Aviation News

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 Though overwhelmingly superseded […]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 […]

It’s true, business aviation traffic was down by an estimated 18-20 percent last year, compared with 2008. But the accident rate declined even more steeply, with 45 percent fewer accidents involving jets and turboprops. According to the latest numbers from Robert E. Breiling Associates, fatal accidents declined even more, with just eight in 2009 (involving […]

If you own a Light Sport Aircraft that is approved for training — whether it is used in that role or not — you’ll have to amend your aircraft’s airworthiness certificate by the end of this month. If not, your current certificate will expire and the aircraft will never again be eligible for an updated […]

Last week, Cessna has announced the resumption of production of its Sovereign twinjet. The company also announced it had hired back 60 workers, with 120 more to be reinstated in the coming weeks. Even with the announcement, Cessna now plans to build even fewer jets in 2010 than the 275 it delivered last year. That […]

When NASCAR’s Cessna 310 crashed in June 2007 following an in flight fire, it touched off a process that has yielded a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin. The twin crashed, killing both pilots and three on the ground. The new SAIB involves the practice of taking off with “a known and unresolved discrepancy.” It is believed […]