Aviation News

Representatives of Van’s Aircraft told an Oregon bankruptcy court they expect about 70 percent of existing customers to accept a price increase (reported to be 30 percent) on the parts they have on order with the company. Company officials and lawyers were in court on Thursday to begin the process of moving the company into […]

According to the just-released National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report (Accident Number CEN24LA037), the pilot of a pressurized Lancair LX7 was having a Wile E. Coyote-kind of day on Nov. 11, 2023. At 25,000 feet on a flight from Midland, Texas (KMDD) to Aero County Airport (T31) near McKinney, Texas, the turboprop-powered Lancair was […]

In a move under consideration for “decades,” the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced yesterday (Dec. 6) it plans to mandate that aviation repair stations in foreign countries require their employees to submit to drug and alcohol testing if they perform safety-sensitive maintenance procedures for U.S. airlines. According to the FAA, such testing is rare, […]

The U.S. military announced yesterday (Dec. 6) that all V-22 Osprey tiltrotors are grounded as a result of the preliminary investigation into the U.S. Air Force aircraft that crashed off the coast of Japan last week, killing all eight crew members. Investigators found evidence of material failure in the debris recovered from the water. In […]

In conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Park Service (NPS) has introduced strict new rules for air tour operators conducting sightseeing within national parks. The new restrictions stem from the National Park Air Tour Management Act of 2000—legislation signed into law requiring operators conducting commercial air tours over national parks, or over tribal […]

If you or someone you know is looking for bargain deals on private jet travel, a new digital platform from Vancouver, Washington-based KinectAir could be just the ticket. KinectAir’s “empty leg marketplace” uses an extensive software database and artificial intelligence (AI) to cut the cost of private-jet travel to compete with airline service, according to […]

Van’s Aircraft owes a lot of creditors relatively modest amounts of money, according to legal filings relating to the case. In its bankruptcy petition, the company says it owes from $10 to $50 million, but the top 20 creditors listed on its bankruptcy petition are only owed a fraction of that. The balance is owed […]

The EcoPulse, a modified Daher TBM hybrid-electric distributed-propulsion aircraft demonstrator, performed its first test flight on Nov. 29. As part of the 100-minute sortie, the aircraft activated its ePropellers, which are powered by a battery and a turbogenerator. The EcoPulse is a joint development of Daher, Safran and Airbus “to support aviation’s decarbonization roadmap.” The […]

The National Air Races may have left Reno Stead Airport, but that doesn’t mean the skies will be entirely quiet next fall. An announcement on the Reno Air Racing Association Facebook page trumpets a “BIG SHOW” to run Oct. 4-6, 2024, at the airport. Though pylon racing will not be part of the menu, the […]

With the entire kit-built aircraft community reacting to the news of Van’s Aircraft filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, AVweb sister-publication Kitplanes has posted a reaction to the legal filing titled “How Did They Get Here?” While noting that Chapter 11 is the track typically resulting in reorganization and a continuation of the business, as […]