Aviation News

IEEE Spectrum is reporting the FAA has issued a special airworthiness certificate to allow Google founder Sergey Brin’s LTA Research to flight test a 400-foot-long hybrid-electric airship, Pathfinder 1, at Moffett Field near San Francisco. LTA has been building the massive aircraft, the largest since the Hindenburg, since 2015. A second larger airship, which is […]

Textron Aviation reported revenue of $1.3 billion—a 14.7 percent increase from the same period last year, according to results released last week. The manufacturer says the increase is a combination of higher volume and higher pricing. In Q3, Textron delivered 39 jets, on par with deliveries last year, and 38 turboprops—up five from the same […]

Modern autopilot upgrades usually come with built-in altitude preselect and airspeed hold. Used properly, this automation is a useful tool in the bag of IFR utilities. It can reduce altitude busts and deviations, but with great power comes great responsibility. But it can be serious trouble—especially in the approach environment—if it’s misused. Once sold as […]

According to company memos obtained by CNBC, Spirit Airlines will suspend pilot and flight attendant hiring next month following a disappointing third-quarter performance. Despite a busy travel season, the low-cost carrier reported its third-quarter earnings on Oct. 26 showing a loss of nearly $158 million, which the company attributes to soft demand, slower growth and […]

Van’s Aircraft is curtailing normal business functions for two weeks as staff and management focus on saving the company from a serious cash crunch. As reported by KITPLANES Editor Marc Cook, Van’s founder Richard VanGrunsven announced Oct. 27 that the process, to be aided by a business crisis consulting company, will address “serious cash flow issues, […]

Officials at Naples Municipal Airport in southwest Florida are determining whether a move would be feasible for the airport given community needs and current expansion constraints. Despite investing $10 million in noise mitigation programs since 2000, local residents have continued to file grievances. According to the Naples Daily News, the airport received 800 noise complaints […]

A 23-year-old flight student at Treasure Coast Flight Training in Stuart, Florida, is facing numerous charges after at least 10 aircraft were vandalized earlier this week. Officials allege he damaged the planes after being denied a solo flight. In a Facebook post, the Martin County Sheriff’s department said the student, Sumebh Singh, was arrested at Witham […]

According to a Reuters report today (Oct. 26), airlines are pushing back at British aviation authorities for increases in charges for air traffic control services. NATS, the provider of air traffic control services in the UK, claims the increases are meant to recoup costs incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. NATS is under fire for a […]

You might find a discussion on the chemical makeup of aircraft paint pretreatment coatings about as interesting as—watching it dry. But the protective properties of a high-tech precoating can save millions, industrywide, in preventing corrosion and a host of other destructive threats to airframes. Just ask anyone who’s ever owned a bare-metal antique. Today (Oct. […]

The Department of Transportation announced today (Oct. 26) it is looking ahead to snowy weather. For the current fiscal year, the DoT has allocated $57.6 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for “snowplows, de-icing equipment, and new or upgraded facilities to store this equipment.” FAA Associate Administrator for Airports […]