Aviation News

Safety was a huge issue at the Heli Expo this year. With the NTSB set to issue recommendations based largely on a terrible 2008 accident record in the rotary-wing world (helicopter emergency medical services [HEMS] in particular), the industry is struggling to find ways to make its operations a lot safer. There were many suppliers […]

In the face of declining orders and factory layoffs, selected garages around the world have become one of the most prolific aircraft production sources in the industry today. Last December, the 6,000th Van’s Aircraft homebuilt kit took flight, and new aircraft are being completed at a rate of two per day. The 6,000th Van’s product […]

Operators of Teledyne Continental engines in the 470, 520 and 550 series who have installed new cylinders since November 2007 are facing a manufacturer’s voluntary recall of those cylinders. TCM expects to replace some 9,600 of the cylinders, after 36 of them developed cracks in the head castings. The compromised cylinders all had more than […]

Delivered to its owners last December 24, the first customer Embraer Phenom 100 light jet recently visited Embraer’s Florida facility to show off its new paint scheme. Owners James and Betsy Frost of Houston accepted the airplane on Christmas Eve at Embraer’s Sao Jose dos Campos factory in Brazil, but the paint job wasn’t completed […]

In its briefing on last year’s sales figures, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported an increase in billings compared with 2007 (up 13.4 percent). But that’s where the flow of good news comes to a screeching halt. Overall the picture looks bleak, said GAMA Chairman Mark Van Tine, president and CEO of Jeppesen. “Many of […]

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) have joined forces again to promote the message that business aviation is a productive business tool rather than just another lavish parcel of an overpaid executive’s compensation package. First coined in 1993, the ‘No Plane No Gain’ message has some 21st century […]

The NTSB is continuing its investigation into the crash of a Q400 twin turboprop near Buffalo on February 12th that killed all aboard the airplane and one person on the ground. In a startling development, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times have reported that the Board is looking at the possibility of […]

With orders lagging for its piston-powered products, Cirrus expects to reposition some of its workforce in developing its Vision single-engine jet. New CEO Brent Wouters calls the Vision Cirrus’ “future engine for growth,” while looking to overseas markets in Indonesia and elsewhere in the Far East for new opportunities to sell SR20 and SR22 piston […]

Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department released a series of restrictions to executive compensation aimed at companies receiving government bailout money. Named specifically in the language were AIG, Bank of America and Citigroup. The measures call for tighter controls on “luxury expenditures,” though they do not specifically prohibit ownership or use of corporate aircraft. According […]

Late last year, the FAA notified helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operators that it was making changes to OpSpecs A021, which regulates the industry. And also to OpSpecs A050 covering the use of night vision goggles. Further guidance from the FAA ramping up safety measures emerged recently in advance of last week’s four-day hearings by […]