Aviation News

Former New York Mayor Fiorello Laguardia may have insisted that New York have its own airport (rather than relying on Newark, New Jersey), but his namesake facility is not exactly a towering tribute to his commitment to providing air service to the Big Apple. The Depression-era mayor was a champion of the emerging aviation industry, […]

Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga), whose district includes the home of Gulfstream, will co-chair the House General Aviation Caucus when legislators reconvene in January. The year-old caucus is one of the largest in the House, with more than 120 members. Barrow will replace Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) as the co-chair of the caucus after Boyd failed in […]

Operators of Quest Aircraft Kodiak turboprop singles are now eligible to equip their aircraft with TKS ice-protection, and receive approval for flight into known icing (FIKI). The word couldn’t come at a better time, as the winter icing season is descending on North America with a vengeance this month. The big utility turboprop is used […]

When looking for signs of recovery in general aviation, one of the first indicators is what’s happening with used aircraft sales. But according to data supplied by JetNet and published by McGraw Hill, there’s not much insight to take away from September’s numbers, the latest ones available. Jet sales in North America were pretty consistent […]

When the Space X Dragon capsule re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere after its first (unmanned) flight next week, it will do so with the FAA’s blessing. Space Exploration Technologies Corp — known as SpaceX — is the first private entity to receive a license from the agency for its craft to re-enter the atmosphere. Next week’s […]

The FAA website’s top story reflects the agency’s commitment to speeding the transformation to NextGen. It explains that Performance Based Navigation Instrument Flight Procedures (IFPs) are the key to the benefits of switching from ground-based radar to satellite-based GPS. And based on recommendations from a task force assembled by RTCA, the FAA has launched what […]

The pilot, 69, had almost finished a six-month refurbishment of a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser. He had been rebuilding airplanes for 40 years, and his habit was to have a certain A&P mechanic perform a “semifinal” inspection as each project neared completion. The mechanic would give him a list of things that needed to be […]

A new rule proposed by the FAA would require photo certificates for pilots. Currently, pilots carrying the “old new” tamper resistant plastic certificates must also carry a second government photo ID, such as a driver’s license. The new certificates would have to be updated every eight years with a new photo. If approved, the new […]

Flight training specialist ATP isn’t listening to the doom and gloom about the sad state of general aviation shipments and billings for the first three quarters of 2010. It just ordered six new Piper Seminole light twins, which, when delivered before year end, will increase the school’s fleet of Seminoles to 87 nationwide, complemented by […]

The catastrophic failure of one of its four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines caused damage to several systems on board a Qantas Airbus A380. A chain of failures had the pilots using all their available skills to bring the megaliner back to Singapore for a safe landing earlier this month. No one on board was injured, […]