Aviation News

For 96-year-old Colleen Godard, there’s no expiry date on enthusiasm, especially when it comes to her grandson Ryan. So when the younger Godard earned his pilot’s license near his home in British Columbia earlier this year, he knew who would be among his first passengers. The duo slipped the surly bonds together in a 172 […]

Textron’s Beechcraft Denali has entered certification flight testing even as Textron makes changes on the fly to the new commuter/cargo platform. The company announced this week that it’s put a total of 2,000 hours on three test articles of the big single-engine turboprop that will compete squarely against the Pilatus PC-12. It’s planning for certification […]

A planeload of Delta passengers left their A321 on slides instead of the jet bridge Monday after a fire started in the front landing gear well. Airport authorities said the fire started after the aircraft was plugged into shore power after a flight from Cancun. The crew called for an emergency evacuation with a PA […]

New Zealand-based Vickers Aircraft Company says it intends to make its first delivery of the WAVE two-place amphibious aircraft to a U.S. customer in April of 2025. Founder Paul Vickers said the company is now raising capital to fund the push to begin deliveries on its backlog. Most current investors are Americans, he said, and […]

A valve issue caused NASA to scrub the first crewed launch of the Boeing Starliner capsule on Monday. The problem with the relief valve on the upper stage of the Atlas rocket was detected about two hours before the scheduled 10:34 p.m. launch from Cape Canaveral. “In a situation like this, if we see any […]

The FAA has expanded the list of antidepressants potentially allowed for pilots with three relatively common drugs. Now on the “conditionally approved” list are duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor) and desvenlafaxine (Pristiq). A special issuance is required for active pilots to maintain their medicals. The change took effect April 24 and was covered in an update […]

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 […]