News

When composites first arrived on the light aircraft scene many pilots greeted them with skepticism — but a recent review of General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) records by CompositesWorld.com shows that more than half of 2,675 piston-engine aircraft produced in 2007 (1,376) were built with composite airframes. “A decade ago, less than five percent were,” […]

British investigators are now trying to come up with a combination of “normal” conditions that could have led to the abnormal absence of fuel available to the engines of a British Airways Boeing 777-236 ER on approach to London’s Heathrow airport in January. “The evidence to date indicates that both engines had low fuel pressure […]

Adele Schneidereit Wednesday carried her abilities over the hurdle of cerebral palsy (a birth defect that causes paralysis of one or more limbs) to earn her private pilot’s certificate — bringing her one step closer to a goal of piloting an aircraft around the world. And making a movie about it (watch the trailer, here). […]

While not a complete representation of the vast array of available light sport aircraft, US Aviation of Denton, Texas, Thursday announced plans to present potential LSA owners with an automobile dealer-ish and showroom-type experience, complete with an “extensive” inventory of aircraft and maintenance programs. “Nothing makes an automobile consumer happier than to walk into a […]

A Piper Cherokee with instructor and student aboard, and a Stinson with one pilot aboard, met on the runway at non-towered Northwest Regional Airport near Roanoke, Texas, Thursday afternoon, coming to rest on the runway with the Cherokee perched atop the Stinson. All parties walked away from the crash. The Stinson was departing and the […]

For the homebuilder who likes to go fast, Viper Aircraft has just released the newest member to their personal jet family, the Viper FanJet. This new aircraft is 17% larger than the existing model, the Mk II. This increase in space allows for pilots over 6′ 5″ tall to comfortably fit in the pressurized cabin, […]

Owners of Diamond aircraft with Thielert diesels are getting bad news this week. Thielert says it won’t support warranty claims and any owners who need parts and services to keep their airplanes flying will have to pay upfront. As we’ve reported on AVweb, Thielert declared bankruptcy two weeks ago and is now undergoing financial restructuring. […]

Prices at the pump are sure to rise with summer here, and AOPA this week has some suggestions about how to minimize the pain. Three simple techniques can result in “significant savings,” AOPA says: leaning the fuel, economy cruise settings, and gradual descents. Such efforts can save hundreds of dollars in fuel costs, AOPA says. […]

Chances are you learned how to convert Celsius to Frankenstein, but can you remember all the other testable — and forgettable — minutiae from your primary training days? Neither can we, so let’s see what you know. Take the quiz. More Brainteasers

When Silver State Helicopters, which operated flight schools in 17 states, closed its doors in February, hundreds of students who had paid thousands of dollars up front were left high and dry. Now, a California law firm representing two of those students has filed suit against KeyBank, which loaned them the money to give to […]