News

When Congress on Tuesday proposed that automakers would have to sell off their private jets as part of a bailout deal, the National Business Aviation Association was quick to respond. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent late on Tuesday, NBAA President Ed Bolen expressed concern about the draft legislation, which “appears to […]

In adversity there’s opportunity and the folks who supply the materials and fixtures that go into the often-sumptuous interiors on business aircraft are responding to current market conditions. The Aircraft Interiors Expo 2009 takes place in Hamburg from March 31 to April 2 and organizers are outlining the important roles the interiors folks will play […]

Embraer’s entry-level Phenom 100 jet has been certified in Brazil, and U.S. certification is expected shortly, according to a company news release. The $3.6 million aircraft emerged from certification testing with a top speed of 390 knots, 10 knots faster than expected, and an overall fuel consumption 3.6 percent less than predicted. Its range and […]

Piper Aircraft, in Vero Beach, Fla., is not immune to the market pressures that have been bearing down on the GA industry, and this week the company said it has instituted a reduced work schedule for some departments. “Our efforts are designed to maintain as many jobs (and associated benefits) as possible,” Piper spokesman Mark […]

It was a night flight, across a cold stretch of the Arctic so empty and dark that the two ferry pilots didn’t know for sure if there was land or water or ice beneath them. But when both engines on their Cessna 337 Skymaster failed on Sunday night, just south of Baffin Island in the […]

A Marine F/A-18D based at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station near San Diego, Calif., crashed at 11:59 a.m. local time in a residential neighborhood, destroying two homes and killing four on the ground. The pilot and sole occupant ejected successfully. One home was thought to be unoccupied at the time of the crash, the other […]

Eight engineering students of the Pulchowk Engineering Campus Institute of Engineering in Kathmandu formed Danfe Aircraft Fabrication Group and used $12,500 worth of locally available materials (plus a Rotax) to build Nepal’s first aircraft, dubbed Danfe. The two-seat aircraft — Nepal’s first aircraft — has a maximum takeoff weight of 880 pounds and successfully flew […]

AgustaWestland is responsible for the basic airframe design, production and vehicle support and Lockheed Martin is handling systems integration for the VH-71 presidential helicopter replacement program that has now produced its second production aircraft. The first VH-71 began testing Nov. 24 and the new aircraft, which Nov. 29 flew for the first time, is due […]

Fresh off a now-resolved machinists strike that cost the company an estimated $100 million per day, and a prediction of layoffs in 2009, Boeing has now hit an impasse with 700 of its engineers and is expected to announce further delays for its 787 Dreamliner. The company has announced a halt to its contract negotiations […]

Former pilot union president Duane Woerth is among the names said to be at the top of the list, but reports over the weekend suggested both Woerth and Robert T. Herbert are among those who might be selected to lead the FAA. While Woerth is a familiar name for many longtime aviators (Woerth was president […]