Aviation News

It hardly needs to be said that 2020 was an unusual year for AirVenture—and the rest of the world. In spite of hopes for an in-person event, EAA canceled the gathering in May due to concerns and restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Not to be deterred, organizers set up the virtual “Spirit of Aviation […]

Dale “Snort” Snodgrass, one of the warbird world’s most respected pilots, was killed on Saturday in the crash of a Marchetti SM.109 in Lewiston, Idaho. Details remain sketchy but the crash occurred just after noon. The aircraft is a high-wing STOL design based on the Cessna 0-1 Bird Dog and built by the Italian manufacturer. […]

The FAA has brought Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos back to earth with a new rule that says they’re not actually astronauts. Last Tuesday, while Amazon founder Bezos was celebrating his latest accomplishment, the FAA ruled that going along for the ride doesn’t make one an astronaut worthy of the official designation by the […]

BRP-Rotax has announced that it plans to end production of the two-stroke Rotax 582 UL aircraft engine by end of 2021. According to the company, the decision was made due to the “nearly full transition” of the light and ultralight aircraft markets to four-stroke engines. Rotax says the 582 UL will remain available for as […]

A planespotter is being credited with potentially preventing the loss of an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle and its pilot when he reported a malfunction with the aircraft as it left a base in the U.K. Ian Simpson was indulging his passion at the business end of the Royal Air Force base at Lakenheath in […]

This week, AVweb’s news roundup found reports on a new forum at AirVenture, a selfie-related airshow deal, a new partnership for a business aviation company and a scholarship launch. It also uncovered the introduction of an A321neo course, an agreement for online pilot training and some product upgrades for an aviation wall art company. A […]

The generator for the Rolls-Royce 2.5-megawatt Power Generation System 1 (PGS1) demonstrator program has arrived at the company’s newly renovated Testbed 108 in Bristol, U.K. The company says uses for the generator could include hybrid-electric propulsion systems for future regional aircraft along with “more-electric” systems for larger aircraft. It is also considering possible ground or […]

A recent FAA approval will allow aircraft owners installing a single Aspen Avionics Evolution EFD1000 Pro MAX primary flight display (PFD) to remove the previously required backup attitude indicator, the company announced on Thursday. To meet the requirements of the approval, the PFD must be running the latest software version—v2.11—and be outfitted with an extended-duration […]

Textron Aviation has announced that it is moving the new Denali single-engine turboprop to the company’s Beechcraft brand. The model, which is expected to fly for the first time later this year, was launched in 2016 as the Cessna Denali. According to Textron, the first GE Aviation Catalyst engine was installed in the Denali prototype […]

Just in time for AirVenture 2021, Avidyne kicks the competition up a notch with its newly designed retrofit flight displays it calls Vantage. These are dual 12-inch diagonal hybrid-touch displays (PFD and MFD) with built-in AHRS, and are initially designed to replace existing Entegra PFD and MFD screens used as original equipment in early Cirrus […]