AOPA

Comments have closed on the FCC’s proposal to phase out 121.5 MHz ELTs but a group of senators has made it a political issue. Five members of the Senate GA Caucus, led by Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., have written the head of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, urging him to drop the plan. The senators argue […]

Although some pilots think closing towers at small general aviation airports may negatively impact flight safety and convenience, nearly half of them — about 45 percent — say they support the closings anyway and not even one in five believes the towers should remain open. And by overwhelming margins, AVweb readers told us that the […]

Current AOPA President and CEO Craig Fuller announced in February that he would resign as soon as a suitable replacement could be found and AOPA chairman Bill Trimble has now described the kind of individual the association is seeking. In an open letter to AOPA members, Trimble said the candidate “must be a passionate outgoing […]

As AOPA President Craig Fuller announces his departure, a survey of AVweb readers reveals that about half — 53 percent — think AOPA has done a good to exceptional job of promoting and protecting general aviation. But almost one in five — 17 percent — say just the opposite; AOPA has done a poor to […]

Cessna brought the new version of its Citation Sovereign business jet to NBAA in Orlando this week, with a Garmin G5000 avionics suite and new Pratt & Whitney PW306D engines. Like other newer Citation models, the New Sovereign will have winglets. The upgrades will boost the range by 150 nm, for a total range of […]

AVweb‘s daily coverage of the 2012 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association gathering (AOPA Summit 2012) in Palm Springs, California concludes with a gallery of photos from the show. This image gallery requires JavaScript. [ original size ] [ original size ] [ original size ] [ original size ] [ original size ] [ original […]

The same company that five years ago introduced modern attainable full-motion general aviation flight simulators to flight schools is set to broaden their influence. The company currently has more than 300 simulators working in flight schools and has expanded its attention to training curriculum. Redbird Skyport at San Marcos, Texas, is the company’s training facility […]

The world’s most successful manufacturer of kit planes is tentatively entering the OEM market with an initial run of 12 deluxe copies of its RV-12 LSA. In a podcast interview with AVweb at AOPA Summit in Palm Springs, Van’s Aircraft founder and president Dick VanGrunsven said it was a market the company was thinking about […]

Hawker Beechcraft Systems has an in-house program to upgrade Bonanza aircraft with new avionics, new engines and new ergonomics as part of its Xtra program. Upgrades range in cost from the tens of thousands to roughly $100,000 and offer improvements in comfort, speed, range and style. Upgrading the air conditioning alone can add knots to […]

Director of Lockheed Martin Flight Services, Jim Derr, spoke with AVweb Thursday to discuss new tools rolled out this week to aid pilots in their flight planning and flight plan filing through AFSS.com. The web portal offers pilots the ability to create profiles based on the aircraft they fly, routes of flight and frequent destinations. […]