News

Sikorsky flew its X2 technology demonstrator for the first time on Wednesday, from its facility in Horseheads, N.Y. The X2 is intended to advance the state-of-the-art for counter-rotating coaxial rotor helicopters, the company said, and establish that a helicopter can cruise at 250 knots while retaining excellent low-speed handling, efficient hovering, safe autorotation, and easy […]

When non-flying bystanders are killed in the crash of a general aviation airplane, it’s sure to raise safety concerns about GA airports and operations. Last Friday, when a homebuilt Velocity crashed into a house near North Las Vegas Airport, killing an elderly couple in the house, officials questioned whether experimental aircraft should be allowed to […]

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates several busy airports in the New York City area, is at odds with the FAA over a plan to auction off takeoff and landing slots at JFK, Newark and LaGuardia. The Port Authority and the Air Transport Association both have asked a federal court […]

A solar-powered, unmanned aircraft launched from the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona has flown for 82 hours 37 minutes, more than twice as long as the current official world record of 30 hours 24 minutes set by Global Hawk in 2001, the manufacturer said on Sunday. However, the flight by Zephyr, built by QinetiQ for […]

When the FAA earlier this summer revealed its proposed changes to how it will interpret and enforce the 51-percent rule that governs homebuilding, the reaction from pilots and builders was quick and overwhelmingly negative. Now the comment period has been extended, to Sept. 30, and EAA says that so far most comments support the position […]

When a new company took over the assets of Adam Aircraft earlier this summer, it was made clear that development of the A700 jet would proceed, but the A500 in-line twin was of no interest. Unfortunately for the five owners who have already taken delivery of an A500, this left them in a bind. Mike […]

Gulfstream Aerospace says it plans to continue to be on the cutting edge of business aviation technology and opened a massive new research and development center in Savannah last week. Two buildings encompassing almost 200,000 square feet and will accommodate about 700 employees. “The addition of these two buildings to our growing campus will allow […]

Bizjet manufacturers will ride a wave of record backlogs for a few years but the party might be winding down. David Strauss, an analyst for UBS, told the Toronto Globe and Mail that his research shows overall business flight activity is down 11 percent in the past year and that while that’s mainly an indication […]

The FAA is following Transport Canada’s guidance and has proposed an airworthiness directive to prevent flameouts on Pratt and Whitney Canada (P&WC) JT15D turbofans. The engines are installed on about 1,500 aircraft, including Mitsubishi, Beech and Cessna 500-series business jets. After a few dual flameouts of the engines, it was discovered that a fuel control […]

Computer problems at one of the FAA’s two flight plan processing facilities caused flight delays throughout the country on Tuesday. The FAA said flight planning for the eastern area of the U.S., normally handled at a facility in Hampton, Ga., just outside Atlanta, had to be shifted to a Salt Lake City facility that serves […]