News

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said on Monday that airports should be allowed to charge landing fees based on congestion, instead of weight, to encourage airlines to shift schedules to less-busy times or to less-busy airports. The proposal brought immediate reaction, most of it negative. The agency that operates New York’s main airports said Peters’ plan […]

Everyone who flies depends on weather reports and forecasts every day, but we seldom think about the raw science that goes into making and refining such predictions. This week, a team of weather researchers from the U.S. and U.K. say they have come up with a better way to forecast clear-air turbulence, based on “spontaneous […]

The FAA should move from the testing phase and start to deploy Runway Status Light systems at airports across the country, according to a new report (PDF) from the Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General. The report concludes that the lighting systems — which provide red and green lights at runway intersections to guide pilots […]

Able Flight, a nonprofit group that provides flight-training scholarships to people with disabilities, announced on Monday that Cessna Aircraft Company has signed on for its second year and increased its support to the level of major sponsor. “Cessna has made a powerful commitment to our mission of using aviation to transform the lives of people […]

Last year was one of the safest — and busiest — ever for skydivers, the U.S. Parachute Association said on Monday. Eighteen skydivers were killed, the fewest since 1962, and about 2.5 million jumps were completed around the country. “We should all take pride in the strides we have made in skydiving safety in the […]

The Isle of Man, which is a Crown dependency of Britain but is also self-governing and constitutionally separate, recently launched its own aircraft registry and is hoping to attract private aircraft owners to the “M” designation. Because it’s so closely tied to Britain, many of its laws and practices are comfortably familiar to international clients, […]

NetJets Europe has talked Cessna, Dassault, Hawker-Beechcraft and Gulfstream into speeding up the delivery of a total of 39 aircraft so it can meet demand for its services. The 39 aircraft are worth more than $715 million and will be delivered starting this year as NetJets copes with unprecedented growth. “NetJets Europe’s rapid growth shows […]

Eclipse Aviation announced on Monday that Luxembourg-based European Technology and Investment Research Center, headed by former computer magnate Roel Pieper, is looking at building its very light jets in Ulyanovsk, Russia after buying a stake in Eclipse worth “substantially in excess of $100 million.” The cash injection buys Pieper the title of non-executive chairman of […]

One of the most iconic amphibs ever produced may be back in production by the end of the year. According to The Greensboro/Winston-Salem Business Journal, a Gibsonville, N.C., company, Antilles Seaplanes, is hoping to have FAA approval to begin production of the twin-engine flying boat by the end of June. Company co-founder V.I. Manuel told […]

Rotax has issued a manadatory service bulletin (PDF) affecting specific 912 and 914-series engine gearboxes after a fault was found with the material used in making the gears. Under severe operating conditions, it’s possible for gear teeth to break. The fix calls for replacement of the gears but the good news is that Rotax is […]