News

It’s been years in the making, but the race between very light jet (VLJ) manufacturers will soon be at high speed. That’s if Eclipse and Cessna have anything to say about it. Cessna last week said it began function and reliability (F&R) flight testing on its forthcoming Citation Mustang VLJ, which the company maintains is […]

As one wag put it, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s actions last week “deemed an entire state of matter to be a security risk” — as well as business necessities like cellphones and laptop computers. But there were no new rules in effect for the average general or business flight, something for which the […]

Although bottom-line impact hasn’t been felt — yet — last week’s terrorism-related restrictions on airline travel are proving to be a major boost to business and general aviation interests in North America and, presumably, Europe. By canceling trans-Atlantic flights and banning from airline cabins many electronic devices and most liquids, anti-terrorism authorities in the United […]

Want to know how your paycheck stacks up against the pay for similar jobs around the country? The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) knows … and will let you know for a price. NATA has just published its 2006 annual survey of GA service employees that includes pilots, line-service personnel, maintenance technicians and several other […]

Pilots unfamiliar with winter weather flight operations are being blamed in the crash of a Bombardier Challenger CL-600 in Montrose, Colo., on Nov. 28, 2004. The chartered plane, operated by Air Castle Corp. of Van Nuys, Calif., landed at the Montrose airport to drop off NBC sports executive Dick Ebersols wife, actress Susan St. James. […]

As if product delays and share price drops werent enough to sink its spirits, Airbus chief rival Boeing was on a roll at Farnborough, announcing plans to compete in the 500-seater market, and offering hard-won advice. Boeing chief executive Allen Mullaly told new Airbus chief and aerospace neophyte Christian Streiff, “Dont give up. New airplanes […]

As the just-completed EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh floundered in the rain, the biennial flying event at Farnborough, England, broiled like a British breakfast tomato. Temperatures that topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit brought electrical systems down and sent event attendees searching for elusive shade, packing air-conditioned corporate chalets. Even the normally stiff-upper-lipped show exhibitors who welcomed the […]

Jetbird, a startup on-demand air taxi service planning to fly initially from Zurich but with hopes to add 800 European locations, has inked a deal for 50 Embraer Phenom 100s. The $140 million contract also includes the option to purchase 50 additional aircraft over five years. The very light jet is still under development, but […]

Exploration of “strategic alternatives” could mean big changes afoot for Raytheon Aircraft Companys (RAC) business aircraft division. The company, which plans to focus entirely on military contracts, said last week that strategic alternatives for the business division could include a “sale of the business, an initial public offering or spin-off to shareholders or some combination […]

… and it doesnt appear to matter if its west or east. Under the FAAs “performance-based” navigation, airlines would be free to use satellite guidance instead of ground-based navaids, allowing more direct flights and saving the airlines millions of pricey petrol dollars. Last week, the FAA’s Performance-Based Operations Aviation Rulemaking Committee (PARC) released the second […]