Flight Training

PSI, the third-party contractor that administers all FAA tests, has been purchased by ETS, a Princeton, New Jersey nonprofit that is one of the largest language testing organizations in the world. ETS’s main business is in administering language tests for admissions requirements for universities, but it bought PSI as a diversification move to expand into […]

The FAA has allowed an exemption to light sport rules for the Textron/Pipistrel Velis Electro. The agency has permitted an exemption to 14 CFR Part 21.190, the special airworthiness certificate for light sport category aircraft, and that will pave the way to use it for flight training. The aircraft, which is type certified in Europe, […]

On Thursday, United Airlines celebrated the opening of its new 150,000-square-foot facility at its Flight Training Center in Denver—expanding on what the airline calls the largest training center of its kind.     The new building allows for significant expansion, accommodating an additional 12 advanced full-motion flight simulators, six of which have already been installed. Additionally, it will allow […]

A new report conducted by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute and Liberty University School of Aeronautics indicates flight training is getting safer with a near 50% decrease in fatal accidents over the last two decades.  Examining data from 2000-2019, the study showed 287 fatal flight training accidents. Parameters were focused on fatal accidents […]

The FAA has given Embry-Riddle a $1 million grant to study how pilots fly and think at the same time. According to a university news publication, the goal is to develop training methods that efficiently meld all the motor skills and brain work necessary to safely and efficiently operate an aircraft. “This work aims to […]

A total of 12% of new pilot licenses issued in Canada in 2023 went to women, according to statistics released Tuesday by the Institute for Women of Aviation Worldwide (IWOAW). The Montreal-based organization said 13% of new recreational-oriented licenses, 12.3% of commercial tickets and 8.1% of airline transport permits went to women. Women have historically […]

Hal Shevers, founder of world-renowned Sporty’s Pilot Shop, is retiring along with his wife, Sandy, after more than six decades in the business.  “Throughout his tenure, Hal spearheaded Sporty’s evolution from a small pilot shop into a respected global aviation brand, offering a vast array of aviation products, online courses, and educational resources,” Sporty’s said […]

Women now make up about 14% of airline pilots in India, more than twice the world average, and the total is growing at a record pace. The Directorate General for Civil Aviation reported that 18% (292) of the 1,622 commercial pilots certificated were women and it expects that trend to continue. That was a jump […]

Delta Air Lines intends to scale back pilot hiring next year to half the number the carrier hired 2023— an indication that the post-pandemic hiring spree is slowing down.  Aero Crew News first broke the story after obtaining an “Flight Ops Weekly” internal memo to pilots outlining Delta’s intention to hire 1,100 pilots—a significant reduction compared […]

Republican Sen. John Thune told Reuters on Tuesday there’s been a breakthrough that may allow the FAA Reauthorization Bill to be taken up by the Senate. The House passed its version of the bill in the summer but there’s been a logjam in the Senate over relaxing airline pilot training, specifically a proposal to increase […]