Aviation News

According to an FAA toxicology report, Nicholas Meleski, the commercial pilot in the June 26 hot air balloon crash that killed all five on board in Albuquerque, New Mexico, had THC (marijuana) and cocaine in his blood and urine samples. Joe Riley, president of Melbourne, Florida-based National Drug Screening, reviewed the report and told AVweb […]

Airbus has announced that its “Wing of Tomorrow” research and technology program has begun assembly of the first of three full-size wing prototypes. Along with testing the latest composite materials and new aerodynamics and wing architecture technologies, Airbus says the program is also looking at how to improve wing manufacturing and industrialization. According to the […]

European carriers will need approximately 8,705 new airplanes through 2040, according to Boeing’s recently released 2021 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO). The CMO also forecast that Europe’s commercial aviation industry will require more than 405,000 new pilots, technicians and cabin crew over the next 20 years. It further projects passenger traffic growing at a rate of […]

A Cessna 182 operated by U.S. Military Academy West Point violated a TFR associated with a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday. According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the aircraft was intercepted by F-16s over the Hudson River and escorted out of the TFR at […]

With airlines clamping down on unruly passengers by suspending onboard sales of alcohol, a story published Monday (Sept. 20) in The Washington Post reminds ticket holders that flights are absolutely not BYOB. According to the paper, “The FAA says regulations ‘prohibit passengers from drinking alcohol on board the aircraft unless it is served by the air carrier.’” […]

Tragedy struck the Ninety-Nines’ Gold Cup Air Rally in Ontario, Canada, last week. Two participants, Susan Begg, 73, of Ottawa, and Asti Livingston, 43, of Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, were killed in the crash of Begg’s Mooney 201. A 41-year member of the Ninety-Nines who served as Governor of the East Canada Section from […]

More details have come out related to the embarrassing tail-strike episode involving a chartered United Boeing 737-900. As previously reported, the airliner was carrying the University of Southern California (USC) football team to Lewiston, Idaho, on Friday for a Saturday game with Washington State, just across the state line. United issued the following statement: “United […]

It’s all too easy to turn a jaundiced view toward any new announcement that touts big progress in eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) development. But when aerospace titan Airbus speaks, it’s hard to turn a completely deaf ear. As part of its “Pioneering Sustainable Aerospace” summit earlier this week, Airbus announced plans for its […]

Boeing is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first flight of its H-47 Chinook twin-engine multi-role military helicopter on Sept. 21, 1961. The model entered service with the U.S. Army in 1962 and there are currently more than 950 in operation across 20 countries. According to Boeing, the Chinook is its longest running production program […]

A United Airlines Boeing 737-900 apparently had to be taken out of service after a strange ramp accident at Lewiston-Nez Perce Airport in Idaho on Friday. The airport doesn’t normally see full-sized airliners and there is speculation that might have something to do with it ending up on its tail with half a college football […]