News

At least seven people died and three were critically injured when two medical helicopters collided and crashed near a hospital in Flagstaff, Ariz. about 3:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Initial reports say a patient was among the dead. There were no casualties on the ground and, of course, authorities were not speculating on a cause. “As […]

Congress has extended the FAA’s funding under current conditions, which means no new taxes or fess at least until Sept. 30, AOPA reported Friday. The extension allows Airport Improvement Program grants to be used by airports for construction season (a.k.a., summer). Operating under an extension doesn’t change the rules, but multiple bills that support both […]

Eric Rupp, 49, last Saturday flew more than six hours from Hollister, near San Francisco, to the southern U.S. border town of Calexico, some 444 miles away, using nothing but the natural power of thermals and orographic lift, and in the process broke a Bay Area record of 362 miles held by Brian Choate since […]

EasyJet is expected to break from the rest of Britain’s airlines today and support plans that would replace taxes on passengers with a tax levied on aircraft. The carrier is backing its perspective with an advertising campaign that hits home with the tag line, “Air tax is changing. Cut out the subsidies.” Those words are […]

The drumbeat driving the march to this year’s AirVenture Oshkosh will end with the roaring cacophony of the Rocket Racing League, which plans a public debut at EAA’s July 28-Aug. 3 “aviation celebration.” Competition rocket-driven aircraft will be unveiled and flown July 29, with full flight demonstrations planned (weather permitting) for Aug. 1 and Aug. […]

Well, we still don’t know its real name and we’re not sure if it got out of the massive former Northwest Airlines A320 maintenance hangar on its own power but it sure looks like Cirrus’s new family jet is ready to fly. Sporting a red-on-white paint scheme that gives it a sleeker look than the […]

The FAA’s latest plan to adjust its workforce of controllers amid a boom of attrition, retirement and training aims to seduce veteran controllers to particular locales with higher incentive bonuses that, according to the FAA, are necessary to offset the higher cost of living in those areas. Current openings include spots in Westbury, N.Y.; Aspen, […]

The German company, Zeppelin NT airships, that earlier this month announced its airship would in July begin Zeppelin air tours over London, Thursday announced that “the U.S. market is opened for the Zeppelin NT.” While something may have been lost in translation, “the type certification for the Zeppelin NT has been successfully completed,” according to […]

Ever prolific Comp Air, manufacturer of multiple and often turbine-turning heavy-hauling kitbuilt aircraft, has announced its new model — the carbon composite high-wing Comp Air 9 — will fly to AirVenture this year. Company president and CEO Ron Lueck says he’ll be offering at AirVenture Oshkosh, this year, updates on the new aircraft and a […]

Pilots generally seek to avoid flying in clouds with “known icing,” but “unknown icing” also lurks out there — that is, our ability to predict and pinpoint which clouds harbor icing conditions is not precise. Now a team of engineers at Rowan University, in New Jersey, is working on a way to enable pilots to […]