration, which concentrates on human factors in aviation. The program begins Aug. 20. Academic classes will be held online, but students can also opt to take some courses at NSU’s […]

What makes an airplane an airplane as opposed to a model of one? Well, having a pilot is one factor, but with remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) all the rage these days, is that really such a big defining factor any more? If it’s size that counts, then I think we can all agree these gorgeous […]

The families of three drunk passengers killed in a May 2010 floatplane crash off Vancouver Island are suing the airline, saying the pilot never should have let them on board in the first place. The airplane crashed into the water not long after takeoff, killing the three passengers and pilot Damon York on impact. Canada’s […]

The NTSB has asked Canada’s Transportation Safety Board to take over the investigation of a midair collision over Virginia between two light airplanes owned by employees of the FAA and NTSB. On Monday afternoon a Piper Cherokee registered to an FAA employee and a Beechcraft Bonanza owned by an NTSB employee collided in flight near […]