News

For Under $1 Million … Diamond Aircraft has entered what has become a crowded field. On January 15, the company announced it will have its own single-engine mini-jet in the air in 2004 and start delivering it in 2006. “This is a natural progression for us,” said Peter Maurer, Diamond’s North American CEO. The D-Jet, […]

Cessna Chooses Pratt and Whitney For Its Thoroughbred … On January 9, Pratt and Whitney Canada announced it will build a new type of small, efficient turbofan to power Cessna’s new entry-level Mustang, which is seen as a direct competitor to the Eclipse 500. Trying to beat Eclipse at its own game, Cessna has being […]

Dassault Falcon   A new amendment supersedes an existing Airworthiness Directive (AD), applicable to all Dassault Model Falcon 2000 series airplanes, and certain Dassault Model Falcon 900EX and Mystere Falcon 900 series airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive operational tests of the flap asymmetry detection system to verify proper functioning, and repair if necessary; repetitive […]

Gone is the cramped and crumbling Wisconsin Aviation terminal, built in the 1930s, which greeted visitors — often business people, celebrities, politicians and athletes — who fly into the Dane County Regional Airport (KMSN)on private planes. On Dec. 1, Wisconsin Aviation Inc. opened its sleek, $2.5 million, 15,000-square-foot terminal, which will host a new O’Malley’s […]

With all of the competition and struggling start-up manufacturers in the personal-jet niche, it’s hard to imagine there are a lot of people interested in starting up an airplane company — unless, of course, the price is right. As AVweb reported earlier this month, Mooney Aerospace Group (MAG) has followed through on plans to auction […]

In late November, Nimbus Group Inc. reported a narrower loss for the third quarter ending Sept. 30, 2002. The results of operations for the third quarters of 2002 and 2001 primarily reflect the results of operations of the company’s wholly owned subsidiary Take to Auction (“TTA”). During January 2002, Nimbus Group’s board adopted a formal […]

  Raytheon may move to take control of Flight Options LLC, less than a year after Raytheon’s Travel Air fractional ownership arm and Flight Options formed a joint venture. According to Raytheon’s latest Securities and Exchange Commission filing, it’s invested $83 million in the merger, including a $20 million loan to Flight Options. The merger […]

Northern Jet Management announced late last month that it has named its newly formed fractional jet ownership program “The Company Jet.” Company officials claim that The Company Jet is “designed to meet the needs of businesses and their business travelers, while most fractional programs are designed to serve leisure travelers and ‘jetsetters.’” According to company […]

Machinists Union Questions Canadian Contract …   The machinists union representing Cessna‘s workers wants to know if work that Cessna Aircraft Co. gave to a Canadian company violates its labor contract. Cessna awarded a contract Sept. 10 to Avcorp Industries of Vancouver, B.C., to design, test, produce and support the center wing box, vertical stabilizer […]

Civilian Tiltrotor Tests Begin …   As the Pentagon ponders whether the tilt rotor V-22 Osprey is too costly (or yet too dangerous) for the U.S. Marines and elite soldiers, Bell Helicopter has begun ground-testing a civilian version of the half-helicopter/half-airplane. The Bell/Agusta 609 would carry six to nine passengers and, like the troubled Osprey, […]