Aviation News

Cessna Aircraft has signed two deals to produce a range of aircraft in China, the company announced Friday. The first agreement, made with Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), is geared toward the creation of an aircraft service network in China, as well as other joint GA ventures within the country. The second, made with […]

Vertical Power took the wraps off an intriguing backup EFIS at Sun ‘n Fun that the company claims can fly your airplane safely all the way to the threshold of the best appropriate runway in an emergency. Press one button, and the unit will calculate the best airport you can safely glide to, taking into […]

At Sun ‘n Fun Socata unveiled a new model designation for its TBM 850 turboprop — dubbed the TMB 850 Elite — with a new convertible seating configuration for greatly improved cargo carrying capability. The configuration change, which takes only 15 minutes to make, takes the center seats, which normally face to the rear in […]

On the first day of Sun ‘n Fun, Avidyne President and CEO Dan Schwinn announced that his company was pursuing a number of certifications for its DFC90 digital autopilot. In addition to the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, for which Avidyne earned STC approval last year, the company will pursue certification for the Cessna 182, Beech […]

Hands down, the most buzz-worthy new product introduced on the opening day of Sun ‘n Fun was Sporty’s Stratus wireless weather receiver for the iPad. Designed to overlay color weather graphics and more on the ForeFlight Mobile app, the $799 receiver combines ADS-B and GPS receivers into a single unit that wirelessly streams Nexrad radar […]

A video showing footage of a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache crash that took place in the mountains of Afghanistan last month has made its way onto the web. The footage, captured in the village of Marzak, shows the helicopter flying low and fast over a U.S. outpost before pulling up, doubling back and descending sharply. […]

Embraer’s newly opened facility in Melbourne, Florida, is already about to expand. The Embraer Engineering and Technology Center, a 67,000-square-foot aviation research, development and design center, will be built adjacent to Embraer’s 80,000-square-foot Phenom assembly plant and 58,000-square-foot customer center, both of which opened last year. Construction on the new facility will begin immediately and […]

SpaceX recently gave NASA astronauts their first real glimpse inside the craft that will eventually ferry them to and from space if the company’s bid to provide one of the first commercial space shuttles is successful. The prototype interior of the Dragon, a spacecraft that has already been awarded a $1.6 billion NASA contract to […]

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) have filed a joint request with the FAA seeking to allow many private pilots to use a driver’s license and medical self-assessment in place of a third-class medical certificate. Current FAA regulations require pilots to hold at least a third-class medical to exercise […]

The leaders of five aviation organizations have sent a letter to Congress urging support for the development of** alternatives to leaded avgas** in the FAA’s fiscal 2013 budget. The EPA is considering curtailing the use of leaded aviation fuel, and environmental groups have stepped up legal action designed to outlaw avgas. In their letter, the […]