Aviation News

Despite strict economic sanctions in place against Iran, a U.S.-registered Bombardier Challenger, N604EP, was spotted on the ramp at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran earlier this week. Who is traveling in it and who is flying it are mysteries as the jet is registered to the Bank of Utah as trustee for the investors who have […]

WTS International, the association for the professional advancement of women in transportation, has announced the selection of the winners of its seven scholarships for 2014. Each of the winners will be recognized at an awards banquet on May 15 during the 2014 WTS Annual Conference in Portland, Ore. The scholarship winners are: WTS is very […]

Our weekly survey of aviation news turned up an announcement of certification of the newest Airbus Helicopter, tighter rules regarding helicopter ambulance operators, an NTSB seminar on loss of control accidents and a new Pilot Welcome Center at Friday Harbor, Washington. Friday Harbor Airport, Washington announced the opening of its new Pilot Welcome Center in […]

Embraer reports that during the first quarter of 2014 it delivered 14 jets to the commercial aviation market and 20 to the business aviation market, for a total of 34 aircraft, compared to 29 aircraft delivered in the same period of 2013. On March 31, 2014, the firm order backlog totaled $19.2 billion, an increase […]

While regulatory reform is inching along in the U.S., its going so quickly in Europe that the EU runs the risk of outstripping the rest of the world, says GAMA. At a press briefing at Aero Friedrichshafen this week, GAMA President Pete Bunce said that although the European Aviation Safety Agency has a reputation for […]

Textron AirLand, LLC, a joint venture between Textron and AirLand Enterprises, LLC, announced that its prototype Scorpion has completed 50 hours of flight time since the start of flight testing in December 2013, including a recent demonstration of low-speed handling in formation with a Cessna 182. After the need for an affordable combat airplane for […]

At Aero 2014, a German company called E-volo drew lots of attention with its unique Volocopter, a multiple rotor electric helicopter design that flew unmanned last fall. The next step is to improve battery capacity and perhaps design a hybrid version. view on YouTube

Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry officials are claiming that FAA employees and managers are in some cases imposing ad hoc rules on MRO companies. They claim the FAA officials are improperly using the FAAs internal online flight standards information management system (FSIMS), an electronic documentation system the agency adopted to replace the legacy inspectors […]

Bombardiers Learjet 85 successfully made its first test flight on April 9 from Wichitas Mid-Continent Airport despite delays that have pushed the program back several months. The first composite structure Learjet reportedly flew for over two hours, reaching a maximum altitude of 30,000 feet and speed of 250 knots. Spokesperson Annie Cossette said that the […]

Bonus depreciation could be making a comeback for business aircraft buyers and NBAA is encouraging lawmakers to make it happen. The Senate Finance Committee last week drafted legislation that would restore a series of tax incentives for two years, including bonus depreciation on capital assets. Under bonus depreciation, businesses are allowed to write off a […]