News

Audio of firefighter personnel and accompanying photos show a four-minute response time to airshow performer Eddie Andreini’s fatal crash at Travis Air Force Base in May, according to avideo (below)released by a lawyer for the pilot’s family. Mike Danko also alleged in an online statement Monday that Air Force officials were “confused” over where fire […]

A story in Monday’s Wall Street Journal (subscription required)says the FAA’s proposed rulemaking on commercial use of unmanned aerial systems will face so much backlash that it could take years to enact. Citing unnamed sources, the Journal says the big sticking point will be the requirement for a private pilot certificate for commercial UAS pilots. […]

A northern Canadian airline has temporarily grounded its fleet of four Cessna Caravans after one made an emergency landing on a frozen lake early Thursday. The flight from Yellowknife to Fort Simpson was about 15 miles into the flight when it apparently encountered severe icing. The pilot headed for the broad expanse of ice on […]

More than 400 sea turtles have stranded along north-shore beaches on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and are in need of transport to aquariums where they can be cared for, Leslie Weinstein told AVweb on Saturday. Weinstein, of Boise, Idaho, is a board member for the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research at the University of […]

Airbus has filed a patent for a futuristic “flying doughnut” design for a passenger aircraft, the Daily Mail reported this week. The patent drawings show a circular cabin with seats arranged in a “doughnut” pattern, and a delta wing plan. The design aims to overcome some of the problems associated with pressurizing the traditional “flying […]

The FAA should support the general aviation community in three key areas — third-class medical reform, aircraft certification, and the ADS-B Out mandate — AOPA President Mark Baker told a congressional committee on Tuesday. “We need the FAA to embrace a system that can keep up with rapidly changing technology; that is comfortable with timely, […]

Two copies of the Rui Xiang RX1E two-seat electric-powered airplane flew at the China Airshow, held last week in Zhuhai, and this week, it was reported that construction has begun on a manufacturing plant in Shenyang. Certification of the aircraft is expected later this year, and production is expected to begin in the first half […]

Garmin now has a 7-inch G3X Touch display option available for experimental amateur-built and light sport aircraft, the company said this week. The high-resolution touchscreen display provides an option for owners of aircraft with smaller panels who may be looking for upgrades. The new screen also can be paired with a 10.6-inch display to serve […]

Lockheed Martin and Kaman Aerospace successfully tested an unmanned K-Max helicopter in simulated firefighting exercises, the companies said this week. During the demonstration, a small VTOL Indago quad-rotor drone effectively identified hot spots, and provided data to an operator who directed the unmanned helicopter to autonomously extinguish the flames. In one hour, the helicopter lifted […]

Boeing launched its ecoDemonstrator 787 in Seattle this week, to start flight-testing more than 25 new technologies aimed at improving fuel efficiency and reducing noise. The new round of testing, using 787 Dreamliner ZA004, will evaluate software and connectivity technologies related to operational efficiency, remote sensors to reduce wiring, aerodynamic and flight control improvements for […]