Aviation News

As an early holiday present, Piper Aircraft announced yesterday (Dec. 17) that the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted type certification for the M700 Fury turboprop single. The certification includes approval for flight into known icing (FIKI), and the first delivery is expected before the ball drops in Times Square for the New […]

One apparent consequence of the drone scare in the Northeast is a troubling uptick in reports of laser strikes on aircraft. Authorities believe observers on the ground are pointing pocket lasers at what they suspect are rogue drones. But in all but a few cases to date, suspected drones have been shown to actually be […]

Aura Aero, based in Toulouse, France, announced this week it has received European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for its Integral R model. The two-seat, side-by-side taildragger is constructed of what the company describes as wood/carbon hybrid materials. It is designed as an aerobatic trainer that can also serve as individual transportation, with a […]

The FAA has backtracked on a policy change regarding medical denials and deferrals after facing backlash from the industry. Five days after receiving a letter from 14 pilot organizations, the agency says it has deferred implementation of the policy pending further consultation. The new policy would have resulted in medical deferrals sent to the agency […]

Appeals for government transparency over drone reports have led to media statements from John Kirby, National Security Council spokesman, yesterday; a classified briefing for lawmakers on Capitol Hill today; and a public briefing at the Pentagon, also today, from U.S. Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, who serves as Press Secretary for the U.S. Department […]

Yesterday (Dec. 16), a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter crashed on the U.S. side of the Mexican border near Tijuana, Mexico, while on a border security mission. According to a CBP statement, the pilot and sole occupant of the 2009 Eurocopter AS350B3+ Ecureuil was killed. The accident occurred around 10:30 a.m. PST. According […]

Earlier this month, the FAA issued an Information for Operators (InFO) release encouraging general aviation organizations to develop and implement a voluntary Safety Management System (SMS) meeting current U.S. standards that are consistent with those of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This InFO addresses an update published in April 2024 toward that goal, but […]

Ukraine says it’s developed a laser weapon that can shoot down aircraft flying as high as 6,000 feet. Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of Unmanned Systems Forces, told Interfax the weapon, called Tryzub, is still under development but has been successfully tested. “It really works, it really exists,” he said. Sukharevskyi said Ukraine is the fifth country […]

Supply chain issues continue to plague commercial aircraft production, leading to a record backlog of more than 17,000 planes. And the International Air Transport Association says it isn’t going to get any better soon. IATA said this week the industry made 30% fewer airliners than projected in 2024 and projections for 2025 look as bad […]

An Australian pilot has been convicted of criminal charges in a fatal crash after his forced landing attempt went wrong. According to the BBC, Leslie Woodall was flying a Cessna 172N with three passengers over the Great Barrier Reef in 2017 when the engine quit. He told court he tried to turn the plane around […]