News

NASA and the CAFE Foundation will host a $300,000 General Aviation Technology Challenge this August in Santa Rosa, Calif., to determine which small aircraft are most advanced in a number of measures that include fuel efficiency, quietness and safe handling. The idea is to encourage the development of GA aircraft that can fill the personal […]

Cessna Aircraft Company revealed details of its recently announced large-cabin jet at a press conference in Washington on Wednesday. The intercontinental aircraft will be called the Model 850 Citation Columbus. The jet is designed for intercontinental travel, Cessna said, with a target range of 4,000 nautical miles at Mach .80 carrying eight passengers. The ship […]

Maine is in a “state of confusion” when it comes to imposing onerous tax bills on out-of-state aviators, say the folks at AOPA, who have been trying to reason with officials there. “There is a fundamental fairness issue here,” says AOPA Vice President of Regional Affairs Greg Pecoraro. He has met with Maine officials several […]

While it’s still deep winter in much of the country, this year’s edition of Sun ‘n Fun is right around the corner, with spring not far behind. This week, the FAA published the NOTAM with instructions for those who plan to fly in to Lakeland, Fla., for the show, which runs April 8 to 13. […]

At last October’s National Business Aviation Association meeting in Atlanta, leaders of the major general aviation groups agreed that despite headway made in Congress on the user fee issue, they believed the matter was far from settled. On Monday, with the FAA functioning on an extension of its 2007 budget because of the administration’s failed […]

Three days after Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell put his stamp of approval on an FAA budget that would retain the user fee proposal, President Bush’s nominee for the five-year appointment as administrator will go before a confirmation hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. It’s been more than three months since Bush […]

Hundreds of creditors are named in court documents obtained by AVweb relating to the bankruptcy of Silver State Helicopters. The aggressive Las Vegas-based training company, which had 34 locations, closed them all earlier this week, leaving a trail of unpaid bills. We were caught flat footed like everybody else, Robinson Helicopter Vice President Kurt Robinson […]

The federal Transportation Department this week released the latest version of its budget request, including user-fee-based funding for the FAA, and reaction has been swift. “What part of ‘NO!’ doesnt the White House understand?” asked AOPA President Phil Boyer. “Once again, the Bush administration wants huge new taxes and user fees imposed on general aviation, […]

Shocked by the downfall of Silver State Helicopters, the Nevada-based flight school that declared bankruptcy earlier this week, former students and employees are telling AVweb they face major financial losses. Silver State Helicopters abruptly shut down operations at its 34 nationwide locations on Sunday afternoon, leaving more than 800 employees without jobs and more than […]

A new law that requires 10 percent ethanol in all auto fuel sold in Oregon is worrying pilots in the state. State officials said the law does not apply to aircraft fuels, but there is no mandate that ethanol-free fuel must be made available. “The fuel distributors we’ve talked to have all agreed that they […]