Aviation News

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 […]

The Bristell, an all-metal, low-wing LSA from Liberty Sport Aviation, made its debut appearance in North America at AOPA Summit in Hartford, Connecticut. Built in the Czech Republic by manufacturer BRMAero, the Bristell features a 51-inch-wide cockpit and large canopy that give it the feel of a larger airplane. Powered by a 100 hp Rotax […]

The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Bulletin approving a new aviation fuel – 100VLL (very low lead) – for use in aircraft that currently run on 100LL. The approval resulted from collaboration with industry partners that evaluated data supporting the incorporation of grade 100VLL avgas into current specifications. The new fuel is identical to […]

The FAA is levying a nearly $2.5 million civil penalty against Cessna Aircraft after an incident in which carbon composite components of a Cessna Corvalis wing debonded during an audit test flight last year. The incident occurred in December 2010, when an FAA test pilot flying a Cessna Corvalis experienced the separation of approximately seven […]