Aviation News

In case you missed it, last weekend the FAA issued an “Urgent Airman Notification” for the re-entry of a dying NASA upper atmosphere research satellite. The Notam called for pilots to keep an eye open for debris from the satellite, though it didn’t offer any specific advice about what pilots should do if they were […]

On Monday at its Wichita headquarters, Cessna unveiled its latest bizjet. It was, as many predicted it would be, a replacement for the slot vacated when the company stopped production of its entry-level CJ, the ** CJ1+**. The new airplane is dubbed the M2. Despite the capital “M,” it is not based on the Mustang […]

All 19 people aboard a Beech 19000D carrying tourists to see Mt. Everest were killed on Sunday when their twin turboprop crashed as it tried to land in rain and dense fog at Nepal’s main international airport. The airplane, operated by Buddha Air, crashed in Kotdanda, about 10 miles from the capital, Katmandu, as it […]

Boeing on Monday delivered the first 787 Dreamliner to launch customer All Nippon Airways during a rain-soaked ceremony at the Everett, Washington, factory where workers assembled the airplane. More than 500 employees involved in the 787 program strode alongside the all-new jetliner as Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Jim Albaugh presented an oversized, ceremonial […]

Cirrus Aircraft has delivered its 5,000th airplane, and if you ever have a chance to see it, you’ll know immediately what it is you’re looking at. The Cirrus SR22 – N5000J – has a unique yellow-and-gray paint scheme with shiny black-and-white accents. Its tail is adorned with a large numeral 5 and the word “thousand.” […]

AOPA and EAA announced a proposal over the weekend that, if successful, could extend the driver’s license medical standard to a much larger pool of recreational pilots. The standard, currently available only to sport pilots, allows recreational fliers to use a valid driver’s license as proof of medical eligibility, as long as their most recent […]

Friday marked the 100th anniversary of the first U.S. mail flight, which took place on Sept. 23, 1911, when Earl Ovington took off from Long Island, New York, in a Bleriot monoplane, carrying about 15 pounds of letters. He flew to the Mineola post office, about 10 miles away, where his cargo continued to its […]

(September 2011) With so much commentary on aircraft accidents from analysts, victims, witnesses, psychologists, perpetrators, investigators, manufacturers and Lord knows what other experts (real and self-proclaimed), why two cents’ worth from me? I guess because my commentary is from the perspective of somebody trained and experienced in the investigation side of the business, who’s witnessed […]

United Technologies, the corporation behind aviation giants such as Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky, is buying aircraft component maker Goodrich Corp. in a $16.5 billion deal that would be United Technology’s largest acquisition ever. The move comes amidst a surge in demand for commercial aircraft, particularly from growing areas in Asia. According to United Technologies […]

Lisa Airplanes, a young French company started in 2004, recently announced the commercial launch of the Akoya, an amphibious airplane reportedly able to land on snow, water or ground without any additional modification. The two-seater aircraft is made entirely of composite materials and relies on a 100 hp Rotax engine powered by unleaded gasoline. It […]