Aviation News

Last Thursday, the first production version of Cessna’s Model 162 Skycatcher flew for the first time. The Skycatcher factory is located in Shenyang, China, and that’s where the flight took place. Cessna partnered with Shenyang Aircraft Company to produce the Skycatcher. The two-place, high-wing single is Cessna’s entry in the FAA’s five-year-old light sport aircraft […]

Matt Zuccaro, president of the Helicopter Association International, told Congress on Sept. 16 that no one recommendation was a “silver bullet” in solving issues arising from the collision last month of a tour helicopter and a fixed-wing Piper Lance. Zuccaro agreed that the FAA was acting prudently with its recommendations to standardize the floor of […]

Airline passenger groups are applauding FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt’s tough talk for airlines. In clarifying the agency’s mission, he said, “When we say ‘customer,’ we’re talking about the flying public.” Passengers’ groups have protested the FAA’s use of the word when referring to the airlines, themselves. The groups are pressing for a passengers’ bill of […]

Fractional-ownership patriarch Richard Santulli resigned last month as head of the company he founded in 1986. Many within the industry have expressed it was because he refused to cut staff. Santulli sold NetJets several years ago to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, and with losses mounting, some believed Santulli was being pressured to lay off employees. […]

The American Bonanza Society met in Salt Lake City for its annual convention earlier this month. With its emphasis on safety and sharing information, the Bonanza owners’ group featured more than 50 hours of meetings and seminars, as well as one of the most comprehensive collections of product vendors on display. Next year’s meeting will […]

For the fifth year in a row, a Hawker Beechcraft Premier IA will perform fly-by demonstrations at this year’s Reno National Championship Air Races and Air Show in Reno, Nevada. The racing started Wednesday and continues through this weekend, ending Sept. 20. Astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson will fly the Premier IA on its demonstration passes. […]

More than 150 people and 40 Cessna Citations gathered in Aspen, Colorado, over Labor Day weekend. The occasion was the first convention of the Citation Jet Pilots Association, primarily representing owner-pilots of Cessna’s line of business jets. John Hayes, who heads the group he founded nearly one year ago, said the event was an opportunity […]

A report from the Government Accountability Office cites concerns that the National Weather Service and the FAA need a fresh interagency agreement. And consolidating weather service units is one of the possible outcomes. The existing pact expires at the end of this month. A proposed restructuring addresses the manner in which aviation weather is provided […]

Under attack in the media and on political fronts, helicopter tour operators will meet for three days next month in Las Vegas. The meetings, organized by the Helicopter Association International (HAI), will focus on the association’s Helicopter Tour Operators Committee (HTOC) and the Tour Operators Program of Safety (TOPS). For information on registration, go to […]

Most pilots who fly their aircraft for personal or business transportation know that their way beats the airlines on most counts. A recent story on Yahoo News indicates that truism is gaining further credibility. With business travel down, the trend toward service cuts by the major airlines is expected to continue. New capacity cuts are […]