Aviation News

AirVenture 2014 was a breath of fresh air that aviation enthusiasts (and a few hardened industry veterans) needed. Attendance was trending significantly upward, with the total for the week reaching over 500,000 people. For the first time in several years, both aircraft camping and parking areas filled up by midweek. Over 300 more aircraft were […]

Vulcanair and its U.S distributor Ameravia announced at AirVenture that they will be offering a new version of the Vulcanair P68R designed for use by flight schools as a multi-engine trainer. The P68R ECO is powered by twin Lycoming IO-360 engines and comes equipped with the Garmin G1000NXi and GFC700 autopilot. According to Ameravia, the […]

Aerobatic airplanes aren’t exactly known for comfort, at least models meant for world-class competition. At AirVenture on Monday, however, Extra Aircraft rolled out its newest model that’s supposed to be both a step up in performance and cradles the pilot in a luxurious seat in front of avionics not common in older aerobats. “What differentiates […]

Lycoming debuted a new electronic ignition meant to be a bolt-on replacement for conventional magnetos. Dubbed the Electronic Ignition System (EIS), the devices have no internal moving parts and slip right into conventional magneto housings on four-cylinder Lycoming engines. Currently the EIS is available only for the experimental market but the company is working toward […]

The NBAA says it’s joining other aviation groups in supporting a bipartisan bill to set the stage for vibrant positive growth in aviation. The bill was introduced by Senator’s James Inhofe—a pilot himself—and Angus King, a member of the Armed Services Committee, which Inhofe chairs. The so-called PLANE Act would promote growth by expanding Inhofe’s […]

At AirVenture 2019 at Oshkosh, BendixKing was showing off three STC’d products, some of which have been snagged in the certification process for years. First, the KI300 retrofit EFIS, which the company calls AeroFlight. The big news surrounding the KI300 is that it can replace the aging and maintenance-intensive King KI256/255 vacuum-driven autopilot gyro that’s […]

RDD Enterprises showed an example of its LX7 pressurized, turboprop homebuilt at Oshkosh this week. It’s not a new kitbuilt for sale; instead the LX7 actually starts from a flying “donor” Lancair IV-P that’s thoroughly refurbished. RDD has long experience with the Lancair line, having built parts for the designs and offering maintenance from its […]

Icon Aircraft is celebrating the “significant milestone” of building its 100th airplane and predicting a bright if somewhat more restrained future for the stylish little amphib than the original marketing hype laid out. “It took us longer than anticipated to get here, but this is just the beginning,” said President and COO Thomas Wieners. “We […]

One of the largest private airports with a runway long enough for heavy jets is up for sale in Marion County, Florida. Jumbolair is known both for a quirky history and for one of its most famous residents, John Travolta, who bases at least two jets there. Price: $10.5 million and that includes a 7550-foot […]

Legendary NASA flight director Christopher C. Kraft, who was an instrumental manager in the nation’s space program, died in Houston on Monday. He was 95. Kraft’s name is emblazoned on the side of the mission control center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the longtime base of ground support operations for space flights dating […]