Aviation News

A decorated career officer, tireless volunteer and famed member of the Tuskegee Airmen, Brigadier General Charles McGee died in his sleep at home overnight Jan. 16 at the age of 102. “The day we all have dreaded has arrived and we are sad to report that our mentor, hero, and inspiration has passed,” the Commemorative […]

MyGoFlight founder Charlie Schneider told first responders his Cirrus SR22 encountered wake turbulence from an Airbus A320 before it crashed in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Dec. 16, according to the NTSB’s preliminary report (search ERA22LA089 here). While he survived the crash, Schneider died a day later in a hospital. A passenger in the airplane was seriously […]

FedEx is asking the FAA to allow it to install anti-missile infrared lasers on its Airbus A321-200 cargo aircraft and the agency has laid out conditions for the modification. FedEx applied for the approval three years ago. It had previously worked with Northrop Grumman 10 years earlier on anti-missile defenses but the current application doesn’t […]

The FAA is warning Boeing 787 operators that 5G interference “could prevent engine and braking systems from transitioning to landing mode, which could prevent an aircraft from stopping on the runway” when the runway surface is wet or contaminated. In an Airworthiness Notification issued Jan. 14, the agency says information from Boeing says “anomalies” in […]

Zeva’s Zero electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has successfully completed its first untethered test flight, according to an announcement from the Tacoma-based startup on Thursday. The vehicle made a total of four uncrewed flights during the test session and conducted maneuvers including a controlled hover, simulated taxi at slow speeds and limited vertical […]

The FAA has issued an exemption allowing helicopter air ambulance (HAA) operators to conduct rescue flights if their radar altimeters are affected or could be affected by interference from 5G cellphone signals. Helicopter Association International announced the welcome news Friday. “This exemption will allow HAA operators to continue to do what they do best—save lives,” […]

The FAA has published more than 1,400 Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) regarding potential radar altimeter disruptions related to the upcoming launch of Verizon and AT&T’s 5G C-Band wireless broadband networks. In general, the NOTAMs prohibit operations such as the use of head-up display (HUD) and enhanced flight vision systems (EFVS) to touchdown, autoland and […]

The U.S. Air Force has awarded a contract to Boom Supersonic aimed at accelerating research and development for the company’s Overture supersonic airliner model. Granted through the AFVentures arm of the Air Force’s AFWERX program, the Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract covers three years and is valued at up to $60 million. The Air Force […]

The first Tupolev Tu-160M ​​supersonic strategic bomber to be manufactured in more than 25 years successfully completed its initial flight on Wednesday. The flight, which launched from the airfield at Tupolev’s Kazan Aviation Plant in Kazan, Russia, lasted about 30 minutes. According to the company, maneuvers were preformed to check the stability and controllability of […]

In a long-anticipated move, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today (Jan. 12) that it “will take the necessary steps to regulate lead pollution from aircrafts (sic).” Those steps start with proposing an “endangerment finding” on leaded aviation gasoline, expected by the end of this year. Finalizing that finding is expected in 2023. The EPA […]