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Embraer said at the NBAA Convention in Orlando this week that its first prototype of the Legacy 500 midsize jet will be ready for first flight within the next few weeks. The all-new jet is aimed to fill the gap between the light Phenom models and the big-cabin 600 and 650. The jet, with a […]

At its annual convention in Orlando on Monday, NBAA said that starting next year, it will for the first time recognize private pilots for outstanding safe-flying achievement. NBAA has recognized safe flying every year since 1953 with awards to business aviation operators and individuals who fly accident-free. The new Private Pilot Safety Award will recognize […]

Gulfstream said at NBAA’s Annual Meeting and Convention in Orlando on Monday that its ultra-large-cabin G650, which was FAA certified last month, will have longer range at high speeds and shorter takeoff distances than formerly announced. The aircraft’s range at its high-speed cruise of Mach 0.90 is now 6,000 nautical miles, the company said. The […]

Cessna brought the new version of its Citation Sovereign business jet to NBAA in Orlando this week, with a Garmin G5000 avionics suite and new Pratt & Whitney PW306D engines. Like other newer Citation models, the New Sovereign will have winglets. The upgrades will boost the range by 150 nm, for a total range of […]

Beechcraft Corporation is hoping to build a new big turboprop single as it emerges from bankruptcy, abandons jet production and focuses on the turboprop and military side of its current operations, following the collapse of a takeover bid by China-owned Superior Air Parts. In a wide-ranging news conference at NBAA 2012 in Orlando on Monday, […]

Aviation entrepreneur Rod Rakic’s idea for OpenAirplane has earned the support of some big names in the aviation industry who believe it could simplify access to aircraft, improve pilot safety, increase profits for flight schools and FBOs, and generally boost the aviation industry — all by changing how we rent airplanes. OpenAirplane is nearing its […]

When you’re asking ATC for deviations around weather, it’s useful to know where they can easily bend and where it’ll take some negotiation and planning. Saying pilots will deviate around thunderstorms is like stating a heavy metal concert is going to get loud. It’s inevitable. As a radar controller working aircraft during thunderstorm season, it […]

AVweb‘s daily coverage of the 2012 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association gathering (AOPA Summit 2012) in Palm Springs, California concludes with a gallery of photos from the show. This image gallery requires JavaScript. [ original size ] [ original size ] [ original size ] [ original size ] [ original size ] [ original […]

The same company that five years ago introduced modern attainable full-motion general aviation flight simulators to flight schools is set to broaden their influence. The company currently has more than 300 simulators working in flight schools and has expanded its attention to training curriculum. Redbird Skyport at San Marcos, Texas, is the company’s training facility […]

The world’s most successful manufacturer of kit planes is tentatively entering the OEM market with an initial run of 12 deluxe copies of its RV-12 LSA. In a podcast interview with AVweb at AOPA Summit in Palm Springs, Van’s Aircraft founder and president Dick VanGrunsven said it was a market the company was thinking about […]