News

From a brightly lit soccer field under foggy skies in Caribou, Maine, balloonist Jonathan Trappe launched his unique lighter-than-air system under a cluster of helium balloons at sunrise Thursday, on a quest to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The last pilot to accomplish a similar feat was Col. Joe Kittinger, who flew in 1984, […]

The prototype fully rigid Aeroscraft airship produced by Aeros Corp has hovercraft landing gear and operates with a buoyancy system similar to that used by submarines and this week it received its experimental airworthiness certification from the FAA and began flight testing at Tustin, Calif. Aeros’ prototype is 266 feet long and 97 feet wide. […]

The blatant oversimplification of basic aerodynamics displayed in a new video implies we’ll soon learn what agency, what company, or what individual has decided that showing a paper airplane steadily thermalling over a stove would be a good marketing concept. But, until then, let the debate rage. The video’s own description claims it teaches viewers […]

Cirrus Aircraft will work with Lake Superior College, in Minnesota, to develop and implement a job-skills program in aircraft assembly, the company announced on Wednesday. The program is aimed at recruiting, training and preparing low-income individuals for jobs at Cirrus. “To keep up with production demands, we are projecting the addition of 60 to 80 […]

Helicopter pilots on their way out of the military into civilian life got a boost last weekend when the Military Officers Association of America teamed up with Helicopter Association International to offer their first-ever career-transition seminar. The event, held in Alexandria, Va., provided seminars on interview techniques, job-search strategies, transitioning to civilian helicopters, and differences […]

Jonathan Trappe, who has flown his custom cluster-balloon systems across the English Channel and the Alps, is now in Caribou, Maine, assembling a huge system that he plans to fly across the Atlantic, launching sometime Thursday. Col. Joe Kittinger, the last balloonist to cross from the U.S. to Europe, in 1984, is on site to […]

The transportation departments of the 21 countries in Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum have agreed on a common set of goals to facilitate the development of business aviation in the region. China Daily USA reported APEC met in Tokyo last week and the business aviation initiative was one of the key announcements. Essentially, the countries […]

FlyRight, a simulator training company that specializes in King Air training, has announced that it has received FAA Level-D certification of its new King Air 350 ProLine21 simulator. The company, which is located at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, already trains to that level in King Air 90-, 100- and 200-series simulators and will start 300-series training […]

Seawind says it has overcome the final major technical roadblock to certifying its amphibious touring aircraft. In a news release Tuesday, the Pennsylvania company said it will be the first to certify a Part 23 aircraft with a stall/spin prevention system, clearing the way toward what CEO Dick Silva called “probably the longest certification of […]

The annual AOPA Summit is coming up in a few weeks, in Fort Worth, Texas, but AOPA said on Tuesday this will be the last time it holds the event. “Convention plans for 2014 have been cancelled,” AOPA said in a news release. AOPA said it plans to redirect the time and resources spent on […]