Aviation News

Sierra Nevada Corp., which is testing a reusable space vehicle for future NASA missions, will partner with the United Nations for a low-orbit flight in 2021. The company’s Dream Chaser folding-wing vehicle, which can land on a runway, was selected for the U.N.’s first spaceflight slated to last two weeks in low orbit. A little-known […]

AVweb‘s search of news in aviation found announcements from theNational Aviation Heritage Invitational, EAA Museum, GuardianAvionics and Pilot Partner.TheNational Aviation Heritage Invitational (NAHI) is teaming up with the California Capital Airshow at Mather Airport, Sacramento, Calif., to host this prestigious restored aircraft competition, showcasing testaments to our rich aviation history.Frank Borman, who as commander of […]

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, said on Tuesday his company is working on a plan for manned flights to Mars, with the aim of establishing a permanent colony there. Speaking before a crowd at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, he set out a number of parameters and goals for the project, noting that […]

Bell Helicopter recently unveiled its new design for an autonomous tiltrotor, the V-247 Vigilant, which will have a 65-foot wingspan and will be capable of carrying a payload of up to 6.5 tons of fuel, armament and sensors. The aircraft, designed for military use, will be able to operate from land or sea, and will […]

Last week, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk promised that his plan to colonize Mars would be, if nothing else, entertaining. The man has a flair for understatement. As our news story reports today, Musk unveiled his Mars ambitions at the Astronautical Congress meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico. Ambitious hardly does it justice for if anyone other than […]

Uber is taking a serious look at autonomous VTOL aircraft for urban transport, and could have a fleet flying within a decade, chief products officer Jeff Holden said at a Nantucket conference on Sunday. In an interview with Kara Swisher of Re/code, Holden said the technology “could change cities and how we work and live.” […]

A study conducted by NBAA has found that 15 percent of flights in business jets begin without a complete flight-control check, the association reported last week. The NTSB suggested a need for the study after its investigation of a fatal 2014 accident involving a Gulfstream G-IV at Hanscom Field, in Bedford, Mass. The safety board […]

Golf legend Arnold Palmer, one of business aviation’s most prominent cheerleaders, died Sunday in Pittsburgh at the age of 87. Palmer, who became one of golf’s first superstars, was also a tireless promoter of the use of private aircraft to boost productivity. He was a frequent speaker and guest at the National Business Aviation Association […]

Triton AeroMarine is on the brink of getting FAA approval for its Chinese-built SkyTrek light sport airplane. The company’s president and chief engineer, Thomas Hsueh, hopes the aircraft will not only help GA grow in China, but become an affordable training and personal aircraft in the U.S. He told AVweb at AirVenture 2016 that he’ll […]

The ground explosion of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Sept. 1 was likely caused by a “large breach” of the helium system, the company said Friday. SpaceX, NASA and the FAA, among others, continue to investigate the cause of the fiery incident at Cape Canaveral that destroyed the rocket and its payload as it stood […]