Aviation News

Cirrus Design has reacted to slumping sales by lowering its production rate to three aircraft per day from four per day. The Duluth, Minnesota, manufacturer also expects to cut back to a three-day week for at least some of the remainder of this year, though Cirrus would re-up the per-day rate to four under that […]

As of February 1 next year, you might need a 406-megaHertz emergency locator transmitter (ELT) to operate in Canadian airspace, regardless of where your aircraft is registered. As of that date, search and rescue satellites will cease to scan for older 121.5-megaHertz ELTs. The FAA has left it up to pilots whether or not they […]

I went to a Catholic grammar school (where they actually taught grammar, by the way — a dying art). The Sisters of the Holy Cross, always eager to tamp down heresy among the 10-year-olds, dealt with the conundrum of evil and God’s will (if God is all-good, why does He allow bad things to happen?) […]

An FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committee made 36 follow-on recommendations for implementation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), leading the FAA to reopen the public comment period on the ADS-B proposal until November 3. Among the recommendations are moves to ease the equipment transition for aircraft operators from transponders and ELTs; and to improve weather and traffic-avoidance […]

Everyone knows that there is less flying going on, but Lockheed Martin is using the reduced numbers to justify cutting back on Flight Service Station facilities. The company announced last week that five satellite stations will close in February. Facilities due to shut their doors include those in Oakland, San Diego, Denver, Albuquerque and Macon, […]

Thielert Aircraft Engines, currently under insolvency administration in Germany, has doubled the service life of the fuel feed pump for its Centurion 1.7 and 2.0 diesel aircraft engines. Thielert insolvency administrator Bruno Kübler announced the increase in service life for the pump to 600 hours, from 300 hours, reduces the hourly operating costs for the […]

Decades ago, aviation gasoline contributed a tiny percentage of the overall lead pollution in the United States. But after EPA standards were installed in 1978, other sources-most profoundly, leaded auto fuel-were outlawed, leaving aviation fuel as one of the top lead polluters. Though avgas today still represents a tiny fraction of what was emitted 30 […]

Earlier this month, Sandel Avionics and S-Tec announced the completion of a successful test program coordinating the 4-ATI-size Sandel SA4550 primary attitude display and the S-Tec System 55, 55X, 60-2 and 65 autopilots. The SA4550 is now an approved flight director for the popular autopilots. The display is marketed as a modular replacement for existing […]

Fractional aircraft ownership specialist PlaneSmart, based in Dallas, now offers management services for owners of “qualifying” airplanes. The company has taken delivery of an Eclipse 500 and is offering shares to customers. Late model aircraft in excellent condition-preferably with “advanced avionics”-are eligible. The company claims existing owners will receive a “significant refund” on their original […]

With its winglets already certified and installed on larger King Airs, BLR Aerospace in Everett, Washington, has turned its attention to operators of King Air C90s, E90s and King Air GTs and GTis. Certification of the winglets was listed as “imminent” earlier this month. The winglets are credited with reducing fuel consumption by as much […]