News

A Canadian avionics company has developed an analog interface that allows owners of older airborne satellite phone systems to tap into the much greater capabilities of new digital equipment. Ottawa-based TrueNorth Avionics makes the Simphone satellite communications system that not only provides phone service but also data, wi-fi, broadband and a host of other electronic […]

Cessna CEO Jack Pelton says it’s “highly likely” the new Columbus large-cabin business jet will be assembled in Wichita but the company will have to expand its bursting-at-the-seams facilities there. Meanwhile, the company has announced that its neighbor, Spirit AeroSystems, will build the fuselage and empennage of the 77-foot aircraft. Spirit spokeswoman Debbie Gann told […]

Hawker Beechcraft is continuing its aggressive new-model introduction campaign with the announcement that its “light midsize” 750 has received FAA certification. The 750 is an eight-passenger aircraft that uses the same wing and fuselage as the already-certified 800 series. Brad Hatt, Hawker Beechcraft’s vice president of commercial sales, said the $12.2 million plane fills a […]

It’s no surprise to anyone in aviation that 2007 was a good year but just how good a year it was became clear in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association released its annual statistics (PDF) on aircraft deliveries, and business jets simply blew away other sectors in all aspects. “Aside from the […]

European authorities are squawking over what they term a loophole that allows very light jets to operate without traffic alert and collision avoidance systems (TCAS). TCAS is required on aircraft bigger than 12,500 pounds and VLJs are loosely defined as jets that weigh less than 10,000 pounds. Eurocontrol, which oversees air traffic control in Europe, […]

Prospective investors in Adam Aircraft might have learned something about the company at JD’s Bait Shop Sports Grill in Centennial, Colo., on Monday afternoon. According to the Denver Post, rather than crying in their beers, the 20 or so Adam employees who gathered there after getting their pink slips on Monday expressed hope that someone […]

Click for a larger image A total of 677 business aircraft landings were recorded at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on Super Bowl weekend, filling up just about every available parking area on the airport. Swift Aviation, the official FBO for the event, pumped more than 280,000 gallons of jet fuel into the aircraft whose occupants […]

How will operators use the advanced weather information and tools promised by the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)? The Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) hosted a conference in Washington, D.C., this week to collect ideas on the matter from various government and industry subject matter experts. More than 200 people attended. Were living […]

Two power-boosting changes for Mooney aircraft by Midwest Modifications have been granted STC (Supplemental Type Certificate) approval from the FAA, the company announced on Tuesday. One STC allows the company to modify the 280-hp turbocharged engine of the Mooney Acclaim to increase the maximum power to 310 hp. With this change, Midwest says, the Mooney […]

Adam Aircraft has suspended operations at its Colorado facilities. In a short news release, the company said the action was taken “due to the inability of the company to come to terms with their lender for funding necessary to maintain business operations.” The news release doesn’t identify the lender, but previous rounds of financing, totalling […]