General aviation groups are cheering the nomination of Randy Babbitt to lead the FAA through difficult skies ahead, including the upcoming modernization of its air traffic control system. Babbitt is a pilot and former president of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). Among his most profound challenges will be to push permanent funding legislation through […]
Cessna confirmed that the crash of a second Model 162 SkyCatcher prototype last week resulted from an unrecoverable spin. Nevertheless, Cessna remains committed to the light sport aircraft project. Company CEO Jack Pelton explained, “We test all our aircraft well beyond the limits of what is expected in normal operation.” In the second SkyCatcher accident, […]
After “reluctantly” taking over from founder Vern Raburn as head of Eclipse Aviation last summer, Roel Pieper was unable to resurrect the company as it existed back then. Now, Pieper has thrown the weight of his experience and expertise behind Eclipse Jet LLC-also known as “New Eclipse,” one of the companies vying to acquire the […]
The pilot who, literally, wrote the book on mountain flying has died in the March 17 crash of his Cessna 180. Sparky Imeson’s Mountain Flying Bible is considered the best of several books on the subject by the veteran pilot, who was flying solo when he crashed. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused […]
On a test flight near Cessna headquarters in Wichita, a second SkyCatcher test aircraft has crashed. The test pilot deployed the light sport aircraft’s ballistic parachute recovery system and walked away from the crash site. The aluminum airframe struck a fence on landing and flipped inverted. There was no fire. A Cessna spokesman would not […]
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has installed a dedicated general aviation liaison specialist to assess and address concerns from pilots and aircraft operators. Juan Barnes was appointed to the newly defined position, and wrote in a memo to general aviation stakeholders: “[You] are encouraged to submit inquiries regarding TSA programs, policies and security directives. Your […]
The engine that powers Cessna’s CJ series, Hawker Beechcraft’s Premier and others has just demonstrated its ability to run on “coal-based alternative fuel,” according to Williams International. The Williams FJ44-3 test article burned 2,000 gallons of the fuel-developed at Penn State University. It performed “extremely well,” exhibiting performance numbers on par with the jet-A powered […]
It created a stir at AirVenture Oshkosh last summer, but until it actually lifted off, the Terrafugia ‘Transition’ really remained just another exciting promise. And in general aviation, we’ve had a bellyful of those. The Transition takes its name from what it proposes to do-switch quickly and easily from a car to an airplane and […]
From his perspective, ex-Air Force fighter pilot Bill Boisture has seen his share of business cycles and how the general aviation industry reacts to them. Boisture started his new job as head of Hawker Beechcraft on Monday, succeeding Jim Schuster, who last fall had announced his plans to retire as soon as a replacement could […]
With each passing day, the mystery grows deeper surrounding the Pilatus PC-12 crash last week in Butte, Montana. All 14 Californians on board died, including seven small children. They were on their way to a ski vacation at Yellowstone Club, near Bozeman, Montana. The single pilot-65-year-old Air Force veteran Bud Summerfield-requested a diversion to Butte […]
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