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As we reported from EAA AirVenture in July, Piper will unveil its entry in the VLJ market at the NBAA convention a week and a half away, too. CEO Jim Bass recently told last month’s annual convention of Meridian owners that the jet will be a step up for them. Since the Meridian is a […]

Cirrus is planning to build a single-engine jet that will cruise faster than 300 knots, up to 25,000 feet, with a range of 1,000 nm and cost less than $1 million. In an interview with AVweb Wednesday, Cirrus VP of sales John Bingham said about 1,500 people worldwide (many of them Cirrus owners) will receive […]

Witnesses at the hearing said it’s not certain how much it will cost to modernize the system. According to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, “No comprehensive estimate of NGATS costs has been developed.” The result, said Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), is that the discussion “is putting the cart ahead of the horse […]

The FAA position that user fees are the answer to declining resources in the Aviation Trust Fund found little support on Capitol Hill last week, according to AOPA. At a hearing held by the House aviation subcommittee on Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) said the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects a growing surplus in […]

AOPA also argued that aircraft owners should be allowed to continue to use their engine until reaching time-for-overhaul based on hours, without any “arbitrary” calendar deadline. Some owners may have only a few hours on their engine and reach the 12-year limit well before an overhaul is needed, AOPA said. The FAA disagreed with that […]

The Cessna Pilots Association (CPA) objected to the proposed AD, saying there should be no calendar time mandated and compliance should be determined based on the type of operations for which the aircraft is used. The FAA did not agree. The CPA also said “the FAA has been used by Lycoming to spread out over […]

The FAA on Friday published its final version of a controversial rule affecting crankshafts in 3,774 Lycoming 360- and 540-series engines. The Airworthiness Directive (AD), effective Nov. 3, requires owners to replace the crankshaft either at normal overhaul, when the crankcase is split for any reason, or within 12 years of the time the crankshaft […]

Dennis Ferguson was named on Tuesday as the new CEO. He was previously president of Airshow Inc., an avionics manufacturing company. Prior to that, he was a vice president at Dynatech/Acterna Corporation. He introduced lean manufacturing practices that reduced manufacturing costs and increased product quality, Mooney said in a news release. “Dennis brings a strong […]

Mooney Aerospace Group announced on Tuesday that CEO Gretchen Jahn is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Jahn’s resignation will be effective Oct. 1, but she will remain with the company as an advisor to oversee the (235-plus knot turbo) Acclaim certification. Jahn led during a dynamic time for Mooney, when exciting new products hit the […]

For years, pilots have complained that it’s not the skies that are crowded — it’s the runways. The FAA is catching up a bit with a slew of new airports and expansion projects. St. George, Utah, one of the nation’s fastest-growing metro areas, will get a new $17-million airport, the FAA said this week. “Aviation […]