Aviation News

On December 5, 2014, NASA flew the new Orion deep space vehicle for the first time, launched by a Delta Heavy booster. In this NASA-provided footage, the first part of the mission is detailed. view on YouTube

NASA’s Orion unmanned spacecraft successfully launched, orbited the Earth and splashed downFriday morning on its first test flight, one day after the liftoff was scrubbed due to weather and mechanical problems.Orion, a prototype capsule for future manned space missions, made two laps around the Earth, rode its Delta IV rocket up to 3,600 miles, then […]

Watching the Orion launch on NASA’s splendid live feed on Friday, I was asking myself if it made me feel that old Apollo magic. The answer: it did. Even though the vehicle was unmanned, its ultimate purpose is to put the U.S. back into the manned spaceflight business. That’s on my short list of worthy […]

AVweb’s search of the latest in aviation news turned up previews of 2015 events including EAA’s AirVenture and the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo, and announcements from manufacturers including Hartzell Propeller, Quest Aircraft and Waco Aircraft.One of the most harrowing and triumphant adventures in space exploration history will be commemorated atEAAAirVentureOshkosh 2015, as members of the […]

After dealing with a variety of delays including mechanical issues, NASAscrubbed the launch of the Orion capsule Thursday morning and scheduled another attempt in less than 24 hours.The original 7:05 a.m. launch was delayed when a stray boat was spotted in the launch zone, according to Florida Today. Strong winds then delayed new launch times […]

Video camera maker GoPro Inc. will enter the burgeoning drone market with its own camera-equipped unmanned aerial systems in late 2015, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.GoPro, which sells small high-definition cameras in the $200 to $500 range, is developing multi-rotor helicopters to sell between $500 and $1,000, according to the report. […]

Transport Canada just released some proposed guidance on the commercial operation of light unmanned aerial systems. Drones. If you haven’t had a chance to look it over, here’s the link (PDF). I suggest at least skimming it. (I’ll wait while you do that.) Clearly, our friends north of the border have come adrift from reality […]

I am a 68 year-old Baby Boomer who got his private certificate in 1975 with the University of Michigan Flyers at the Ann Arbor, Michigan Airport. At that time, the Flyers had five Cessna 150s, a Skyhawk, a Piper Arrow, and a Citabria. Within a few months, a twin was added to the fleet-which continued […]

The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators announced Friday that Executive Director Doug Stewart will retire when his contract expires in February. Stewart was among the founding members of the organization, which formed in 2009. Stewart was SAFE’s first chair and was named executive director in November 2011. “I fully expect to remain connected to […]

AVweb’s search of new developments in aviation uncovered the latest test flight of CIrrus Aircraft’s jet, a first flight for Airbus’ latest military helicopter, and acquisitions announced by Continental Motors and Momentum Aviation Holdings. Cirrus announced the successful first flight of their second certification flight test aircraft, C-One (C1), in their Vision SF50 personal jet […]