Aviation News

A Camcopter S-100 drone made the first commercial drone delivery to an offshore oil platform in late August and it might be the beginning of a major industry. The helicopter drone flew a 3-D printed part from Norway to a rig located about 60 miles off the coast. The flight was conducted without any special […]

The Air Force is toying with the idea of giving the president a supersonic ride to his or her international appointments. According to military.com the Air Force’s Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate has awarded a $1 million small business innovation research contract to aerospace startup Exosonic to nail down the basics of a low-boom supersonic […]

For the want of a good fitting cup holder, Airbus had to reengineer the center console of its new flagship A350 long-range twin (with apologies to Ben Franklin). As we reported in February, the use of the conveniently flat and accessible center console as, well, a coffee table prompted the costly diversion of at least […]

Sun ‘n Fun has announced that it will be hosting a holiday flying festival and car show at Florida’s Lakeland Linder International Airport (KLAL) on Dec. 4-5, 2020. Event activities will include an aircraft display, air- and car shows, food vendors, live music, a short takeoff and landing (STOL) competition and AOPA-sponsored general aviation Town […]

This week, AVweb’s news roundup found reports on a new manual for an app-based aviation radio simulator, touchless temperature testing for an FBO’s employees and a partnership for an engineering consultant. A new 84-page companion manual is now available for app-based aviation radio simulator PlaneEnglish. “The Easy Route to Aviation Radio Proficiency: Training Manual with […]

The Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet, held annually by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), will be moving to an online-only format due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The live-streamed event, which celebrates the Dec. 17 anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first successful powered flight, is scheduled to take place on Dec. 10, 2020, at 7 p.m. […]

Aircraft manufacturer Mooney has announced that it is now under new management made up of “pilots and Mooney owners” led by CEO Jonny Pollack. The announcement follows a period of unrest for the company, which culminated in the unexpected shutdown of its Kerrville, Texas, factory for two weeks beginning in November 2019. Kerrville employees were […]

United Airlines has announced plans to furlough 16,370 of its workers due to the continued impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on airline operations. Staff likely to be affected include 6,920 flight attendants, 2,850 pilots, 2,260 airport operations personnel, 2,010 mechanics and 1,400 in management. The furloughs will be enacted as early as October, in […]

Textron Aviation has announced that it is now offering a tank of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as an option for customers taking delivery of new Beechcraft turboprop and Cessna turboprop and jet aircraft. In addition, a SAF refueling option will be provided for customers at the company’s service center in Wichita, Kansas. Textron noted that […]

In partnership with Dutch airline KLM, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) has successfully flown a scale model of its Flying-V airliner concept for the first time. The remotely controlled model weighs in at 22.5 kg (49.6 lbs.) with a 3.06-meter (10.04-foot) wingspan. The Flying-V, which “integrates the passenger cabin, cargo hold and fuel tanks […]