Aviation News

While Slovenia-based Pipistrel has aggressively expanded into electric aircraft and has dozens in the field, it acknowledges that lack of battery capacity still makes electrics less than fully functional airplanes. One possible fix: rapid charging systems that use water cooling to potentially halve the amount necessary to top off the batteries. In this exclusive AVweb […]

The Switchblade flying sports car is expected to fly by the end of the year and the Oregon company continues to amass a substantial order book. Company President Sam Bousfield said in a podcast interview he had hoped first flight would have occurred before AirVenture 2018 but the tail needed some modifications to improve flight […]

Terrafugia hopes to deliver its first production flying car in July of 2019, company officials told a news conference at AirVenture 2018 Tuesday. The company hasn’t been at the big show for several years but received a major cash injection late last year when it was bought by Chinese automaker Geely, which owns Volvo and […]

While some light sport aircraft manufacturers may have misgivings about a higher gross weight for LSAs, Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association President Dan Johnson says it’s a good idea and will be a boost for the entire GA industry. “Anything that puts more people in the air and keeps them in the air is good for […]

While some light sport aircraft manufacturers may have misgivings about a higher gross weight for LSAs, Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association President Dan Johnson says it’s a good idea and will be a boost for the entire GA industry. In this podcast recorded at AirVenture 2018, Dan Johnson outlines the possibilities. Duration: 12:51 File Size: 12.4 […]

Billed as the world’s first flying sports car, the Switchblade roadable aircraft is nearing first flight. Developer Sam Bousfield spoke with AVweb’s Russ Niles about tweaks and changes that he said will make it an even better performer. Duration: 2:40 File Size: download here

The 2018 Pilot & Technician Outlook from Boeing is projecting that 635,000 commercial aviation pilots will be needed in the next ten years. The estimate is down slightly from the 637,000 pilots needed that the company projected in last year’s report. One of the reasons for the future demand, Boeing says, is the company’s estimates […]

Compared to last year, Piper Aircraft has had marked increases in sales, deliveries and revenue during the second quarter of 2018, the company announced at AirVenture 2018. The growth is strongly driven by trainer sales, with Piper reporting a 126 percent increase over a similar time period last year. The company says its order backlog […]

Major changes to Light Sport weight restrictions are about two years away and the new rules will capture many legacy training and personal aircraft, EAA Chairman Jack Pelton announced on Monday. In a news conference at AirVenture, Pelton said the changes are about halfway through the four-year rulemaking process and are aimed at fixing what […]