News

The FAA has granted an experimental airworthiness certificate for an unmanned, remotely operated airship, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced on Monday. The

Virgin America got a tough introduction to flying in the U.S. airspace system on Wednesday morning — the airline’s very first flight, scheduled to launch from New York Kennedy Airport at 9:59 a.m., was delayed almost an hour by thunderstorms. Virgin America, in which Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group has a 25-percent stake, has entered […]

Cirrus held an auction at EAA’s annual Gathering of Eagles fundraising dinner during AirVenture to sell the first copy of its new SRS light sport aircraft, with the proceeds going to support the Young Eagles program. Sporty’s founder and Chairman Hal Shevers was the highest bidder, with a winning bid of $170,000. “I am committed […]

It seems that Cessna has found a big hole in the airplane market ready for a two-seat all-aluminum high-wing airplane. In the first two weeks after introducing SkyCatcher at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, the company has taken in 720 orders, adding up to about $75 million in sales. “It has been very exciting to hear […]

“Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom are using next-generation precise satellite systems that permit much less than the normal three miles separation between planes,” wrote a columnist in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday, citing David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, as the source of that information. But on Wednesday, Doug Church, spokesman […]

If an ordinary bizjet is too small for your corporate needs, you can always buy an airliner and reconfigure the interior. But if that won’t do, you now have another option — buy yourself an Aeroscraft ML866 airship, which will have 5,000 square feet of interior cabin space. This “office in the sky” can be […]

The control tower at Lakefront Airport in New Orleans, which has been closed since Hurricane Katrina damaged it in 2005, is now back in operation. General aviation groups had lobbied for the tower to re-open, saying the airport was getting busier and several close calls already had caused concern about safety. Three controllers and one […]

This weekend in Sonoma, Calif., four airplanes will compete for $250,000 in prize money from NASA, which will be awarded for qualities that are sought after for the personal air vehicle (PAV) of the future. The PAV Challenge offers prizes for quiet operation, ease of handling, short-runway performance, fuel efficiency, and speed. The goal of […]

The Federal Labor Relations Authority has dismissed charges by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) that the FAA engaged in unfair labor practices related to negotiating and implementing the 2006 air traffic controller contract, the FAA said on Monday. “This decision validates our new contract, which is saving taxpayers $1.9 billion over five years,” […]

Contact AVweb contributing editor Glenn Pew.