News

The Senate has defeated a “cloture” motion that would have limited debate on its FAA Reauthorization bill. A successful cloture motion would have significantly speeded up the discussion on the debate but with all the controversy surrounding the FAA these days, that was probably unrealistic. Members on both sides of the aisle were lining up […]

DayJet has cut its fleet by more than half and its staff by more than a third as it scales back operations in the absence of capital to fund expansion. DayJet founder and CEO Ed Iacobucci told AVweb on Tuesday the company needs about $50 million to essentially triple its current size to achieve the […]

Cessna’s new Citation CJ4 business jet prototype flew for the first time on Monday in Wichita, the company said. “We tested quite a number of the systems on the aircraft, including the autopilot, and all performed very well,” said Cessna test pilot Dan Morris, who flew the jet for nearly two and a half hours. […]

The Red Bull Air Race returned to the U.S. over the weekend, with Mike Mangold and Paul Bonhomme battling for first place over San Diego Bay. Mangold won the series last year, but just barely. This weekend, Bonhomme took first after a one-on-one flight against Mangold. “Great rivalries have a history of triggering interest in […]

Start-up air taxi operator Dayjet has announced it will “scale back” its immediate growth plans and lay off employees in all areas of its operations. In an email release today, company founder and CEO Ed Iacobucci did not detail the numbers of people let go. Iacobucci blamed weak capital markets and not the company’s early […]

AOPA is warning aircraft owners who normally use automotive fuel purchased off the airport to test the gas for ethanol even if the pump doesn’t say there’s alcohol in the fuel. The federal government mandate to increase the use of renewable fuels in gasoline blends has prompted some companies to add ethanol without notification and […]

Welsh pilot Maurice Kirk gets full marks for politeness but his questionable judgment landed him in a Texas psychiatric hospital. Kirk, from the Vale of Glamorgan, was detained for psychiatric assessment after landing his Piper Cub in a field about six miles from President Bush’s Texas ranch April 25. Known as the Flying Vet, Kirk […]

Our sister magazine, Aviation Consumer, is preparing a follow-up story on user experience with Thielert diesel engines. If you’d like to participate, drop an e-mail to avconsumer@comcast.net. (The story will appear in a future issue of Aviation Consumer. For subscription information, click here.)

AOPA says Cessna has suspended its delivery schedule of 172 TD models in light of the crisis at Thielert Aircraft Engines, which supplies the engines. According to AOPA, Cessna intends to continue with certification of the diesel Skyhawk but none of the 100 on order will go to customers just yet. “At this point we […]

Smart Air S.A. has announced the first fractional ownership program in Europe for Diamond’s single-engine (and very roomy) four-plus-one place composite D-JET. The company has purchased eight D-JETs, which it expects sometime in 2010, and has options for more. Smart Air’s business plan aims to offer a “hassle-free, flexible” and “even more economical way” for […]