Business Aviation

What a difference a year makes. A year ago, almost to the day, we were excoriating Icon for its lopsided buyer contract that made draconian sound like an upgrade. In the midst of a beat down by the press, Icon circled the wagons at Sun ‘n Fun, conducted tight-lipped interviews, if any at all, and […]

After first demoing the concept in 2015, Innovation Solutions and Support (IS&S) announced they’re one step closer to bringing an autothrottle to the single-engine turbine PC-12. IS&S says the FAA has granted the Supplemental Type Certificate for their integrated PC-12 flight deck and that new avionics package includes compatibility with the IS&S autothrottle system. The […]

GE Aviation has created a new modified version of its H series turboprop engine especially for aerobatic airplanes, the company said last week at Aero Friedrichshafen, in Germany, and is working with EASA to certify it by next year. Diamond Aircraft is among the manufacturers interested in the engine, for its Dart 450, GE’s Nick […]

United Airlines’ Ninja-level lesson in how not to do PR went understandably viral on Monday after gate agents thought it a good idea to have the cops drag an apparently recalcitrant passenger off one of their airplanes. It reminded me that I’ve seen this movie. I was in this movie. It occurred in Chicago around […]

When the crew of a full United flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky, couldn’t find any volunteers to give up their seats to accommodate the last-minute travel needs of company employees on Sunday, four random passengers were taken off the airplane by three uniformed officers — and one man was dragged down the aisle on […]

Quest Aircraft now has EASA certification for the Kodiak 100, the company announced last week at Aero Friedrichshafen. The single-engine turboprop, built in Sandpoint, Idaho, now is certified in more than 50 countries, the company said. “With its STOL capabilities, the Kodiak will allow European operators with large payloads to access many airstrips and locations […]

Along with showing off its P2012 twin-prop commuter plane, Tecnam unveiled a slew of new features and updates for its fleet at the Aero Friedrichshafen show in Germany this week. The P2006T twin, the company’s top-selling airplane with 200 flying, now comes with the Garmin G1000 Nxi next-generation flight deck, ADS-B Out as a standard […]

Diamond Aircraft unveiled a design for a composite four-seat light-single piston helicopter at Aero Friedrichshafen on Thursday, Flight International has reported. The Dart 280 easy-to-fly trainer would be the first in a family of rotorcraft, which will include a hybrid-electric tilt rotor. “Diamond has been in the GA market for 30 years and it’s time […]

Boeing has created a new “innovation cell” called HorizonX that will seek out and encourage new emerging and “potentially transformative” technologies and business models in aviation, the company said this week. Among its first investments is three-year-old Zunum Aero, based in Kirkland, Washington, which is pursuing the development of electric-powered aircraft. “We are passionate about […]

While the U.S. has been working to revise its Part 23certification rules for small aircraft, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has been working on a similar project, and this week EASA published its final rule. Both new rules are set to take effect in August. “This is a landmark day for the general aviation […]