News

The thousands of airline pilots who are furloughed or working overseas when they would prefer to fly for a U.S. airline and live in this country makes it clear that no shortage of trained and qualified airline pilots currently exists in the United States, according to the Air Line Pilots Association, Intl (ALPA). There may […]

To thunderous applause from alphabet groups, the House passed a bill Tuesday that will force the FAA to go through a formal rulemaking process to institute its controversial sleep apnea measures. As we reportedin November, FAA Air Surgeon Dr. Fred Tilton sent a newsletter to air medical examiners telling them that any pilot with a […]

VietJetAir set the bar for airliner orders at the Singapore Air Show on Tuesday with the purchase of 63 Airbus A320 aircraft worth about $6.4 billion. The show, which runs until Feb. 16, is expected to yield billions more in commercial, business and military orders. The VietJetAir order also includes options for 30 more aircraft […]

The House Transportation Committee has approved a bill that would ban passengers from talking on their cellphones in flight. The bill, which still must be debated by the full House, would ban only voice communications and would allow passengers to text, go online and email while on aircraft. A similar bill has also been proposed […]

Cessna will no longer sell the Skycatcher LSA, and the 80 or so aircraft still at the factory will be kept for use as spare parts, AOPA reported on Monday. A Cessna spokesman told AVweb an official statement would be released early on Tuesday, but by mid-afternoon the company had not posted an update. The […]

Reports of lasers pointed at aircraft in flight have increased from 2,836 in 2010 to 3,960 in 2013 — that’salmost 11 incidents per day — and this week the FBI and the Air Line Pilots Association joined with the FAA to announce a new “threat awareness campaign.” The effort will target 12 cities with public […]

The FAA has completed Supplemental Type Certification for the auto-throttle and anti-skid brake system on the Eclipse 550 twin-engine jet, Eclipse Aerospace said this week. The auto-throttle, developed in partnership with Innovative Solutions & Support, is a first for FAR Part 23 aircraft, Eclipse said. The system enables the autopilot to automatically adjust engine power […]

At least 77 people, many of them women and children, may have been killed in the crash of an Algerian military transport aircraft Tuesday in northern Algeria. The C-130 was initially reported to be carrying 99 passengers and four crew but the Algerian government corrected that late Tuesday.The aircraft was taking military personnel and their […]

Pilots must not use their laptops, iPads, or any other electronic device for personal use at any time while operating a Part 121 aircraft, whether for a passenger or cargo operation, the FAA said on Tuesday. The rule (PDF) reinforces procedures that already are standard at airlines, the FAA said. Also the “sterile cockpit” rule, […]

Is it possible to walk across a line slung between two hot-air balloon baskets at altitude? A team of acrobats tried it recently, caught their attempts on video, and posted it online last week. The project requires that the two balloon pilots control their altitude very precisely, and they must stay in close proximity — […]