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Intended to explore the possibilities of high-speed flight and high-efficiency hover beyond the capabilities of aircraft like the V-22 Osprey, DARPA’s Disc-Rotor Compound Helicopter program may ultimately develop a helicopter-like aircraft with a rotating circular wing and retractable blades. Boeing Thursday was announced as the expected recipient of a Sole Source contract for ongoing development […]

The FAA has been ordered to pay fees and other expenses incurred by two ATP-rated Learjet pilots, whose certificates the agency had ordered suspended, according to Aviation Law Experts LLC, acting on behalf of the pilots. A Chief Administrative Law Judge of the NTSB found that “the agency proceeded on a weak and tenuous basis […]

The investigation into why a British Airways Boeing 777 on Jan. 17 crashed (with no fatalities) short of the runway at London’s Heathrow airport has determined “that there are two possible scenarios” that match the data collected from the flight — both involve ice in the fuel system. The Air Accidents Investigation Board (AAIB) has […]

Some of the most popular general aviation aircraft designs available today (the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, the Cessna 350 and 400, the Liberty XL2 and others) trace a major part of their roots back to the experimental aviation segment. The argument could be made that if you like innovative certified brand new general aviation aircraft, […]

Submitted for your consideration: VFR and IFR procedures with, one foot in the 1950s and the other in your 21st-century cockpit. Despite satnav bliss, the National Airspace System (NAS) clings to archaic items that you should know. Take the quiz. More Brainteasers

In its continuing effort to “ensure [a] clear path to profitability,” the new management team at Eclipse Aviation said on Tuesday that it has created a new structure for operating the company. Peg Billson, previously the company’s chief operating officer, has been appointed president and general manager of the Eclipse Manufacturing Division, and Mike McConnell, […]

Several “well-known investors” have expressed an interest in buying the insolvent Thielert Aircraft Engines company, the company said this week. “In some cases, the offers even exceed initial expectations,” according to company spokesman Sebastian Glaser. “Moreover, in recent weeks a number of other new prospective customers have expressed their interest as well,” Glaser said. “Thus, […]

photo by Ricky Hilton Imagine flying an airplane when both wings suddenly depart the fuselage — that is about the kind of emergency that was faced by balloon pilot Chuck Walz last Sunday morning, when the fabric of his balloon envelope collapsed, and the aircraft plummeted toward the ground. But just before impact, the fabric […]

A fleet of scale-model autonomous helicopters operated by Stanford computer scientists can learn to fly complex stunts by “watching” other helicopters perform the same maneuvers, the research team said this week. The project illustrates the capability of “apprenticeship learning,” in which robots learn by observing an expert, rather than by following pre-programmed software instructions. Using […]

A year after adventurer Steve Fossett disappeared while flying near a friend’s ranch in Nevada, a group of 28 searchers are back in the field hoping to find evidence of his fate. The team began its search on Aug. 23 and plans to continue through next Wednesday, The Associated Press reported this week. They are […]