Aviation News

The pilot of a Mooney that crashed into power lines and a tower in Maryland earlier this week told a 911 dispatcher that visibility was a factor in the accident. Patrick Merkle, 66, called 911 after the aircraft that carried him and passenger Janet Williams came to rest and discussed the moments before the crash […]

The FAA has published its response to the 737 MAX certification debacle in the form of a 117-page Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that aims to rid the system of loopholes and regulatory gaps that played a role in the tragic crashes of the aircraft shortly after it was signed off. “The FAA proposes revised […]

The death of a young copilot who fell from a jump plane in North Carolina last July was an accident, an autopsy report has ruled. The report, obtained by NBC News, says Charles Hew Crooks, 23, died from injuries resulting from his fall to a backyard in a suburb of Raleigh on July 29 and […]

According to a market analysis report cited by digitaljournal.com, the market for air ambulance services is expected to experience a compound annual growth rate of 8.88 percent over the next five years. Last year’s market size was cited as $5.121 billion and is expected to reach $8.531 billion by 2027. The financial report defines air […]

More conservative observers and analysts have long noted that one of the pitfalls of the unmanned-aircraft movement has been a tendency to unrealistically overreach. Experts say that in the competition for investment dollars, the loudest claims too often catch the ears of a naïve financial community, frequently with little basis in actual, practical potential. Baby […]

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 […]