Aviation News

The FAA and Europe’s EASA have approved Hawker Beechcraft’s latest King Air 350 variant, the 350i. The updated turboprop twin features HBC’s “FlexCabin” configuration — able to be swapped easily for various missions. The 350i also boasts a quieter cabin with sound levels reduced to an average of 78 dBA. The standard cabin management system […]

According to numbers supplied by Avdata, North American sales of used turbine aircraft in November last year were comparable to those recorded in 2008 — the first month following the economic collapse. For example, in 2009, there were 36 sales of light business jets compared with 35 in 2008. Medium jet sales improved last year […]

Business aircraft management firm Solairus Aviation will donate 1 percent of first-year management fees for new 2010 clients to the Corporate Angel Network. Solairus added 40 aircraft to its fleet in 2009. CAN arranges free flights on corporate aircraft for cancer patients traveling to receive treatment. With more than 500 participants, CAN has arranged more […]

Enhanced vision technology firm Max-Viz announced its EVS-1500 is now in service on a Cessna Citation S550 (Citation II) operated by Robertson Racing. In addition, Max-Viz announced an STC approval in association with One Sky Aviation to install EVS-1500 systems on Eurocopter AS-350s and EC-130s.

Piper had planned to make an announcement at the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, today. Piper did not reveal any details of the planned announcement before hand, but the fact that the announcement will be made at the fourth annual U.S. Sport Aviation Expo has ignited all manner of speculation that Piper will […]

GE has begun certification testing on its 800 shp H80 turboprop engine, with the first production engines to go into the Thrush 510 crop-duster. GE expects the H80 to be certified by the middle of the year, around the same time as Thrush’s new model. An outgrowth of the 600 shp Czech-designed Walter M601 engine, […]

Just before the new year, Cessna delivered the first Model 162 SkyCatcher to Rose Pelton, the wife of Cessna President and CEO Jack Pelton. Rose planned to use her new 162 to — what else? — learn to fly. The delivery took place across the field from Cessna at Yingling Aircraft, where the first SkyCatchers […]

In a move that will save each American taxpayer $1.38 over the next five years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has directed the Coast Guard to discontinue support for Loran C, starting Feb. 8. The USCG notice said, “At that time, the U.S. Loran-C signal will be unusable and permanently discontinued.” Though overwhelmingly superseded […]

On Dec. 30, 2009, Horizon Air Flight 2014 — a Bombardier Q400 twin turboprop — arrived at Seattle-Tacoma Airport using avionics with Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) enabled. It marked the first revenue-generating flight in the country to use the technology, which is seen as a less expensive, more accurate and more dependable alternative to […]

Following certification in mid-December, Embraer Executive Aircraft delivered the first customer Phenom 300 business jet before year end. The timing enabled Tug Hill, Inc., a Texas-based oil and gas investment firm, to qualify for bonus tax depreciation on aircraft delivered in 2009. The Phenom 300, serial number 5, replaces a Cessna Conquest I twin turboprop […]