Aviation News

The top three execs at Google have offered to pay NASA the $33 million needed to restore Hangar One, the iconic California landmark built in the 1930s to house the U.S.S. Macon. The offer comes with a caveat, however. The search engine bigwigs, who own eight private jets between the three of them through a […]

GE reached a new milestone in its H80 turboprop program when the powerplant earned approval from European authorities. The engine has been fitted to a couple of airplanes, neither of which is certified yet. The Thrush 510G agricultural airplane — is “crop duster” politically incorrect these days? — is on track for certification now by […]

Last year thousands of flights were brought to a standstill for days on end when Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, scattering thick clouds of ash over much of Europe. To prevent a similar recurrence of events, Dr. Fred Prata of the Norwegian Institute of Air Research has developed a technology aimed at alerting pilots of the […]

So much for Burt Rutan’s “retirement.” Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen on Tuesday announced he is teaming with the legendary aerospace designer to launch a new space-tourism company called Stratolaunch Systems that plans, among other accomplishments, to design and build “the largest aircraft ever constructed” – which will be used to carry a 490,000-pound rocket to […]

A veteran airshow pilot says an unleaded biofuel gasoline undergoing testing in his Sukhoi Su-26M is providing power similar to conventional 100LL aviation fuel while greatly boosting his range. It is the latest sign that an alternative to leaded avgas may be within reach. Rick Volker of Rick Volker Air Shows in Niagara Falls, New […]

LightSquared, the company that is rolling out a nationwide broadband network operating in frequencies very near those of GPS, claims it is closing in on final approvals from the Federal Communications Commission after the successful completion of the latest round of interference testing. The company said it believes the FCC will make a decision on […]

Kitplane provider Sonex Aircraft will reach a new milestone next month when it holds its 50th Sonex Builder Workshop, the company recently announced. The workshop is slated for Jan. 28-29 and will provide an opportunity for attendees to learn about the Sonex design and build a sample piece of the Sonex wing. Since 1998, Sonex […]

European aviators can now install Garmin’s GTN 650 and 750 GPS/navcom systems after EASA signed off the validation paperwork for the STC Garmin received from the FAA in March for the touchscreen navigators. To achieve EASA’s validation, the Garmin 650 and 750 had to meet European regulatory requirements, such as 8.33-kHz VHF communication, immunity from […]

A 23-year-old fashion model suffered severe injuries after walking into the propeller of a 2011 Aviat Husky at Aero County Airport in McKinney, Texas, on Saturday night. Lauren Scruggs reportedly went flying with a friend to get an aerial view of the Christmas lights in Dallas immediately before the accident. Scruggs’ parents say they believe […]

Space Adventures took a step closer to making its space tourism a reality this week when its partner, Armadillo Aerospace, conducted a successful rocket flight test out of Spaceport America in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company tested proprietary launch technologies using a reusable sub-orbital rocket called STIG A. “The flight successfully demonstrated many of the […]