News

The project that hopes to ultimately send a manned aircraft around the world in nonstop flight utilizing solar power has reached the concrete phase through delivery of final first aircraft components. The first large components now exist for the yet unbuilt aircraft registered HB-SIA, and composite fuselage has run through stress tests including static flexion […]

A falling dollar and faltering economy may not be all bad for some U.S. businesses … especially one pilot training facility that caters to foreign countries with blooming aviation markets. Chinese nationals will be trained in Denton, Texas, at the US Aviation Group for careers as commercial pilots, arriving by November and returning to China […]

AOPA staffers met with officials from the White House Office of Management and Budget last week and explained that many general aviation pilots are not happy with a proposal that would require them to electronically provide advance notice and passenger manifests when crossing the U.S. border. “While the idea of telling Customs who is on […]

It’s been a challenge to get Congress to act on FAA funding this year, with elections looming and a change in administration certain, and this week the issue was postponed yet again — this time until March 2009. “That means we can declare victory in the battle against user fees, at least in 2008,” said […]

The test pilot for the Cessna 162 SkyCatcher LSA prototype that crashed last week was spin-testing the airplane and put it into a cross-controlled, power-on stall, Cessna spokesman Doug Oliver told AVweb this week. “He got into a flat spin and couldn’t recover,” Oliver said. The airplane, which was one of several used in the […]

NASA and the U.S. Air Force said this week they intend to establish three national hypersonic science centers and they are actively seeking university and industry partners. Hypersonic speed is defined as Mach 5 and faster. “We have identified three critical research areas: air-breathing propulsion, materials and structures, and boundary layer control,” said James Pittman, […]

Companies that offer hot-air balloon rides to the public should be subject to periodic inspections by federal officials, according to a report by Canada’s Transportation Safety Board. Two hot-air balloons were destroyed by fire in August 2007 in Canada while carrying paying passengers. Two passengers died and several others were badly hurt. The board concluded […]

Bombardier says it will go it alone in development of its composite Learjet 85. The company had a deal with Grob Aerospace, of Switzerland, to develop the main composite structure, but Grob was thrown into insolvency when a lead investor pulled out in August. At the time, Bombardier officials said they were sticking with Grob […]

A start-up European fractional and charter operation hopes to challenge the likes of NetJets by, among other things, pouring a perfect cup of espresso. Jet Republic, which will be based in Portugal but held its launch in Farnborough on Tuesday, announcing a plan to buy 110 Learjet 60XRs for $1.5 billion and pay attention to […]

If your Baron could climb at 4,500 fpm and cruise at 300 knots, why would you need a jet? That’s the thought process Rocket Engineering is promoting as it celebrates first flight of its fourth turbine conversion. The company, which already has turbine STCs on the Bonanza, Duke and Piper Mirage, has fitted the 500-shp […]