News

With delivery last week of its 100th “green” Boeing Business Jet, the company claimed success in selling empty, unpainted and largely unfinished aircraft (aesthetically, anyway) aircraft to customers — 35 percent of whom are heads of state — around the world. The program allows buyers to then “work with designers and interior completion centers to […]

Three leveraged buyout firms have made final bids that (some believe) range near $3 billion for Raytheon Aircraft, a company that last year claimed 416 aircraft sold for a cumulative $2.9 billion, which along with strong forecasts may represent a relative boom, making the company more attractive to potential buyers. Outspoken piston pilots aware of […]

Grob Aerospace CEO Niall Olver said his company “remains committed to the program and production of aircraft number three will continue,” following the loss of a jet prototype. The second, newer prototype of Grob’s SPn all-composite “up to nine” passenger jet was lost Wednesday, Nov. 29 shortly after takeoff during a demonstration flight at the […]

Embraer’s market outlook sees demand for 11,115 business jets over the next 10 years. The forecast weighs heavier for lighter jets — with a projected 24 percent (more than 2,600) falling into Embraer’s “very light” segment and another 21 percent (more than 2,300) filling in the ranks of “light.” No larger jet categories (there are […]

The Federal Regional Court of the First Region of Brasilia said in a unanimous ruling that Joseph Lepore and Jan Paladino have been granted permission to retrieve their passports and leave Brazil within 72 hours, according to a report yesterday from The Associated Press. The two pilots have been held in Brazil since Sept. 29, […]

With complications pushing back its delivery schedule, Eclipse Aviation in two announcements Monday disclosed plans to modify its design and offer certain customers payment reductions. To address concerns that the company’s production schedule will not be met and that terms for additional payment due may in that be case be premature, Eclipse is offering the […]

Landmark Aviation last week said it has received FAA approval to modify in-service Dassault Falcon 50 trijets to increase rudder control authority on aircraft equipped with Collins APS-85 autopilot or Pro Line 21 avionics suite. The FBO, MRO and sales, charter and management chain — formed in 2004 through the merger of Garrett, Piedmont-Hawthorne and […]

Bombardier Aerospace earlier this month announced the first delivery of a Challenger 850 executive business jet, a development of the company’s CRJ200 regional jet (RJ). The delivery followed the March 2006 entry into service of the first Challenger 850 corporate shuttle, also based on Bombardier’s popular RJ line. The new bizjet-configured version of the 850 […]

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) last week announced that its board of directors had elected new officials to lead the association in 2007, while approving membership applications from Eclipse Aviation, SINO Swearingen and SMA (Societe de Motorisations Aeronautiques), which develops diesel engines for aircraft. At the board of directors meeting, John J. Grisik, executive […]

“Soon” is about all Eclipse Aviation will say when asked when the company will deliver its first production Eclipse 500 very light jet (VLJ). Despite recent setbacks involving what could be considered teething pains on its flight-test fleet — which led the company to ground those airplanes as a precautionary measure — Eclipse this week […]