News

Brazilian aircraft giant Embraer and its U.S. partner, Sierra Nevada Corp., rolled out the first the A-29 Super Tucano for the U.S. Air Force in Jacksonville, Florida, on Thursday. (See the video here.) The aircraft is the first of 20 purchased by the Air Force for deployment in Afghanistan where they will serve as trainers […]

It might seem after more than 100 years, we’ve figured out the best ways to fly, but creative folks insist on continuing to try new technologies. One young inventor, Aaron Wypyszynski, of Meridianville, Alabama, is working on a “wingboard” that enthusiasts could ride, like a kind of waterski, in the wake of an airplane. “It […]

AOPA has brought back its “Homecoming” fly-in at its headquarters in Frederick, Maryland, and this week posted instructions to ensure that pilots are prepared for the local traffic and procedures for the Oct. 4 event. “Flying in doesn’t mean winging it,” AOPA said on its website. “Do your homework … to ensure you’re safe and […]

Barrington Irving, whose nonprofit group Experience Aviation encourages youth to study science, engineering and math, took off on the first leg of an educational flight around the world on Tuesday. Irving departed from Reagan Washington National Airport in a Hawker 400XP on loan from Executive Air Services in Miami. During the flight, Irving and his […]

The oft-maligned but remarkably capable Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor entered combat for the first time this week when an undisclosed number were used in airstrikes against Islamic State strongholds and facilities in Syria. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the aircraft dropped GPS-guided bombs on an array of targets, including a building […]

Forbes blogger Gregory S. McNeal is reporting that the FAA will make a major announcement on the commercial use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) Thursday when it gives the movie industry permission to legally use remotely piloted aircraft in production. What Forbes also says is that the deal with Hollywood will set the basic standards, […]

A small humanoid robot about 6 inches tall successfully flew a flight simulator at a conference in Chicago last week. Professor David Hyunchul Shim and his students from the Department of Aerospace Engineering, KAIST, in Korea, presented a research paper entitled “A Robot-machine Interface for Full-functionality Automation Using a Humanoid.” The robot operated a panel […]

Airbus has agreed to collaborate on technology development with Aerion Corporation, the Reno, Nevada, company that has been working over the last decade to develop a supersonic business jet. “To further their mutual objectives, both companies will exchange knowledge and capabilities in design, manufacturing and certification,” Aerion announced on Monday. Airbus will provide technical and […]

Aireon LLC, a private company based in McLean, Virginia, announced a plan over the weekend to offer global emergency tracking as a public service to the aviation community, free of charge, by 2017. The Aireon Alert service will allow rescue agencies to request the location and last flight track of any 1090 MHz ADS-B equipped […]

Two Illinois congressmen have introduced legislation that would force the FAA to abandon a controversial new recruitment process to fill an anticipated 10,000 air traffic controller openings over the next 10 years. Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren and Democrat Dan Lipinski introduced the Safe Towers Act on Friday. The bill, if passed, will force the FAA […]