Aviation News

Stevens Aviation delivered the first Learjet modified under its Lear4Ever program this week. Stevens, working with several partners, transforms the classic turbofan-powered Learjet with a package of new avionics, aerodynamic modifications, plus its highly regarded new interior and paint work. Big Universal flat glass displays are among the most notable cockpit changes. The Universal system […]

Lockheed Martin, which operates the flight service briefings under contract to the government, has introduced a program designed to save time on phone briefings and when filing flight plans. Pilots can set up a personal profile that, based on the telephone number called from, will automatically populate the briefer’s screen with boilerplate information such as […]

Eclipse says it will pay back deposits with interest, and the 190 temporary employees let go last week were part of the production rampup, and such workforce reductions are “not uncommon.” Since announcing a new round of initial financing at EAA AirVenture last month, the new management at Eclipse has been in cash-conservancy mode. It […]

By FAA count, there have been more than 3,000 incursions into the Washington, D.C., Area Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) since the restricted area’s inception in 2003. As a result, the agency last week issued a final rule mandating completion of a one-hour online course for pilots who wish to fly under VFR within 60 nautical […]

You can get a chance to win one of three Sporty’s Online Pilot Courses by entering our online giveaway. No purchase is necessary, and the official rules can be found below. The contest runs from August 21st through September 22nd, 2008. Sporty’s new web-based courses provide a great resource for pilots looking to get their […]

When the General Aviation Manufacturers Association released production figures last week, what first might have looked like bad news for piston manufacturers, turns out to be rosier than it might have seemed. The bad news: Total first-half shipments for piston singles and twins were down 15.7 percent compared with last year’s first-half numbers. But the […]

The FAA issued a new AD on the Eclipse 500 throttle quadrant, clarifying compliance procedures. The new AD supersedes the emergency AD issued June 12 following an incident in which an Eclipse pilot pushed the throttle levers through the stops, and the engines stuck at full power. Eclipse has issued a service bulletin advising owners […]

Era Training Center has received FAA Level 6 approval for its Frasca-built Flight Simulation Training Device for the Eurocopter EC135. Established last June in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Era provides training for corporate, medical and law-enforcement rotorcraft pilots. Era expects to win Level 6 approval for its Frasca AS350 FTSD later this year. In business for […]

Well-known ELT manufacturer Artex Aircraft Supplies, a part of the UK-based Cobham Group’s Avionics and Surveillance Division, announced last week it had signed an agreement to distribute ‘spidertracks’ surveillance devices. Priced at less than $2,000 per unit, spidertracks are GPS-based tracking devices for light aircraft. They are interchangeable from aircraft to aircraft and do not […]

After the Cirrus SJ50 (née, “The Jet”) whispered through its lone flyby at AirVenture last week, Cirrus Design CEO Alan Klapmeier and co-founder and brother Dale played the proud parents, but cautioned that the company still has much work to do to bring the product to market. Indeed, critical weight and fuel-burn projections have yet […]