Aviation News

The Collier Trophy for 2004 goes to SpaceshipOne. The prestigious trophy is awarded by the National Aeronautic Association… Peter Bunce has been selected as the new president for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Bunce was formerly with the Pentagon and the U.S. Air Force. He replaces Ed Bolen, who is now president of NBAA… A […]

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has a new president. He’s Pete Bunce, a former Air Force pilot and commander who was most recently the director of the Air Force Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liaison. He takes over April 1… Two Northwest Airlines pilots, who landed at the wrong airport, will not be sanctioned by the […]

The FAA has issued an Airworthiness Directive on Gippsland GA8 aircraft. There have been three reports of the aileron control being stiff and one in which aileron control locked while the plane was being taxied. Rubbing between the control-wheel shaft and the bushing in the control column can cause wear or damage… The FAA has […]

Airspace above Washington essentially shuts down for GA during Wednesday night’s State of the Union address… The launch date has been bumped back again for Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer’s attempt to fly around the world nonstop with one pilot. Steve Fossett will take off from Salina, Kan., on Feb. 8, if the conditions are favorable… BRS […]

AOPA members have donated $44,000 so far for tsunami relief… The FAA has published special traffic procedures for the Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 2-8… Feb. 6 has been set as the launch date for Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer‘s attempt to fly around the world nonstop, with one pilot. Steve Fossett will take off from […]

Yet another reason to wait for the bar cart. An EPA study says drinking the water on an airliner is getting riskier. The study found bacterial contamination in the water on one in six airliners, up from one in eight six months ago… AOPA members took only three days to match a $25,000 pledge by […]

Investigators are trying to determine if the pilot of Cirrus SR22 tried to deploy his parachute before the plane hit a house in Coconut Creek, Fla., last Saturday. Jerry Ballard, of Gainesville, Ga., was killed in the crash. The plane’s chute was found spread out among the wreckage but it wasn’t clear whether Ballard pulled […]

The TSA asks GA to be alert during inauguration week (… on top of your normal state of awareness while flying or enjoying the airport)… EAA unveiled its new Web site for this summer’s AirVenture at Oshkosh… China GA Forum set for March 16-18 in Shaanxi Province, to promote growth of GA business and partnerships… […]

LifeLine Pilots is seeking new volunteers for charitable flying in the Midwest. Look for their booth at the Great Lakes International Aviation Conference in Lansing, Mich., Jan. 20-22, or visit them online… Cessna has signed on with EAA as a major sponsor for Young Eagles, the AirVenture Museum and EAA’s numerous “living history” restoration and […]

The FAA has again delayed, until Aug. 31, 2005, implementation of a rule that would stop air carriers from simply closing off seats in aircraft to allow them to comply with a less-expensive maintenance regime. To meet the nine-or-fewer regs, some operators placard or barricade the extra seats on larger aircraft. The new rule would […]