Jets

Hawker Beechcraft has received an order for up to 12 Hawker 800XPRs from San Francisco-based charter operator XOJET. The agreement includes a firm order for seven aircraft, slated to be delivered next year, with the option for five additional airplanes.The deal constitutes a potential $50 million sale for Hawker and is the result of steady […]

Bombardier’s Wichita site has a rich history as the manufacturing center of the iconic Learjet, and over the years, Bombardier expanded the site’s operations to include completion work for the Global 5000 and Global 5500 aircraft cabins as the latest diversification for this skilled workforce. Those employees had something big to celebrate recently as the […]

Pete Bunce said, “While the year started off strong, the health and safety restrictions put in place to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic began to significantly impact global operations, supply chains and deliveries towards the end of the first quarter.” Bunce’s remarks were part of the General Aviation Manufacturing Association’s report of first-quarter aircraft shipments—Bunce […]

“Hey, Dick. Just so you know, the airport is closed.” It’s Max calling from the FBO in Lebanon, New Hampshire, about an hour before our proposed takeoff time. “There’s ice on the runway; they are scraping it now. If we can just get a little more sun, it won’t take long before they’ll open 18/36.” […]

One encouraging sign during the collective slowdown of the aviation industry in the second quarter of 2020: OEMs continue aircraft development programs—and that includes Gulfstream’s pursuit of the G700 certification. The company announced in early May that the second and third aircraft within the G700 program are now undergoing flight test. The second test platform […]

Well, yes, I had left my phone on the Virgin Atlantic flight to London. So, yes, I was out of touch for the six days it took me to get it back from “Missing X” somewhere in the ductwork of Heathrow Airport. So, yes, there was a delay in receiving your voicemail. When I did […]

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation announced on March 18, 2020, that the first Mitsubishi SpaceJet M90 (FTV10)—in its final, certifiable baseline configuration—had successfully completed its maiden flight from the Prefectural Nagoya Airport in Japan. The crew performed basic aircraft performance tests during a two-hour flight conducted over the Pacific Ocean. With the completion of this first flight, […]

One highlight of last fall’s NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas was the media extravaganza created when Gulfstream Aerospace unveiled a mockup of its newest airplane, the G700, an ultra-long-range business jet able to fly as many as eight passengers up to 7,500 nm. The Vegas stage built to Gulfstream’s specification at Henderson Executive Airport included five […]

Brazilian airplane maker Embraer has announced an upgraded version of its Phenom 300 light business jet. The Phenom 300E has reached Mach 0.80, which, the company claims, makes the airplane the fastest single-pilot business jet on the market. High-speed cruise for the Phenom 300E is listed at 464 knots, an increase from 453 knots in […]

It’s a rare pilot indeed who learns to fly in a single-engine airplane and never dreams of jumping into a larger, sleeker machine that carries more people, flies faster and farther, and of course, is outfitted with all the latest electronic navigation and communications gear. For pilots able to climb that ownership ladder—often men and […]