Aviation News

The numbers aren’t huge compared with the massive layoffs that have swept across Wichita, but Cessna had positive news this week, confirming it is adding 150 employees by bringing back some laid-off workers and hiring new ones. Unfortunately, the announcement comes days after Hawker Beechcraft sent 60-day layoff notices to about 350 workers in Wichita. […]

Curious if there are drones operating near you? A quick look at recent data unveiled by the FAA may provide some insight. As a result of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation earlier this year, the agency was forced this week to divulge a list of 63 authorized UAV […]

A 25-year-old former flight student allegedly showed up at the Compton Airport near Los Angeles not to say hello to his instructor or fellow students, but instead to steal an airplane. Brandishing a gun, Troy Daniel Long of Bellflower allegedly snatched the keys to a Cessna 152, started the engine and tried to make a […]

The FAA has awarded Eclipse Aerospace a production certificate for the Eclipse 550, clearing the path for the re-launch of the very light jet in a rebirth that was first announced last October at the NBAA Convention. With the new production certificate in hand, the company “is well positioned to re-introduce the Eclipse Jet to […]

After seven months of examining data from the hypersonic HTV-2 vehicle that was lost during a test flight over the Pacific last August, DARPA says it has zeroed in on the vehicle’s skin, and its inability to withstand the stresses of incredibly fast speeds, as the source of the malfunction. According to DARPA’s report, ground […]

The importance of foreign markets to U.S. planemakers was apparent at this year’s Aero Friedrichshafen, which concluded a remarkably successful 2012 edition this weekend with record attendance from exhibitors and visitors alike. A total of 30,800 visitors stopped by to check out the wide variety of airplanes and other products presented by 550 exhibitors. While […]

Cessna Aircraft has temporarily suspended sales of the single-engine 162 Skycatcher in Europe as the lightplane maker works with European airworthiness officials on certification for the model. As a result, Cessna is honoring requests to return deposits to customers in Europe who hold Skycatcher delivery positions. French Cessna dealer Aeromecanic caused a minor furor when […]

An Airbus A320 captain is in hot water after investigators found he was forced to abort a landing below 500 feet after preoccupation with his cell phone caused him to forget to deploy the landing gear. According to the Australian newspaper the Age, the Jetstar captain was sidetracked by incoming text messages as he and […]

Boeing and All Nippon Airways made history this week, flying a 787 Dreamliner across the Pacific Ocean powered in part by aviation biofuel. The brand new 787 flew from Washington state to Japan using a biofuel blend made mainly from used cooking oil. The airplane emitted an estimated 30 percent less CO2 emissions compared to […]

The FAA has given the nod to the TouchTrainer – a home-based basic avionics training device (BATD) based on the X-Plane software with which you can stay instrument current in the comfort of your own home. You can even log up to 10 hours toward your instrument rating with this system, as long as you […]