briefs

The last major company to enter the mini-jet race appears on track to be the first to deliver one. Adam Aircraft’s A700 twin jet flew for the first time on Sunday and its first cross-country flight might be to EAA AirVenture 2003. “We hope to have it here at the end of the week,” President […]

On Monday, AVweb told you that the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) was thrilled with the latest version of the FAA reauthorization bill now working its way through Congress. Yesterday, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) had a different take: “Aviation Safety Up For Sale To The Lowest Bidder,” read the headline on their […]

A Cessna Citation 525 bizjet ditched last Tuesday morning, just a few hundred feet from shore near the town of Coupeville, Wash. “This was just a huge roar …then I heard a big kabloom and big kaplunk!” local resident Sue Koleada told KOMO TV. The pilot, James Ray, 80, and his companion, Helcia Graf, 73, […]

Trying to imitate birds that conserve energy by “surfing” on the wakes of other birds in V-formation flight, NASA surfed an F/A-18 in the wingtip vortex of a DC-8 late last month, and recorded a 29-percent fuel savings. Unfortunately, finding the sweet spot without computer aid isn’t a simple task. NASA said last week that […]

In its second-quarter report last week, Raytheon Co. said government and defense sales are up 7 percent. Raytheon, headquartered in Lexington, Mass., is the parent of Raytheon Aircraft Co., which builds Beechcraft and Hawker piston planes and bizjets. Raytheon Aircraft delivered 26 piston aircraft in the quarter, compared to 20 in the same period last […]

FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, who took over the helm from Jane Garvey last September, makes her first visit to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this week. Blakey will appear at the perennial “Meet The Administrator” event on Thursday morning. The open session includes an often-boisterous and always-interesting question-and-answer period. Thursday evening, Blakey will present the 2003 National […]

Late last week, Garmin International announced it will acquire UPS Aviation Technologies (UPSAT), a subsidiary of United Parcel Service, for $38 million in cash. Garmin spokesman Pete Brumbaugh said the company could not yet release many of the details, but they will discuss the deal at an AirVenture press conference, and AVweb will be there. […]

Numerous manufacturers (Cessna, Diamond and Eclipse, to name a few) are racing to create a jet with performance beyond that of pressurized turboprops at lower cost than the current crop of light business jets. But one single-engine jet design that’s been flying since 1996 with performance specifications very similar to that of the twin-engine Eclipse […]

An engineer who has worked on most of Boeing’s commercial aircraft programs will now head the new 7E7 Deamliner team. Boeing announced that Walt Gillette, who has worked at Boeing for 37 years, will spearhead the team to bring the company’s 11th commercial-jet project to life. Boeing’s board of directors will decide whether to go […]

OK, which is a greater deterrent: armed airline pilots packing firepower or seats that can detect a nervous or even dangerous passenger? Well, they both might be coming to an airliner near you. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported this week that it began training its first set of airline pilots on the rigors of […]