Aviation News

Wisk Aero has filed a lawsuit against Archer Aviation alleging that Archer misappropriated trade secrets and infringed on patents related to Wisk’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Wisk claims that former employees who left the company to work for Archer downloaded and shared files “related to Wisk’s confidential aircraft designs, component designs, system […]

With the retirement of Simon Caldecott becoming effective last Friday, Piper Aircraft announced yesterday its board of directors had appointed John Calcagno acting president and CEO, effective immediately. Calcagno most recently served as Piper’s chief financial officer where he oversaw all financial reporting, treasury and cash management, information technology and enterprise resource planning. Caldecott was […]

“JAL has decided to accelerate the retirement of all P&W-equipped Boeing 777s by March 2021, which [was] originally planned by March 2022,” read a statement by the airline released on its website Monday. JAL promptly grounded its 13 PW4000-series-powered 777s after United Airlines Flight 328 experienced a dramatic engine failure four minutes into a trip […]

The Cessna Citation CJ3+ just delivered to an unnamed North American owner marks the 600th of the design since it was launched in 2004. The Williams-powered, nine-passenger light jet has been a consistent seller for Cessna, with more than 20 a year delivered since 2015; in 2019, the CJ3+ was the best-selling light jet in […]

Last week’s flight of SpaceX’s Starship SN11 ended literally with a bang after a successful ascent and trademark “belly flop” descent. Company CEO Elon Musk reported on Twitter yesterday, “Ascent phase, transition to horizontal & control during free fall were good. A (relatively) small CH4 leak led to fire on engine 2 & fried part […]

Subaru Corporation has filed for a U.S. patent for a “land-and-air vehicle”—a tilt-rotor/motorcycle. And the application wasn’t dated April 1. Drawings show a heavily faired gas engine-powered motorcycle with conventional throttle, clutch and front-brake controls on its handlebars. It also shows a piggyback airframe component with a pair of wings folded back against the side […]

Touting changes that could “revolutionize” flight testing for experimental/amateur-built aircraft, the Experimental Aircraft Association says that the FAA recent draft guidance on Phase I flight testing could change from a pure hours-based system (25 or 40 hours for most homebuilts) to a task-based system that could cut flight hours and improve the quality of the […]

Airbus is working with air navigation service providers (ANSP) and airlines to test flying widebody aircraft in formation to save fuel and reduce carbon emissions. The idea is to mimic the efficiencies that migratory birds gain by organizing in their V-shape flocks. The planemaker says long-haul airliners can burn as much as 10 percent less […]

The Navy says the forthcoming replacement for the F/A-18 will likely be a manned aircraft but it might be in the minority as part of the overall fleet. Rear Adm. Gregory Harris, who’s in charge of steering the Next Generation Air Dominance Program (NGAD), told a Navy League breakfast last week that the new carrier-borne […]

United Airlines plans to hire hundreds of pilots in coming months as it gears up for a return to more normal passenger traffic over the next year. The airline told employees in an internal memo that the first to be contacted will be about 300 pilots who had conditional job offers or training that was […]