Aviation News August 2016

After several years of work, the FAA has released new Airman Certification Standards for the private pilot and instrument ratings. Piper Aircraft in June announced that its $2.9 million M600 six-seat single-engine turboprop is now FAA certified, and features an all-new wing, Garmin G3000 touchscreen avionics, and a new interior. At the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, held in May in Geneva, Textron announced new details about its clean-sheet single-engine turboprop design, and said its now accepting letters of intent from buyers. Icon Aircraft CEO Kirk Hawkins said in May that deliveries of the long-awaited A5 light sport aircraft wont begin until at least next year, citing delays and difficulties in setting up the production line and supply chain. The FAA says it will offer $500 rebates to aircraft owners who install ADS-B Out systems, but the program, which starts this fall, is limited to one year and 20,000 owners.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA introduced new Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for private pilot and instrument ratings, replacing old knowledge and practical test standards.
The FAA is offering a $500 rebate for single-engine piston aircraft owners who install ADS-B Out systems, limited to one year and 20,000 participants.
Piper Aircraft's M600 and Cub Crafters' XCub recently received FAA certification, while Textron detailed its new single-engine turboprop design.
Icon Aircraft announced delays in deliveries of its A5 light sport aircraft until next year, citing production and supply chain issues.

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FAA Publishes New Airman Certification Standards

After several years of work, the FAA has released new Airman Certification Stand-ards for the private pilot and instrument ratings. The ACS replaces both the former knowledge tests and practical test standards. “The ACS provide pilots, instructors, and evaluators with a single-source set of clear, logical standards that tell them what they need to know, consider, and do to qualify and pass both the knowledge and practical tests for airman certification and ratings,” said the FAA. The new standards, along with FAQs and other supporting documents, can be found online here.

Newly Certified — Piper M600, Cub Crafters XCub

Piper Aircraft in June announced that its $2.9 million M600 six-seat single-engine turboprop is now FAA certified, and features an all-new wing, Garmin G3000 touchscreen avionics, and a new interior. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A, the airplane cruises at 274 knots and can fly up to 1484 nm. At the other end of the spectrum, Cub Crafters has unveiled a new airplane called the XCub. Based on the Carbon Cub, the two-seat XCub is equipped with a 180hp Lycoming O-360 engine, a fixed-pitch prop, and a new spring-aluminum landing gear. Cub Crafters says the Part 23-certified XCub cruises at about 126 knots and has a range of nearly 1000 miles. A luxury interior is standard, with memory-foam and leather-covered seats. The XCub sells for $297,500.