Business Aviation

If drones can do pipeline patrol and survey work, why can’t a light sport aircraft do the same? That’s the question the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association is asking the FAA to consider and the answer may eventually result in an approval for just such work. “We’ve adopted the term aerial work, which is a European […]

Some FBOs are charging too much for minimal services to general aviation pilots, AOPA said in a report posted online last week. “No one is watching,” said AOPA general counsel Ken Mead. “There’s a fox in the henhouse and no one is paying attention.” AOPA has complained to the FAA, citing incidents of transient pilots […]

Embraer Executive Jets delivered the first Phenom 100 EV to an undisclosed U.S. customer last Friday, the company announced this week. The new aircraft model has been certified both in Brazil and the U.S. An evolution of the Phenom 100, which entered service in 2008, the Phenom 100EV delivers enhanced performance, with new avionics and […]

The first Airbus A319neo flew for the first time, on Friday, the company has announced. The airplane took off from Hamburg, Germany, and landed in Toulouse, France, five hours later. The crew used that flight time to assess the general handling of the aircraft and check the main systems, the company said. The airplane now […]

The Antonov 132, a twin turboprop developed for multipurpose military and civil use by a Saudi-Ukrainian partnership, flew for the first time on Friday. The airplane took off from Kiev, Ukraine, and flew for 1 hour and 45 minutes. The aircraft is intended for operation on short- and medium−haul routes, the company said, and will […]

A California flight school’s financial woes are threatening the training futures of dozens of foreign flight students. Mazzei Flying Service, of Fresno, is out of money and is suspending almost all training effective immediately. Students from Taiwan, Indonesia and India who are training to become airline pilots back home have an uncertain future. “As of […]

Americans love competition, or say that they do. A fundamental assumption of American business is that capital will find the most efficient way to reproduce itself and companies that fail deserve to fail. Plain and simple, it’s economic Darwinism. It’s a universal principle until, that is, it’s your own ox getting gored or you’re subjected […]

For over 70 years general aviation pilots have volunteered their time, skills and airplanes to help others in need by giving free flights for everything from search and rescue through medical transport, environmental survey and research to disaster relief, animal transport and exposing kids to the world of flight. What has been termed Public Benefit […]

At Continental’s Mobile, Alabama, HQ this week, the company announced that it’s building a clean-sheet factory on new ground near the existing plant. It plans to install $40 million in new equipment to improve production efficiency. In this long-form podcast, Continental CEO Rhett Ross explains the company’s business plan and marketing philosophy. Duration: 18:31 File […]

A million bucks doesn’t buy what it used to, unless you’re buying five new axis machining cells, in which case it buys a lot more than it ever has. As Continental announces a major new investment in a new factory in Mobile, it will be building what we simply don’t see very often: a new, […]