Aviation News

The Senate plan for funding the FAA does not include general aviation user fees, but rather an increase in the federal tax of jet fuel to 36 cents per gallon from 21.8 cents per gallon-a 64 percent hike. Congressional proponents of user fees and opponents of the concept, including Sen. Max Baucus (D- Montana), have […]

On January 4, 2007, at about 8:30 p.m. EST, a Cessna 182P with three aboard left Newport News, Virginia, for Columbia, South Carolina. Rain and fog were forecast for Columbia, and the pilot, a 7,200-hour ATP, had filed an IFR flight plan earlier in the evening. The right-seat passenger, himself an instrument-rated commercial pilot and […]

L3 announced it has simultaneously received an FAA supplemental type certification (STC) and parts manufacturer approval (PMA) for its IRIS (Infra Red Imaging System) enhanced vision system for most models in the King Air 90, 200 and 300 series. The L3 IRIS system includes a KMD-850 multifunction display, but the STC allows King Air operators […]

Swiss airframer Pilatus announced it has received FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval for its Next Generation Pilatus PC-12, to be designated PC-12 NG. The central element to the new version of the popular turboprop single is the Primus Apex avionics suite, and a new cockpit design from BMW Group DesignworksUSA. The Pilatus […]

The National Business Aviation Association announced during Sun ‘n Fun 2008 that it will hold its first Light Aircraft Convention & Exhibition (LAC&E) next spring in San Diego. Set to run March 12, 13 and 14, the event targets business owners who use light aircraft-up to and including very light jets and cabin class turboprops. […]

The 34th Annual Sun ?n Fun Fly-In is set to get underway. This year?s special guest stars, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds precision flight demonstration team, is scheduled to headline. The show runs from Tuesday, April 8, through Sunday, April 13. Like AirVenture, Sun ?n Fun got its start as a small, local event that […]

USAIG, one of the largest aviation insurance companies, is offering up to a 7.5 percent premium credit to owner pilots who attend annual formal recurrent training classes. That is in addition to the company?s policy of no hull loss deductibles, $5,000 per person medical payment coverage for pilots and passengers, and up to $250,000 voluntary […]

The National Transportation Safety Board released its final report for 2007, and the statistics reveal that general aviation has gotten safer, at least in terms of fatal accidents. The number of accidents involving general aviation aircraft (non-airline; not-for-hire charter) was actually up last year to 1,631 from 1,518 in 2006. But fatalities were down a […]

In February Cessna announced details of its new Model 850 Citation Columbus, the first business jet in the line to have a flat-floor cabin with 6-feet 1-inch stand-up headroom. The Columbus promises 4,000 nm of IFR range flying at Mach .80 (459 knots) while carrying eight passengers. The airplane is an all-new design and will […]

The National Weather Association is offering a free ?Weather Theory for Pilots? interactive course on its website. The course covers basic atmospheric theory, including moisture, vertical motion and stability, and is designed for new or low-time pilots. This course compliments other online courses already offered by the NWA that address flying when thunderstorms are present […]