Aviation News

AVweb’s weekly news roundup uncovered reports on a new career pathway partnership for helicopter students, a $10,000 award for aircraft development, a scholarship win for an A&P and a new partnership for a global aerospace provider. Hillsboro Aero Academy division Hillsboro Heli Academy has finalized an agreement with Texas-based Bristow Group to provide a career […]

Stung by the trade war with China that’s dried up investment capital, light sport manufacturer Icon said Friday that it’s reducing its workforce by 40 percent and cutting production to fewer than five airplanes a month. COO Thomas Wieners said in a conference call Friday afternoon that the workforce will decline from 650 workers to […]

Piper has produced its first production part using additive manufacturing—more commonly known as 3D printing—according to a company announcement last week. The part, a climate control system component, was printed using an HP Multi Jet Fusion 4200 3D printer. Piper says it is currently focusing on creating and testing non-flight-critical components with the goal of […]

In partnership with drone software management company Kittyhawk, the FAA has relaunched its B4UFLY mobile app for drone pilots. According to the FAA, B4UFLY was designed as a situational awareness tool for recreational drone users to help them figure out where they can and cannot fly in the national airspace system (NAS). The updated app […]

Phillips 66’s new Victory AW 20W-50 oil combines the multi-viscosity, ashless-dispersant oil pilots are familiar with (as Phillips X/C) with the Lycoming LW-16702 additive. Previously, only Shell offered a multi-weight oil with the additive already in place. “Our product development is the direct result of pilot requests for a multi-grade engine oil that requires no […]

A Senate Appropriations Subcommittee questioned FAA officials about the agency’s oversight of the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX and its responses to the fatal crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 in October 2018 and Ethiopians Airlines Flight 302 last March during a hearing on Wednesday. Citing articles recently published by The New York Times […]

The U.S. Navy has confirmed that the pilot of an F/A-18E Super Hornet was killed when the aircraft crashed in California’s Death Valley National Park at approximately 9:50 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Seven park visitors reportedly sustained minor injuries as a result of the accident. The pilot has been identified as Lt. Charles Z. […]

Honda Aircraft Company held a ceremony to break ground for the company’s new wing production facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Tuesday. According to Honda, the facility “will allow for more HondaJet Elite wings to be assembled concurrently” and add additional storage for HondaJet service parts. Construction is expected to be completed by July 2020. […]

The EAA’s list of show winners is almost as long as the show and just as varied. More than 70 aircraft received awards across several categories, but all of them are about the quality of construction. Paul Dye, editor at large of AVweb’s sister publication KITPLANES, took home a plaque for outstanding workmanship in his […]

Aeromarine’s Electrolite Part 103-compliant ultralight combines electric propulsion and full fly-by-wire to provide a remote piloting capability intended to make flight instruction possible. Conceived by Chip Erwin, the Electrolite features a 25-HP electric motor, twin strut-mounted batteries and the capability of turning control of the aircraft over to an instructor on the ground. It’s based […]