Aviation News

The unofficial kickoff for GA events kicks off next week at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (KLAL) in Florida. The 36th annual Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-in & Expo opens Tuesday, April 13, and runs through Sunday, April 18. As many as 170,000 visitors are expected from more than 80 countries. More than 475 exhibitors will […]

When the NFL-champion New Orleans Saints took home the Super Bowl trophy, Lakefront Airport (NEW) in Crescent City was, no doubt, a hopping place. Like the rest of the city, that image stands in stark contrast to the dark days of five years ago when Hurricane Katrina devastated lives and brought an entire culture to […]

Randy Groom will join Piper Aircraft as executive vp of sales on June 1, a move that signals Piper is, indeed, serious about leveraging its position as a GA airframer. Not that that was ever in question, but signing an aviation veteran with Groom’s impressive resume is further proof that the local Piper dealer will […]

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has put general aviation pilots on notice that it plans to begin imposing fines of up to $10,000 for failure to comply with electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS) requirements. The notification is required for cross-border international flights such as those to and from Canada, Mexico or islands such […]

The FAA has reversed a former ban on certain antidepressant medications for pilots. Last Friday, the agency announced it will permit special issuance medical certificates to pilots who are prescribed the following medications (provided they have been satisfactorily treated for 12 months): Prozac (Fluoxetine); Zoloft (Sertraline); Celexa (Citalopram); and Lexapro (Escitalopram). The announcement comes after […]

There’s an old joke about a down-and-out guy during the Depression hawking apples for $500 each. His response to the obvious question: “Yeah, but I only have to sell ONE.” Well, in the midst of the 21st century Great Recession, people lined up last weekend to buy Apple iPads at around that price, and this […]

There are many indicators of how the North American general aviation market is doing — and we’ve certainly had enough up and down cycles to hone our view. Over the years, sales of used aircraft have been one of the surest measures of the industry’s overall health. So a snapshot of one month’s sales, year […]

Brian Foley of Brian Foley & Associates, Sparta, New Jersey, believes that sales of piston aircraft will lead the next GA comeback; and it’s already started. Foley contends that piston-aircraft buyers march to different market beats than jet or turboprop customers. For example, he cites the immediate post 9/11 period when sales of pistons dropped […]

Retired Army Major General Robert Harding has withdrawn his name from consideration as head of the Transportation Security Administration. A 33-year Army veteran, Harding headed a consulting firm after retirement that held government contracts, and some of those contracts have been cited for overpayment. President Obama’s second nominee for the post, Harding said he chose […]

Eclipse Aerospace reiterates its plans to resume production, but says it will take a slow, conservative road back. As one step along the way, the company has announced a new refurb and completion program for the approximately 260 Eclipse EA500s in the existing fleet. Under the trademark ‘Total Eclipse’ program, Eclipse Aerospace will offer the […]