News

Twenty years in development, the new geared turbofan engine from Pratt & Whitney is currently nearing the completion of tests and the company sees big things in its future. The engine is designed to cut fuel burn by 12 percent, compared to the most modern engines currently available, and should be scalable. “We see the […]

AirTran Airways has apologized to nine people (including three children, ages 7, 4, and 2, and two women) who were directed to stay off of their flight before departure Thursday afternoon from Reagan National bound for Orlando, after they were overheard discussing where on the aircraft would be the safest place to sit. That conversation […]

Last year, at least 24 people died in crashes of U.S.-operated non-profit medical service and aid flights, a sharp increase in that only 16 were killed during the previous eight years. This year’s carnage is stirring calls for more regulation, according to an article published Friday by USA Today, but those figures may paint a […]

It’s kind of a tough time to be starting up an airplane business but the folks who have the intellectual property and a potentially flyable prototype of a rough-strip utility aircraft called the Gavilan are hoping there’s someone interested in resurrecting the design. The Gavilan is described as the “pickup truck of airplanes” and features […]

Do you have an opinion about the FAA’s current technology for disseminating Notam information? If you do, and if you can be in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Jan. 10, then the FAA wants your input. A one-day focus group for general-aviation pilots will be held to gather feedback on the current Notam system and suggestions […]

The Expedition E350, a backcountry single-engine aircraft manufactured by Found Aircraft Canada, has been granted type certification by the FAA. The type certification includes both day and night VFR and IFR for the E350 with either tricycle gear or with floats. “Certification of the E350 is the culmination of over two years of development by […]

A fuel mix of 50/50 conventional Jet A1 and fuel derived from the seeds of the jatropha tree passed its first flight test this week, in an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400. The flight lasted about two hours and several tests were conducted, including shutting down and restarting the test engine. “All the parameters that […]

Rumors that other bidders will try to assume control of Eclipse Aviation will either be verified or put to rest Jan. 14 when a Maryland bankruptcy court holds an auction for the assets of the company. Eclipse filed for Chapter 11 protection on Nov. 25 and a Luxembourg subsidiary of ETIRC Aviation, which is headed […]

Gulfstream says it will continue with expansion plans at its facilities despite the market downturn and PR problems in the industry. Company spokesman Robert Baugniet told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that Gulfstream has been affected by the downturn and that’s in turn affected the company’s approach to expansion. “We’re still hiring people but we’re doing […]

It’s easy to get cynical about high fuel prices, especially when the price of aviation fuel hasn’t dropped like that of auto fuels. But the flight school Airline Transport Professionals (ATP) is relieving some of that frustration among its students by dropping prices for new enrollments and giving rebates of up to $2,500 to students […]