Aviation News

United Airlines said it’s working with various authorities to determine why most of a fuselage panel on the underside of a Boeing 737-800 tore loose on a short flight from San Francisco to Medford, Oregon, Friday. The damaged panel, which according to a photo obtained by the Rogue Valley Times appears to have been in […]

With whistleblower revelations and amassing safety incidents plaguing Boeing’s aircraft fleet, some travelers are taking the “If it’s Boeing, I’m not going” phrase to heart. Alternative Airlines, a booking tool, now allows anxious travelers to seek out routes and carriers that do not use the troubled Boeing 737 MAX. According to the company’s website, “At […]

A 19-year-old student pilot is facing federal charges after allegedly repeatedly attempting to enter the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight on March 3. According to CBS News, based on court records, Nathan Jones left his seat multiple times during Flight 322 from San Diego, California, to Dulles, Virginia, making three separate efforts to access […]

Boeing has the highest profile, but it isn’t the only business entity facing the wrath of the FAA. The agency announced today (March 14) it is proposing a fine of $280,000 on Palm Beach, Florida-based Southern Airways Express and $175,000 against Houston-based Empyreal Jet. The Southern Airways fine is for allegedly using an unqualified Cessna […]

Aviation industry and labor groups are pushing back on Biden Administration plans to increase taxes on business aviation. A coalition of the organizations sent a letter today (March 14) opposing the proposed fivefold increase in taxes to Ron Wyden Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, as well as […]

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship launched successfully at 9:25 a.m. EST today (March 14). But controllers lost contact with the orbital flight about an hour into the mission. At about 10:40 EST, the New York Times reported that SpaceX acknowledged the orbiter did not survive re-entry but declared the launch successful from the standpoint of mission […]

Investigators are focused on “flight deck seat movement” in the upset episode involving a LATAM Boeing 787-9 on Monday (March 11). A report published by TAC—The Air Current news outlet—cites information received from “two people briefed on the incident.” The news source also cites a senior airline safety official who said it is understood the […]

Hartzell Propeller announced today (March 13) it has acquired El Cajon, California-based WhirlWind Propellers. WhirlWind, founded in 1995, provides constant-speed and ground-adjustable propellers for experimental aircraft, airboats, indoor-skydiving wind tunnels and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as well as offering replacement composite propeller blades and engineering services, according to its website. Hartzell, a portfolio company of […]

Next month’s Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo (April 9-14) in Lakeland, Florida, will include a “Flight Simulation Experience Center,” presented by the Flight Simulation Association (FSA). Along with a number of partners, FSA invites pilots, students, kids, retirees and other aviation enthusiasts to the center, which will be in the Future ‘n Flight Plaza on […]

Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operation of unmanned and autonomous systems (UAS) operations took a big step forward today (March 13). The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Transportation (DoT) filed a memorandum on the FAA’s efforts to establish a regulatory framework for such operations. According to the memo, “Nationwide […]