Jets

Textron Aviation has gained FAA certification on the King Air 260, as it closes down production of two key models in Cessna and Beechcraft history—the Citation Sovereign+ and the King Air C90GTx. Flying contacted Textron Aviation for its official comment on the changes: “Textron Aviation continually aligns its product offerings with current and future market […]

A trio of former Cessna Aircraft Company executives has joined forces to launch a program to rehabilitate and upgrade legacy Cessna Citation Excel jets, first certified in April 1998 and precursors to the Citation XLS that debuted in 2004. The group, CitationPartners LLC, based in Wichita, Kansas, has christened the refurbished mid-sized jets “Citation Excel […]

As is the case in aviation, each coming year brings technological advances and ­innovations that translate into aircraft and products that can do things we never before thought possible. This was just such a year, bringing to the fore an impressive array of new aircraft that can go faster, fly more smoothly and better engage […]

“We’re on pace,” which is amazing given the pandemic, said Gulfstream’s Collin Miller, senior vice president of innovation, engineering, and flight. Gulfstream’s flight test team—including Miller and Jake Howard, lead test pilot for the G700 program—provided an update on the G700 development program, which is on track, with high-altitude testing complete and flight into known […]

The flagship of the super-midsize line for Embraer Executive Jets, the Praetor 600 has gained type certification from Transport Canada, the company announced on February 12. The jet was first delivered in June 2019, and a total of 18 600s went out the door for Embraer in 2020—along with 10 Praetor 500s, 50 Phenom 300s, and 6 Phenom 100s. […]

In its annual earnings report for 2020, presented on February 11, 2021, Bombardier’s leadership announced the cessation of production for the Learjet series in Wichita, Kansas. The Montreal, Quebec-based company will refocus its facilities in Wichita towards flight test and special missions aircraft. With the end of major aircraft manufacturing there, the Learjet 75 model […]

Textron Aviation announces airstair door, cabin, and connectivity enhancements to the Cessna Citation CJ4 with the new Gen2 version, its largest jet in the light-jet segment. Most of the upgrades reflect ways to improve passenger comfort. For starters, the company has introduced a lower point of entry on the redesigned stairs to make boarding easier. […]

Bombardier Global 7500 Bombardier Aviation is ramping up deliveries of its flagship Global 7500 ultra-long-range business jet. The Canadian aircraft builder says the Global 8000, a slightly higher- powered and longer-legged aircraft, will for now remain only a development program. A company spokesman says, “Given that the majority of our orders are for Global 7500 […]

Today’s new private jet aircraft offer the very latest in-flight deck technologies to enhance safety and reduce pilot workloads, while efficiency advancements in airframe design deliver higher cruise speeds resulting in longer distances between city pairs. All of this aerospace engineering produces exceptional performance; however, the real reason anyone buys in this market segment is […]

Dassault Aviation unveiled its first completed Falcon 6X in a virtual event on December 8 from the company’s Merignac hangar in Bordeaux, France. The event was hosted by TV journalist and pilot Miles O’Brien. Approximately 4,000 people tuned in from around the globe for the event. The 6X is the successor to the 5X program […]