Aviation News

The Senate on Friday unanimously passed the Pilots’ Bill of Rights first introduced by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) last summer, granting what the senator called “a big victory for general aviation pilots all across the country.” The new legislation includes a number of provisions aimed at bolstering safeguards for pilots, including one that requires the […]

Terrafugia has completed phase one of six planned phases in its flight-testing program for the single-engine, pusher prop Transition flying car. This first phase included testing of the airplane’s stability and power on and off handling. Engine-cooling and propeller settings for various flight conditions were also evaluated. “It’s a real airplane; we’re flying it whenever […]

An FAA committee that has taken on the daunting challenge of drawing up plans for the eventual switch from 100LL aviation fuel to unleaded avgas has submitted its final report. The conclusion? A “drop-in” replacement for 100LL currently doesn’t exist, and may in fact be technically infeasible, and anyway there’s little financial motive for major […]

The airplane wreckage recently found on an Alaskan glacier has been identified as likely that of a U.S. Air Force C124-A Globemaster that went down nearly six decades ago, killing all 41 passengers and 11 crew members aboard the aircraft. While military officials are not ruling out potential alternatives, they say the evidence found on […]

The FAA and EASA have signed off on Gulfstream‘s new cockpit upgrade for GIV, GIV-SP, GV, G300 and G400 airplanes. Called PlaneDeck, the new upgrade provides pilots with geo-referenced electronic charts and maps, in-flight XM weather and video displays for the six-screen Honeywell system. Pilots should notice better clarity as the previous cathode ray-tube DU-880 […]

The GE 80 turboprop engine added to its growing list of type certifications this week and further signaled its global appeal by gaining approval from both the Brazilian Civil Aviation agency and the Argentine aviation authority. The South American type certifications follow approval from the FAA in March as well as the go-ahead granted by […]

Famed Swiss pilot Yves Rossy, aka “Jetman,” once again grabbed the attention of aviation enthusiasts and daredevil admirers alike last week when he used his jet-powered wing to fly alongside a 1940’s DC-3 over the heartland of Switzerland. Passengers aboard the much-revered vintage aircraft got a front-row seat view of the feat as they watched […]

Cessna Aircraft on Saturday launched the inaugural “Cessna Discover Flying Challenge” during an open house in Independence, Kansas. The event kicked off a five-week flying tour for a group of selectively chosen ** Cessna Skycatcher** pilots that will include visits to various fly-ins, airshows and other aviation gatherings, all done in the name of raising […]

The NTSB blamed pilot error for the crash of NASCAR team owner Jack Roush’s Beech Premier I at EAA AirVenture two years ago, finding that Roush failed to apply full power while attempting to abort a landing on Runway 18R. As a result, Roush’s jet stalled at low altitude, crashed onto the runway and split […]

Eurocopter is making a grand U.S. tour with its X3 hybrid developmental heloplane, which features a pair of conventional looking turboprops in addition to a conventional looking rotar. The craft, which Eurocopter developed in just three years’ time, is nearly 100 knots faster than the fleetest comparably sized conventional helicopters. The X3 has achieved better […]