News

TSA Begins To Shift Focus… Long preoccupied with managing its congressional mandate to federalize the passenger-screening workforce, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has spent two years wrestling internally and with industry groups in an attempt to figure out exactly what to do about non-scheduled aircraft operations. To date, there have been a number of recommendations […]

Looking for the latest information on the state of the general and business aviation industry? Need to know what the future may hold for your company’s private aviation investment? Look no further than the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) Annual Industry Review & 2004 Market Outlook. This year’s event is set for today, Wednesday, February […]

In addition to receiving the original XV-3 tiltrotor for restoration, Textron’s Bell Helicopter unit last month announced completing a certification program that increases the internal gross weight limit for the 206B to 3,350 pounds, an increase of 150 pounds. Takeoff at internal gross weight above 3,200 pounds will require that airspeed is limited to 78 […]

Cessna Aircraft Company announced it promoted David Brant to become senior vice president, Product Engineering. Brants responsibilities will include new aircraft creation, development, design, interiors, flight test and certification, plus product improvements for all aircraft in production and in service. Brant will report to Cessnas President and CEO Jack J. Pelton and serve as a […]

Continuing an already-close relationship, Raytheon Aircraft and NetJets Inc. announced they have signed a 10-year maintenance contract covering the fractional operator’s Hawker 1000, Hawker 800XP and Hawker 400XP business jets. The contract, which includes options beyond its initial 10 years, will provide NetJets with full maintenance for the three aircraft types. Also, NetJets added two […]

Late last month, a truckload of aircraft parts was delivered to Bell Helicopters Flight Research Center at the Arlington (Tex.) Municipal Airport. Normally, such an event would simply mean that testing of a new or improved model could continue. But this time, the truck held the remains of the Bell XV-3, the worlds first successful […]

Bombardier Aerospace last month followed the delivery of its first Challenger 300 super mid-size bizjet by placing five — count ’em — copies of its new Learjet 40 light business jets into service. Two Learjet 40s were delivered to U.S.-based traditional operators, two entered service with Bombardiers Flexjet fractional ownership program and one aircraft was […]

Cessna Aircraft Company recently announced its 2003 production results. The numbers include some 842 new aircraft delivered, $2.3 billion in sales revenue and a year-end order backlog of $4.4 billion. Of the 842 airframes delivered, 197 were Citations, 57 were Caravans and 588 were single-engine pistons. Lost in those numbers is that Cessna also delivered […]

On Jan. 20, 1964, the original Beechcraft King Air Model 90 lifted off from Beech Field in Wichita. Now, 40 years later, parent Raytheon Aircraft is preparing to commemorate the lineage with a special, 40th anniversary edition. That aircraft, a King Air 350 — serial number FL 400, registered as N40TH — will receive a […]