Aviation News

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 […]

ATP Flight School has signed an agreement with Textron Aviation for orders and options for up to 100 Cessna 172 Skyhawks, the companies announced at AirVenture on Tuesday. According to ATP, the new aircraft will be supplementing and replacing aircraft in ATPs fleet and will be used exclusively by students in the school’s Airline Career […]

Epic Aircraft announced at Oshkosh this week that it had completed all of its internal flight testing leading up to certification and has received its type inspection authorization. That means the Epic has passed the last hurdle before the FAA begins its flight-test review. Certification is expected in 2020. “The FAA wants to get pilots […]

Opener has donated a first-generation BlackFly personal ultralight aircraft to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Opener BlackFly, which the company debuted at AirVenture last year, is a fixed-wing, all-electric, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. It has a range of 35 miles (restricted to 25 miles in the U.S.) and can travel […]

At AirVenture this week Continental announced a new STC to install its Prime IO-370-D3A3 engine into Cessna R and S-series C172s—a retrofit that could actually cost less than overhauling the Lycoming IO-360 it replaces. The Prime IO-370-D3A3 delivers 180 HP, includes roller tappets and comes with a recommended TBO of 2200 hours that extends to […]

At AirVenture this week Bose announced the ProFlight Series II, an improved version of its ProFlight in-ear headset aimed at the turbine market. Key enhancements to the set include a much thinner, lighter and more flexible interface cable and improved stability when the set is on the head. Bose also updated the set’s tap control—the […]

The return of air demonstration teams to the Air Venture air show was marked in 2016 with the graceful routine of the Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds over Wittman Field. The nine-plane precision formation aerobatics display took place on the final two days at the show. Another Canadian aircraft wowed the crowd. The gigantic Martin […]