Aviation News

Citing six recorded in-flight breakups leading to 10 fatalities since 2006, the NTSB has asked the FAA to ground the Zodiac 601XL. Previously available as a kitplane, it was certified as a light sport aircraft in 2005. It is based on an original configuration created by designer Chris Heinz, of Switzerland, in the early 1970s. […]

General aviation might not be climbing out of its hole, but at least there are signs that the excavation has stopped. Business consultancy firm UBS Investment Research has reported that the inventory of pre-owned business jets for sale could be leveling off after soaring for several months. The number of pre-owned jets for sale is […]

Eagle Creek Aviation Services, based in Indianapolis, has completed and delivered one of its signature Grand Renaissance Twin Commanders to Kern County, California. The county will use the revitalized twin turboprop in two distinct roles; as a command-and-control aircraft for spotting and fighting wildfires; and as VIP transport. Grand Renaissance Twin Commanders incorporate upgraded Honeywell […]

Part of the strategy seems to be to change the name on the door while still looking for someone who will pay the rent. Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH is now officially renamed Centurion Aircraft Engines AG & Co. KG. Insolvency administrator Bruno Kubler made the announcement last week, saying, “Centurion can quickly establish itself on […]

A Monday report in the Wichita Eagle cites “rumors” that Cessna’s parent company Textron could be for sale. The news drove Textron stock up-though it still rests far closer to the bottom of its fluctuation curve than the top. According to some observers in the finance sector, Lockheed Martin could be among the potential buyers-though […]

At a recent dinner gathering, a few days after the wonderfully well-omened US Airways ditching in the Hudson, when several guests had been grilling me about bird strikes and ditching procedures, someone commented that her worst nightmare was being in an airplane when the pilot had a heart attack. “How often,” another guest asked me, […]

“The industry is trying to stimulate interest in flying, but the data suggest that more needs to be done.” That may be an understatement, but the FAA’s annual aviation forecast, released last week, included this bit of wisdom. What’s encouraging is that the tone of the statement-and the attitude apparent throughout the rest of the […]

More than 100 Cessna Corvalis 400 TTs are now equipped with TKS ice protection as a factory option or retrofit. Now, owners of Corvalis 300/350s can have the system installed. CAV Aerospace, which holds the patent for the “weeping wing” TKS system, announced last week it has received an amended FAA Supplemental Type Certificate to […]

Everyone’s hoping for signs of a turnaround, and last week’s Aviation Electronics Association trade show in Dallas looks like it was just the ticket. The prevailing wisdom seemed to be that, while sales of big-ticket new aircraft may be stalled, owners of older airplanes could be having their day. Glass avionics suites finally trickled down […]

Billing its XL2 as “the most economical certified aircraft” on the IFR market, Liberty Aerospace has nevertheless seen its workforce dwindle to some 32 employees-down from a high of 180. Company president Keith Markley reports the company has no intention of shutting down, and he hopes to continue production with the current staffing at Liberty’s […]