News

A widely cited story posted on the blog Quartz on Friday raises the question whether airline pilots who post aerial photos online are violating FAA rules against using “personal wireless devices” in the cockpit, but the FAA told AVweb picture-taking is OK with them — as long as pilots use the proper equipment. “A pilot […]

Oklahoma is expected to adopt emergency rules that will require wind farm prospectors to make the temporary towers they use to measure wind energy potential more visible to pilots. The so-called METs (meteorological evaluation towers) are usually a few inches shy of 200 feet tall, the height at which the FAA starts regulating tower marking. […]

Although it’s not the Hollywood blockbuster many predicted would result, a new film has been made that tries to shed light on the life of Colton Harris-Moore, the so-called Barefoot Bandit whose high-flying crime spree came to an end in a hail of bullets off the coast of the Bahamas in 2010. The Barefoot Bandit […]

The world’s biggest airliner may have one of industry’s shortest production runs. Airbus has announced it could end production of the A380 in 2018 after going through the whole past year without a new airline order. The aircraft went into service in 2007. It did get a 20-plane order from a leasing company but there […]

Sweden says Russian spy planes are getting in the way of commercial flights and the Swedes would like it to stop. “This is serious. This is inappropriate. This is outright dangerous when you turn off the transponder,” Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said on Swedish radio. According to ETurbo, Hultqvist said a passenger aircraft taking […]

The FAA has funding security (assuming presidential approval) for nine months after the Senate passed the so-called “Cromnibus” spending bill that approves appropriations for most government departments through September 2015. The vote was held late Saturday. The $1.3 trillion spending bill also rejects an administration user fee proposal and gives the FAA more money than […]

British air traffic control has restored operations after a computer glitch Friday afternoon that caused delays at London’s Heathrow Airport and other travel hubs. Meanwhile, airlines continued to catch up after the delays and the UK media are questioning the reliability of the system, which has had issues since it launched in 2002. A report […]

Rescuers who are trying to save the lives of endangered sea turtles stranded on Cape Cod beaches are hoping for more GA volunteers, especially pilots with roomy airplanes like a PC-12 or King Air, volunteer organizer Leslie Weinstein told AVweb this week. “We have successfully transported over 500 sea turtlesthanks to all of you [pilots],” […]

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Navy Blue Angels have finalized their 2015 show schedules as the International Council of Air Shows met this week in Las Vegas. The Thunderbirds will open their 62nd season Feb. 22 at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida. The team will perform at 39 locations and end the season […]

Daher-Socata will design and certify Airbus Group’s electric E-Fan aircraft with plans to develop the existing prototype into an all-electric series of production aircraft, the companies announced Thursday. Airbus subsidiary VoltAir, which developed the prototype, will be the project manager as Daher-Socata designs and tests the aircraft, including its electric powerplant and batteries. Airbus announced […]