Aviation News

Legendary pilot, educator and adventurer Dick Rutan died Friday, according to a press release issued on behalf of the family. (Full text follows). He was 85. Rutan, best known for the record-setting nonstop unrefueled circumnavigation he and Jeana Yeager accomplished in 1986, was surrounded by family when he died in Kootenai Hospital in Coeur d’ […]

The Northeast Alabama Regional Airport (KGAD), also known as Gadsden Airport, is the latest airfield to vote on decommissioning its crosswind runway. On Tuesday, the City Council approved the Gadsden Airport Authority’s earlier decision to decommission Runway 18-36. Given the city’s partnership with the authority in managing the facility, its approval was necessary. The airport’s […]

Following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, ICON Aircraft, known for its Icon A5 amphibious light sport aircraft, announced it has accepted an initial bid for the sale of its assets. ICON announced the news in a May 3 press release revealing SG Investment America Inc. is the  “stalking horse bidder,” tasked with setting the initial […]

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) concerning potential cracks in the wing structures of certain aircraft manufactured by Revo Inc., including various Lake and Colonial amphibious models. The bulletin specifically addresses concerns regarding cracks in the “wing rear attach beam assembly and hole-quality issues identified in a significant number of […]

Electric air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation announced completion of its pre-production flight test program and is now shifting its focus to obtaining air certification using its prototype aircraft. In a press release issued Thursday, Joby noted its two pre-production aircraft collectively conducted more than 1500 flights, covering a distance of more than 33,000 miles, with […]

Senators have started piling amendments on the FAA reauthorization bill, threatening to derail its passage by the May 10 deadline when the current funding extension runs out. The list includes a measure to compensate victims of nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s and a move to compel tech companies to protect children from online […]

A Utah company says it’s packed more power into its aircraft batteries, allowing a practical leap in capability, particularly for the electric training fleet. Provo-based EP Systems says its new EPiC 2.0 storage system will give aircraft like the forthcoming eDA40 trainer up to 30 minutes more usable flight time, and that’s an important half-hour. […]

Diamond Aircraft announced today (May 2) it has inked a deal with Leadership In Flight Training (LIFT) Academy for 50 single-engine DA40 trainers and six twin-engine DA42s. The aircraft will be used in LIFT’s new training facilities in Galveston, Texas; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and its newest base at Tuskegee University in Alabama, historic home […]

With so much being written about who should be responsible for approving unleaded aviation gasoline, ASTM International is front and center in the debate. With a mandate to establish standards for diverse products and materials ranging from pesticides to baby carriages, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania-based ASTM International recently released a Standardization Impact Report, designed to provide a […]

A Florida company says it plans to electrify two iconic amphibious flying boat designs to create efficient and versatile regional commuter planes. Maxwell Aircraft, of Bartow, Florida, says it will develop electrified versions of the Lake Renegade/Seawolf and the Gweduck, a carbon fiber take on Grumman amphibs that’s between a Widgeon and a Goose in […]