News

The FAA’s quintennial navel-gazing document, its “2008-2012 Flight Plan” was released Thursday and, while a first glance it doesn’t reveal anything we haven’t reported before, it does flesh out some initiatives that have been in the trial stage for years. The 60-page document concentrates on safety, modernization and management and sets goals to increase both […]

The FAA decided to go with a controversial redesign of the airspace serving New York, Newark and Philadelphia airports on Wednesday but it has a fight on its hands to implement the changes. At least one town, Elizabeth, N.J., has filed a court challenge and several well-organized and well-heeled groups are opposing the so-called Integrated […]

Shoes shined and hair slicked down, let’s see what you remember after the long summer’s break. Those who don’t score well on this quiz will be forced to spend more time at the airport. Take the quiz. More Brainteasers

Sir Richard Branson, who financed many of Steve Fossett’s adventures, told CNN on Wednesday that he is “obviously worried” about his friend, but remains optimistic. “If he’s landed and he’s not too badly hurt, he’s the one person in the world who will be mentally and physically equipped to get out of it,” Branson said. […]

The FAA should require that all emergency locator transmitters in general aviation aircraft must be upgraded, the NTSB said (PDF) on Wednesday. The newer 406 MHz transmitters have significant advantages, the NTSB says, including longer range, better accuracy, and the ability to encode identification information, so rescuers know exactly what airplane is in distress. The […]

LISA Airplanes, a French aircraft manufacturer, has successfully launched the first flight of its Akoya design, a two-seat amphibian that can land on the ground, the snow, and the water. Test pilot Grald Ducoin flew the prototype for about 15 minutes on Aug. 22. “This maiden flight confirmed the very healthy general behavior of the […]

photo by Dan Johnson While the Light Sport Aircraft getting the most attention tend be those like Flight Design CT and Cessna, which are selling well in the $100,000 range, more models are coming online at lower costs. The latest is the Sport Hornet, a tandem fixed-wing airplane with full three-axis control, for sale as […]

There’s no lack of demand for their services — in fact, the need seems to be growing — yet the crop-dusting profession is a graying one, and new pilots ready to enter the field are scarce, Forbes.com reports. The work is dangerous, and the bar to entry is high. Costs for equipment and insurance, and […]

The design for New Mexico’s Spaceport America, unveiled on Tuesday, will incorporate the natural landscape, with a low-profile, 100,000-square-foot building that mimics a sand dune. A rolling concrete shell will act as a roof, with massive windows that open to a view of the runway and spacecraft, the designers said. A team of U.S. and […]

In the continuing fallout from a 2002 midair collision in Swiss-controlled airspace in which 71 people died, four air traffic control managers on Wednesday were convicted of manslaughter, Reuters reported. The judge said the managers were responsible for ensuring that at least two controllers were on duty at all times, and the collision could have […]