News

An investor group based in Maine says it will manufacture the Atol 650, a Finnish-designed high-performance light sport amphibian. Atol USA is a joint venture with the Finland-based Atol Avion mother company. Because of its many lakes, amphib flying is popular in Finland and the company says Maine has similar topography so the company sees […]

Pilots from regional airline Trans States now have a direct pathway to the Frontier Airlines flight deck. An agreement was signed by the two airlines this week guaranteeing Trans States pilots a first officer position with Frontier after as little as two years of service with Trans States.Trans States operates a fleet of Embraer 145 […]

With almost 20 percent of the global fleet of Pilatus aircraft operating in the Southwest United States, Cutter Aviation has been appointed an Authorized Pilatus Sales and Service Center for the area. Pilatus says the region is base to about 300 of its aircraft. Cutter Aviation will work within the Pilatus network to provide sales […]

For the 13th time, China has released a Five-Year Plan – a series of social and economic initiatives that has elements aimed at boosting general aviation development. This plan is sparking demand for training aircraft in the country. Textron Aviation says it is capitalizing on this and has received orders for 52 Cessna Skyhawks from […]

At the Aero Expo this week in Friedrichshafen, Germany, EASA officials renewed their pledge to simplify certification rules for the European industry, including major changes to the rules governing flight schools. Besides simplifying the rules on balloon and glider operations, the agency is actively working on decluttering its rule books, both in an effort to […]

In the wake of the uncontained engine failure that killed a passenger on Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 earlier this week, the FAA has announced that it will issue an AD requiring inspections of certain CFM56-7B engines. This statement comes after NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt said during a media briefing that a preliminary inspection of the […]

NASA will be conducting a series of supersonic flights to gauge future community response to the noise signature of its Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator aircraft (LBFD). Since the contract for construction of the LBFD X-plane was only just awarded to Lockheed Martin at the beginning of April, the Quiet Supersonic Flights 2018 (QSF18) study will use […]

New bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives that, if passed, would authorize funding for the FAA until 2023. Unlike previous iterations, H.R. 4, called the “FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018,” does not include provisions for removal of ATC from FAA oversight. The bill is scheduled to go to the House floor […]

The NTSB is officially calling the fatal crash at Embry-Riddle earlier this month an in-flight breakup, although its report thus far is only preliminary. The accident occurred on April 4 and killed ERAU student Zach Capra and FAA DPE John S. Azma. Several eyewitnesses reported seeing the left wing of the Piper PA-28 Arrow separate […]

Southwest Airlines captain Tammie Jo Shults, 56, is being hailed as a hero for her deft and calm handling of an uncontained engine failure that damaged her Boeing 737 and claimed the life of passenger Jennifer Riordan on Tuesday. Throughout the emergency, Shults’ communications remained clear and direct as she diverted the plane to Philadelphia, […]