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The Solar Impulse project, which aims to build a solar-powered aircraft that can fly around the world, has begun to attract attention from the mainstream press, as a perceived “race” with another solar-powered craft heats up (pun intended). The Solar Impulse group, based in Switzerland and headed by Bertrand Piccard, plans to build a single-seat, […]

As the FAA struggles with the technology of the present, there is no shortage of ideas for the future of aviation. NASA recently has been testing its latest version of the X-48B, an advanced-concept, fuel-efficient blended-wing body, in the Langley wind tunnel in Hampton, Va. The 21-foot-wide prototype is scheduled to begin flight testing later […]

The Alaska Aviation Coordination Council (AACC), an industry group, expressed immediate dismay to the FAA when the system went off the scopes, calling the action “a most serious threat to Alaska aviation safety.” Even worse, the loss occurred just as the state was gearing up for its busiest — and riskiest — spring and summer […]

Sue Gardner, manager of the FAA Capstone program in Alaska, told AVweb on Tuesday that ADS-B was removed from radar screens as of March 24, “because it appeared controllers were operating outside the scope of their authorization to separate the traffic.” Why that became a concern at this point, when the system has been in […]

In Alaska, where the risks of flying in all that empty space and bad weather are well-known, the Capstone program has been soundly successful, reducing accidents by up to 47 percent. Yet a vital part of that program, the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) surveillance technology, has been taken offline by the FAA at the Anchorage […]

Last year’s event is a tough act to follow (SpaceShipOne, GlobalFlyer, HondaJet) but aviation is such a diverse endeavor, and AirVenture such a huge show, that there’s never any shortage of things that you just can’t see anywhere else. For instance, warbird buffs will be pleased to know that one of the largest gatherings of […]

You know spring is here when the AirVenture NOTAM is published. The bible for those planning on flying to the world’s biggest fly-in (July 24-30) is a must-read for everyone making the trip by air — even if they’ve done it a dozen times before. Chances are, if you’re reading this you’ll simply download the […]

With ethanol in the news so much, some aircraft owners are apparently concerned that avgas will also be getting a shot of alcohol. That isn’t going to happen, according to Woody Cahall, AOPA’s vice president of aviation services. “Members are concerned that ethanol is being added to avgas, which could adversely affect engine operation. Ethanol […]

It looks like the future of mogas use in airplanes is limited unless something is done to reduce the U.S.’s growing preference for ethanol as a fuel additive. Most states are considering laws requiring up to 10 percent ethanol in all or most automotive gasoline and the federal government seems poised to make it easier […]

Millin said he believes his fly-in is the thin edge of the wedge and that charging for these types of services could become the norm throughout the country if the practice isn’t stopped immediately. In fact, he said FAA officials he’s spoken with are predicting that major events, such as EAA AirVenture and Sun ‘n […]