Aviation News

Calling on the FAA to take direct regulatory action, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy said today (Nov. 29), “There have been too many air tour tragedies in Ketchikan, [Alaska], a place with unique—but well-understood—safety hazards that endanger the lives of pilots and passengers alike. Unless the FAA acts swiftly, experience tells us […]

Sling Pilot Academy, based in Torrance, California, and supported by the South African aircraft manufacturer of its training aircraft, announced today it has established an “Elite Partnership” with SkyWest Airlines. Under terms of the arrangement, Sling Pilot Academy students have access to SkyWest’s Pilot Pathway Program and are eligible for elite access to benefits of […]

With the stroke of a pen this month, Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen enabled an estimated 60,000 or more U.S. pilots to act as safety pilots. In the Nov. 16 signing of a new rule that focuses on requiring medical certificates for balloon pilots, other provisions were included that granted holders of BasicMed medical certificates […]

The 2,000th target drone produced by Airbus Defence and Space’s Target Systems & Services has rolled off the production line in Friedrichshafen, Germany, the company announced on Monday. Target drone number 2,000 is a Do-DT45 model intended for use in a military training exercise with Airbus partner Andøya Space Defence. Launched by ramp, the Do-DT45 […]

NASA’s Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, logged its 34th successful flight last week, staying in the air for 18 seconds and reaching a maximum altitude of 5 meters. The brief flight was the helicopter’s first with its latest software update, which is expected to add capabilities including hazard avoidance during landing and the use of digital elevation […]

Rolls-Royce announced on Monday that it has successfully run a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine on hydrogen. The ground test was conducted in partnership with U.K.-based budget airline easyJet at military aircraft testing site MoD Boscombe Down in Amesbury, England. According to the companies, additional testing is in the works with the long-term […]

The two occupants of a Mooney M20J that crashed into high voltage power transmission tower in Maryland Sunday were rescued just after midnight Monday and suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The 65-year-old male pilot and 66-year-old female passenger spent almost seven hours stranded in the aircraft as it dangled from the powerline and tower. The […]

The European Union says it will allow airline passengers to use their 5G cellphones in flight, but it hasn’t set a timeline for the rollout. The EU has assigned frequencies it says won’t interfere with communications and avionics for cellphones meaning passengers will be free to use their phones as usual on most flights. “5G […]

The  FAA has issued an Emergency AD aimed at keeping A220 pilots from hitting the wrong button by forbidding them from hitting what they incorrectly think is the right button. The AD addresses an issue with the panel of the Bombardier-designed airliner that makes it possible to engage the autopilot when the intent is to […]

A Florida pilot escaped with only wet feet after his Cirrus SF50 lost power shortly after takeoff from Indianapolis Regional Airport on Friday morning. Timothy Borrup, 54, told local authorities the plane’s single jet engine faltered during the initial climbout and he pulled the CAPS handle. It turned out to be a textbook application of […]