Aviation News

The University of North Dakota’s Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences will take delivery of six more Cessna 172 Skyhawks next month. That makes 44 new Cessnas UND will have received within 18 months. The UND Skyhawks will come equipped with the Garmin G1000 avionics suite. UND operates a fleet of 116 aircraft, including eight helicopters. […]

The grand finale for the Wichita Aero Club’s monthly luncheon meetings will consist of a high-level summit meeting of the city’s top aviation leaders. Moderating the Dec. 15 discussion will be Flying magazine Editor-in-chief J. Mac McClellan. He will direct a panel including the following senior executives: Bill Boisture, Hawker Beechcraft; David Coleal, Bombardier Learjet; […]

With its landing gear first installed last July, the prototype Icon A5 amphibian continues to undergo a combination of tests involving land and water operations. The company reports that the electrically driven retractable gear cycles in 10 seconds, and takeoff tests have shown its geometry to be correct. Liftoffs have come at below the expected […]

Hawker Beechcraft has announced the first non-stop transatlantic flight of a King Air 350ER (extended range). The ocean-hopping flight was actually the second leg of a delivery flight. The aircraft was the first of four modified 350ERs ordered by the U.K. Ministry of Defence for its Military Flying Training System program. The King Air flew […]

Some hydraulic lifters from Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) have shown premature wear — some in as little as five hours. TCM issued a mandatory service bulletin on Nov. 3. The FAA subsequently issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive after assessing the bulletin. All the lifters in question were installed after June 19, 2009 and the AD […]

In 1944, his father, Wolfgang, wrote the definitive text on seat-of-pants flying, Stick & Rudder. Now, William Langewiesche has published a book examining details of the Miracle on the Hudson ditching. In his new book, Fly By Wire: The Geese, the Glide and the “Miracle” on the Hudson, the younger Langewiesche (who is an accomplished […]

The first nine months of 2008 were terrific for general aviation. The same time frame this year has been a disaster, by comparison. Manufacturers shipped close to 3,000 aircraft through Q3 last year (2,982 to be exact — according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association). This year’s total through September is 1,587 — off by […]

At the AOPA Summit in Tampa, Avidyne announced some new products and enhancements to its DFC90 and DFC100 autopilot systems. New to the market is the latest EX600 multifunction display, priced starting at less than $10,000. Designed for aircraft without an MFD or those that need an upgrade, the EX600 includes new map-panning keys and […]

Outgoing president of Piper Aircraft John Becker (leaving “to pursue other career goals”) will be replaced as of Dec. 1 in that role by current CEO Kevin Gould, who will carry both titles. Gould was vice president of operations when Singapore-based Imprimis Fund acquired the airframer last May. He replaced President and CEO James Bass […]

Supersonic natural laminar flow is the trump card for Aerion — the company that hopes to be the first to certify a Mach-busting business jet. Advanced aerodynamics at supersonic speed is projected to enable the Aerion aircraft to fly with dramatically low fuel consumption. Though Aerion acknowledges the depressed worldwide economy has slowed development, the […]