Aviation News

Airbus has announced that it is closing in on completion of the campaign to certify its A400M military turboprop for helicopter air-to-air refueling operations following the conclusion of its latest flight trials. According to the company, 81 wet contacts were achieved and 6.5 tonnes (about 7.2 tons) of fuel were transferred during the flights, which […]

Due to rising worries about COVID-19 cases in Europe and wide travel restrictions, the Aero expo in Friedrichshafen, Germany, has been canceled for the second year a row. “In view of the travel and event restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had already moved the originally envisaged AERO date from April to summer at […]

The NTSB unanimously agreed on the probable causes of a May 2019 midair collision in Alaska that killed six and injured 10. The board cited obstructed views due to aircraft structure and passengers and the lack of an aural traffic alerts in crowded airspace. The pilot and four passengers in a de Havilland Beaver floatplane […]

An Alitalia Airbus A320 aborted its takeoff at Milan Malpensa Airport in Italy after suffering a tail strike attributed to mismatched seating of passengers. According to the Italian aviation investigation authority ANSV, the single-aisle airliner pitched up at just 42 knots on its Rome-bound flight. The crew aborted the takeoff and no one was injured […]

The Boeing Board of Directors announced on Tuesday that it has extended the mandatory retirement age for its president and CEO David Calhoun from 65 to 70. Calhoun, who is currently 64, has served in the positions since Jan. 13, 2020. He replaced Dennis Muilenburg, who resigned in Dec. 2019 amidst criticism of his handling […]

A first-of-its-kind summit concluded in Brussels, Belgium, earlier this week, dedicated to “a strategic plan for advancing the production, availability, and use of sustainable aviation fuels [SAF] in the region.” Hosted by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), the international meeting addressed the “chicken and egg” challenge of simultaneously increasing the demand and availability of […]

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has established a type certification team for EHang’s EH216 “passenger-grade” autonomous electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. According to EHang, the team met for the first time last week with “the aim to officially advance the [type certificate] approval work” for the autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV). During […]

The former bassist for the German heavy-metal band Metalium was killed Sunday, April 18, in the crash of his ultralight trike in Spain. The accident occurred around 10 a.m. local time in Mallorca, where Lars “Ratz” Ranzenberger, the 53-year-old musician-turned-entrepreneur, had lived for several years, according to a local news source. Photos and video show […]

As expected, Ingenuity, the diminutive helicopter the Perseverance rover flew to Mars, completed a successful test flight from the Jezero Crater at 12:31 a.m. EDT and achieved an altitude of about 10 feet before touching down successfully 40 seconds later. Data confirming the flight was received by NASA at 6:15 a.m. “Ingenuity has performed its […]

The FAA is throwing the book, and a proposed $1.56 million fine, at a small town whose airport is a lot bigger and more expensive to maintain than its traffic warrants. The agency announced via a news release that it was citing Anniston, Alabama, for a laundry list of violations from broken pavement to missing […]