Business Aviation

At last week’s NBAA show in Orlando, I was having a little argument with myself in one of the press conferences. A staple of these things is what we used to call in the newspaper business “grip and grins.” The assembled people of import grip the certificate/plaque/award/trophy, face the camera and beam. Click. Two cols […]

In advance of this week’s election, AOPA sent a questionnaire to the two major party candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump, seeking their positions on issues of interest to general aviation pilots. Trump’s campaign did not respond, AOPA says, despite six weeks of “multiple attempts via many communication channels.” Clinton’s campaign, however, sent detailed […]

A3, the Airbus advanced-projects group based in Silicon Valley, has contracted with two local companies who are tasked with developing a flying prototype of an autonomous electric taxi aircraft by the end of next year. Modern Technology Solutions Inc. (MTSI) will lead the flight-test effort, and Soar Oregon will provide test-range support and other services. […]

Anyone who wants to fly the Icon LSA now can take instruction in Tampa, Florida, the company announced last week. The new flight center is open at the Peter O. Knight Airport, a general aviation field. The training program is offered not just to A5 position holders but to anyone who wants to sign up. […]

GE has test run a developmental version of its Advanced Turboprop (ATP) engine that contains 35 percent 3D printed parts. The ATP will be used in Cessna’s new Denali single and is a big part of the sales pitch for the aircraft. GE says 3D printing saves weight and is more precise than traditional construction […]

Bombardier’s Global 7000 long-range business jet flew for the first time Friday at Bombardier’s assembly plant at its private airport in Toronto. The aircraft took off from Downsview for a two-hour, 27-minute flight that went to 20,000 feet and 276 mph. “With today’s first flight successfully completed, all teams remain focused on meeting the program’s […]

The world of tablet apps has exploded with sophisticated flight planning and management capability, but jet operators haven’t necessarily been included in the fun. This week at NBAA BACE in Orlando, ForeFlight announced an upgraded version of its iOS app aimed specifically at the unique needs of jet operators. “Doing flight planning for higher-end airplanes […]

I was on my way into the static display at NBAA in Orlando yesterday when I bumped into a photographer friend. He had been sent out to grab some crowd shots at Orlando Executive but was heading home empty handed. “Couldn’t find any crowds,” he said. I wouldn’t exactly say the place is deserted; the […]

For such an expensive asset, even a busy personally flown aircraft doesn’t always get much utilization. And Daher, manufacturer of the TBM 900 and 930 single-engine turboprops, has come up with a promotional plan to help owners place their airplanes into charter operations, defraying the ownership costs and keeping the airplanes in the air more […]

Thanks to improvements for business aircraft at some of Japan’s major airports, business aircraft activity there has sharply increased, according to Japanese aviation officials. At a press briefing at NBAA in Orlando Monday, Hideki Fukui, director of policy research for Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau, told reporters that the average business aviation movement growth increase between […]