Aviation News

Eclipse, the self-proclaimed standard bearer for the very light jet (VLJ), appears to be in dire financial straits; and an attempted financial comeback by Adam Aircraft has apparently come up short. Reports from two aviation-oriented think tanks-the Teal Group and Forecast International-predict that Eclipse will cease production of its Eclipse 500 twinjet before the end […]

Pending approval from European business regulatory authorities, Socata parent company EADS has agreed to divest a 70 percent interest in its general aviation unit, Socata, to Daher. The latter is a European industrial conglomerate with interests in aerospace, nuclear power and the automotive industry. Socata’s TBM series of single-engine turboprops are among the most successful […]

Listed in order of their impact on the respective companies, Mooney, Hawker Beechcraft and Cessna all announced this week that they will either scale back production, cut staff or both. A spokesman for Mooney said yesterday that employees had been notified the company was “scaling production to market demand.” He said the Mooney factory in […]

This year’s forward-looking report from the FAA puts much of its emphasis on advancing safety and improving airspace capacity. Though understandably weighted heavily toward airline issues, the report includes information on initiatives vital to general aviation pilots, as well. For example, under the heading of ‘Safety’ the second topic identified is improving the general aviation […]

Just in time for this week’s AOPA Expo in San Jose, Garmin has announced it will introduce its first all-new portable GPS product since the GPSMap 496. The new GPSMap 696’s most prominent feature is its size. With a 7-inch screen (measured diagonally) it can display a full-size approach plate. The unit is qualified as […]

Following the attempted ouster of two popular board members, a contingent of the National Association of Flight Instructors has organized to challenge the group’s board of directors. Citing “recent developments at the board level,” a group known as Take Back Our NAFI (TBO NAFI) issued a press release calling for “swift and sweeping changes” in […]

DayJet, the failed air taxi operator based in Florida, had taken delivery of 28 Eclipse 500 very light jets (VLJs) before ceasing operations last month. The start-up operator had ordered 1,400 of the VLJs. The 28 are now up for sale, with their Albuquerque, New Mexico, manufacturer in the role of broker. Though there has […]

When the economy slips, it sometimes pays off to address customers’ needs to downsize. That could be part of the thinking behind JetDirect Aviation (formerly TAG) moving more aggressively into the turboprop and light-jet charter segment. Last year, JetDirect acquired California-based Sunset Aviation, which focuses on the lighter side of corporate charter. Sunset operates a […]

Speaking at a National Journal policy breakfast last week, representatives from both competing presidential campaigns were not very illuminating when it came to the subject of where their bosses stood on general aviation issues. Senator Barack Obama’s transportation advisor noted the need for greater investment in aviation infrastructure, including “getting an ATC system that works.” […]

Last Tuesday, at the Dassault Falcon Jet hangar at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, aviation industry representatives met with New Jersey politicians and representatives of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to celebrate the fruits of a unique effort. Two years ago, a group of Teterboro Airport users, FBOs and local residents’ […]