News

Some AVweb readers may remember the effort that went into re-creating the first flight of the Wright Brothers for the 100th anniversary in 2003 — despite earnest efforts and the assembly of a crack flight-test and construction team, the project met mixed success at best. But that’s not discouraging Craig Russell, a former cargo jet […]

If you’ve flown commercial lately, you know that spam-in-a-can feeling, but some travelers are finding themselves with room to stretch out aboard aircraft with vacancy rates of up to 89 percent — thanks to government subsidies that keep the routes profitable for regional airlines serving low-density areas. Lawmakers in Washington recently allocated $110 million to […]

NASA and the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency project (CAFE) have partnered to create a new $300,000 Personal Air Vehicle Challenge for 2008. It will be a “Pentaviathon” that aims to advance five vital general aviation technologies: noise reduction, fuel efficiency, speed, safety and ease of use. This year, the event introduces its first-ever “Green Prize,” […]

A 737-300 collided with a car on the runway on its takeoff roll Sunday morning, and the crash and the aftermath were caught on video by a passenger in a window seat just above the wing. The video, posted on YouTube, records a loud smashing sound and apparent turmoil in the cabin. The airplane was […]

Despite growth in donations to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) of Australia — contributions have nearly doubled in the last five years — the outfit is still not able to provide the services required by remote patients in need, the Adelaide Advertiser reported on Tuesday. The group receives some government support but must raise […]

Remos Aircraft, of Germany, has expanded its Light Sport Aircraft business in the U.S. with a new assembly plant in Arkansas. The company has been pushing an effort to entice away buyers of Cessna’s SkyCatcher LSA, promising delivery within three months, much faster than the likely wait time for a new SkyCatcher order, plus a […]

Rockwell Collins has teamed up with ARINC to provide business jet owners with what it says is true high-speed internet connectivity. The eXchange system, which will use ARINC’s Skylink satellite system, will provide “truly high-speed connections to the Internet, company Intranets, fax over IP (FoIP), voice over IP (VoIP) telephone, and data services for Wi-Fi […]

Although a lot of news about Eclipse in recent months has focused on various delays in the production and delivery of its aircraft, the company says it has produced its “first 100 airplanes faster than any GA jet aircraft manufacturer in history.” In a news release, in which CEO Vern Raburn describes the effort as […]

Former National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President John Carr says on his web site that the FAA recently made an offer to the union to resolve issues resulting from the contract it imposed in 2006. The jargon used in the memo (PDF) Carr says he obtained from someone in senior management is difficult to […]

Gulfstream says it’s getting ready to move on to the next phase of testing for its sonic boom-suppressing technology. As AVweb reported last year, the company successfully tested a 24-foot retractable nose boom that all but eliminates the shockwaves that create the big (and illegal over the U.S.) noise. The boom was originally tested on […]