Pistons

After a five-year production hiatus, Mooney is again building airplanes in Kerrville, Texas — albeit at a slow pace for now. Mooney International Corp. CEO Jerry Chen confirmed that the troubled manufacturer has begun production of the first new Mooney since the factory closed in 2009. The assembly line will officially start moving again on […]

Anybody in the market for a new light piston twin won’t have to spend much time creating a list of potential airplanes to buy. As long as we can agree that the French single-seater Cri Cri and the open cockpit AirCam don’t quite cut it as viable options in the quest for a do-it-all twin, […]

Photo by Jim Raeder| The used airplane picture has gone through some big changes in recent years, and none have been more dramatic than those that have occurred in the market for piston airplanes, which are still selling for far less than they did before the downturn of 2008. While certain brands and models of […]

It’s been almost 20 years now that diesel technology has been a promising alternative for light general aviation, though the adoption of compression engines has taken longer and has suffered more teething pains than its proponents anticipated. I’ve had the chance to fly five different airplanes with four different diesel engines — the original Thielert, […]

When the subject of legendary light airplanes comes up, one of the names certain to be mentioned early in the conversation is the Beechcraft Bonanza. The latest model, the G36, bears a passing resemblance to the revolutionary original, which Beech Aircraft began selling way back in 1947. But today’s Bonanza is a very sophisticated platform, […]

**Beechcraft Bonanza G36 ** ** ** The purchase of a Beechcraft Bonanza or an airplane in the same price category is a long-term investment. So it is important that the airplane you choose fits your specific needs. Do you need seats for six people? Is ease of access for loading passengers or cargo important? Is […]

At AOPA Summit Cirrus Aircraft introduced its new lineup of Generation 5 SR22s. While there aren’t any game changing upgrades, the company has followed course by giving new customers a number of quality of life improvements. For our money, the biggest improvement comes with the introduction of new brakes. The lighter and cooler-running brakes by […]

Mooney confirmed today that it plans to resume aircraft production in January at its factory in Kerrville, Texas, after a five-year absence from the market. The move is being made possible by an undisclosed investment from a mysterious California company called Soaring America Corp. Reports from a Chinese news source last week indicated that Meijing […]

Mooney may soon be sold to Chinese investors. Then again, maybe not. The Kerrville, Texas, company says it can neither confirm nor deny a report that a sale to a Chinese real estate investment group is imminent. China Radio International yesterday reported that Meijing Group of China has entered negotiations with Mooney and is expected […]

More than 100 people recently turned out for the opening of a fuel processing facility in Lafayette, Indiana, built to produce a new unleaded high-octane aviation gasoline called 100SF. Designed as a drop-in replacement for 100LL, the fuel can be safely used in GA piston airplanes, said officials from Swift Fuels LLC, based in the […]