Aviation News

Each month I receive the NTSB Reporter (ntsbreporter@aol.com), which provides an abbreviated version of some of the more interesting NTSB reports that have been issued recently, along with a paragraph or two on a number of recent accidents and other stories of interest. As I read through the weather and other information available to a […]

With the strong backing of its new Chinese owners, Cirrus Aircraft on Wednesday announced that the long-gestating Vision SF50 single-engine jet program has received full funding through certification and into initial production, now anticipated to start in 2015. “Today is simply a tremendous milestone for Cirrus,” said Dale Klapmeier, CEO and cofounder of Cirrus Aircraft. […]

Pipistrel took the wraps off its super-efficient Panthera four-seater this week at the Aero Expo in Friedrichshafen, Germany, giving avgeeks a first glimpse at the aircraft that boasts a 1,000 nm range and a cruise speed of 200 knots, all while burning a mere 10 gallons of gasoline per hour. The prototype unveiled at the […]

After hearing news that one English farmer’s 15-year quest to locate Spitfires buried beneath Burma has proven successful, Prime Minister David Cameron has in turn struck a deal to have the iconic aircraft returned to England. According to the Telegraph, the announcement stems from the dogged efforts of 62-year-old David Cundall, who made it his […]

A handful of Wichita manufacturers are assessing the damage caused by severe storms that swept through the Great Plains region over the weekend. While no injuries have been attributed to the bad weather outbreak, Spirit AeroSystems, which builds fuselages for Boeing, sustained damage in multiple buildings after a tornado moved through its facilities on Saturday. […]

Burdened by an enormous debt load and continuing weakness in the business jet market, Hawker Beechcraft last Friday reported losses of $632.8 million in 2011, more than double what the company lost in 2010 and the latest sign that it is on a rapid path toward bankruptcy. Revenue at Hawker Beechcraft last year reached $2.44 […]

Jeppesen recently announced what the company calls “blended learning” — a complete training solution, offering students, instructors and flight schools flight training programs designed to work together to make the process of learning to fly more efficient. The solution combines courses that have been in existence for years with recently released offerings. Jeppesen offers its […]

The photograph is haunting, if you know when it was taken. Most of the upper part of the frame is filled with a bright yellow wing, banked fairly steeply to the right. The flap is down a notch; the aileron too is deflected slightly downward. The lower part of the picture contains a patch of […]

NASA’s Discovery shuttle took off from Kennedy Space Center aboard the back of a modified Boeing 747 on Tuesday for one final departure from Cape Canaveral as it heads for its resting place at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Close to 2,000 spectators coalesced near the runway to bid NASA’s oldest shuttle farewell […]

Air race lovers rejoiced after the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) scheduled the annual National Championship Air Races this year in Reno, Nevada, Sept. 12-16. Tickets are already on sale, but time will tell what the event may look like. As a result of the accident investigation following the devastating crash of the Galloping Ghost […]