Aviation News

The International Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has successfully lobbied the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to delay by three years implementation of onerous language proficiency rules it says would severely limit VFR flight in much of Europe. Under the ICAO proposal, all pilots would require to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in either […]

While there is burgeoning interest in the Light Sport Aircraft market, a lot of the most popular designs are from Europe. There are quirks and design variations in the aircraft that are different from what most U.S. pilots are used to and probably the most common complaint is about brakes. Many of the imports have […]

Sportsplanes.com said they will introduce the Breezer II LSA this fall, featuring a bigger baggage compartment and heavy-duty toe brakes to replace the handbrake lever on the current model. The Breezers are built in Germany … . Powerful Learning has released two new software products, the VFR Pilot Review System and The Private Pilot Study […]

The latest aircraft cockpits use electronics for virtually all functions but when the flight is over, most pilots have to haul out the books. Greg Ratcliff and Doug Stewart created AircraftLogs.com three years ago to take aviation from the quill-and-inkwell era to the digital age. Stewart told a news conference at AOPA Expo that the […]

Access to one of aviation’s most exclusive clubs just got easier. The United Flying Octogenarians (UFO) has voted to allow those holding Sport Pilot certificates to join the more than 600 members of the group, which is restricted to those 80 years of age and older. “You have to be able to prove that you’ve […]

Aviation students at the University of North Dakota will have the chance to train in a Diamond D-Jet, thanks to the UND Aerospace Foundation. Their purchase of a jet was announced Friday at AOPA Expo in Hartford, Conn. “Diamond Aircraft and UND have a long-standing relationship, and we are very excited that UND will now […]

Australia’s remote outback is best explored from the air, and with help from Air Safaris International, based in Toronto, U.S. pilots can get the full Aussie experience. Guided self-fly tours last 11 to 21 days, with stops at Ayers Rock, tropical beaches, offshore islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. Custom tours also can be designed. […]

For pilots who want to explore the Caribbean region, loaded with beautiful beaches and resorts, AOPA Expo offers several options. The folks at Caribbean Flying Adventures help you plan your own flight via their web site. Features include pre-departure checklists, online access to required documents, step-by-step arrival and departure procedures, and approach videos to each […]

If aircraft owners and pilots come to AOPA Expo looking for ideas about how to have more fun with their airplanes, they have plenty of options. ParkWest Air Tours, based in Grand Junction, Colo., will train pilots in mountain flying and then take them and their families on a guided tour to some of the […]

O.K., so we guessed wrong. When Mooney announced the new Type-S Acclaim last week, we guessed that some of its additional 5-knot speed gains over the Acclaim came from reducing the size of the cooling inlets. No, says Mooney CEO Dennis Ferguson, the Acclaim’s speed was inched up entirely through subtle drag reduction on the […]