News

It’s one of those things that’s been intuitively accepted — glass cockpit technology improves situational awareness, thereby enhancing safety. Now a study published this week by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation (ASF) confirms that technologically advanced aircraft (TAA) are involved in fewer accidents when compared with the overall general aviation fleet. The analysis shows that […]

Sino Swearingen Aircraft on Friday laid off 77 employees from the company’s Martinsburg, W.Va. and San Antonio plants this week, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Sino Swearingen Vice President of Marketing and Sales Mark Fairchild termed the move as a restructuring. After faltering to bring its SJ30 production line up to speed in the […]

photo by John Plassenthal Click for a Larger Image Award-winning aerobatic pilot Jim LeRoy died Saturday when his Pitts Special crashed during a performance at the Dayton (Ohio) Air Show. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, LeRoy, 46, was in one of two aircraft making loops when his biplane hit the runway at an angle and […]

Thursday’s fatal accident at Scaled Composites, in Mojave, Calif., occurred during a test of the flow of nitrous oxide through an injector, the Los Angeles Times reported on Friday. Two workers were killed at the scene and a third died later at a hospital. Three other workers remain hospitalized with serious injuries, and several others […]

In its annual review of the best products and services, our sister publication, Aviation Consumer, has named the Cessna Mustang its Product of the Year. “It’s not so much the airplane itself – although it’s impressive – but the achievement of producing it on time, on budget and on the numbers,” the magazine said. The […]

Kelly Aerospace announced this week that it is recalling about 200 faulty turbochargers manufactured in March 2007 because of out-of-balance turbine wheels. Sources told AVweb this week that at least three of the turbine wheels have separated from the turbocharger shaft and one resulted in an emergency landing in Reno, Nev. The affected turbochargers were […]

GE Honda says it’s aiming for 2009 certification of its redesigned HF120 turbofan engine. The powerplant, a variation of the HF118 prototype now flying in the HondaJet prototype, delivers more thrust (2,095 pounds) and incorporates technology to improve efficiency, durability and noise. According to GE Honda, the engine is currently undergoing hot-section core tests and […]

According to NBAA member and Manitoba Recycling CEO Richard Shine, the user fee plans advocated by airlines and the FAA would be devastating to small and medium-sized companies nationwide. In testimony last Thursday before the Senate aviation subcommittee on energy, natural resources and infrastructure, he said, “I represent a small business that operates a turboprop […]

Cleveland, Ohio-based fractional aircraft provider Flight Options late last week announced that it is now offering whole aircraft management services in addition to Fractional First share-aircraft ownership and JetPASS jet-card membership. “Flight Options is proud to introduce yet another product to the aviation marketplace by offering increased access to services we have been providing for […]

Aviation Research Group/U.S. (ARG/US) now offers aviation safety training in addition to its existing aviation safety services. The initial offering includes safety manager training, on-scene accident investigation and aviation auditing courses conducted at the company’s offices in Denver. “ARG/US has extensive experience with Safety Management Systems (SMS), with corporate and business aviation as well as […]