News

Daher-Socata brought the newest model of its popular TBM 850 turboprop to Sun ‘n Fun last week. The 2013 Elite version features integrated electronic solid-state standby instruments by L-3 Avionics, the Trilogy ESI-2000, to replace the previous electro-mechanical instrument version. The unit has an internal battery and a 4-by-3-inch active matrix liquid crystal display. Interior […]

The airplane industry is eager to push into emerging markets, and that’s evident this week with robust attendance at the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition, taking place in Shanghai Tuesday through Thursday. Organizers said they had registered a record 6,284 people to attend the event, with more than 180 exhibitors on site and 34 […]

For years, we’ve heard that the technology exists to extend engine TBOs beyond the normal 2000-hour recommendation and now Continental has done just that. It recently announced that it will extend the TBOs on many of its popular engines by 200 hours and, for frequently flown engines, by 400 hours. According to the company’s Bill […]

The FAA has expanded the list of medical conditions that can be evaluated by an aviation medical examiner instead of requiring a special issuance and an FAA review, EAA reported last week. Under a new FAA policy, applicants with arthritis, glaucoma, hypertension, pre-diabetes and several other common conditions are eligible for the simplified process. Further […]

Cirrus is promoting aircraft ownership to non-pilots through “Cirrus On Demand,” which offers two programs of service as an option for purchasers of new Cirrus aircraft. Both programs come at additional cost to the buyer and in either case, includes a pilot “trained to the company’s corporate flight standards.” The program can operate like a […]

All 108 people aboard a Lion Air Boeing 737-800 survived after the aircraft reportedly missed a runway Saturday at Denpasar Airport in Bali and ended up in the rocky shallows of the ocean at the end of the runway. Details are scarce but there are conflicting reports about whether it was an overrun. Early reports […]

A new claim by a security consultant that he could take control of an aircraft’s autopilot through vulnerabilities in ADS-B has elicited a response from the FAA, which said, in part, “It does not work.” The consultant, Hugo Teso,recentlymadeheadlines for himself and his employer when he demonstrated an Android app of his creation at a […]

The Navy’s Laser Weapon System (LaWS) recently targeted and shot down an aerial drone in testing; meanwhile another aircraft-mounted laser system (this one for self-defense) may commence testing in 2014. The Navy’s test involved a destroyer-mounted laser that successfully tracked and engaged a flying drone. The aerial vehicle caught fire in flight and crashed into […]

Florida Institute of Technology researchers say that a silent phenomenon called dark lightning can silently deliver to pilots and passengers high doses of ionizing radiation in one sudden burst. Dark lightning is associated with thunderstorms, which pilots usually actively avoid, and occurs at a rate of roughly once per thousand visible flashes, according to researchers. […]

A section of President Obama’s proposed 2014 budget aims to “reduce the deficit and more equitably share the cost of air traffic services” through a “$100 per flight fee” payable to the FAA, with exceptions. The fee would not apply to piston, military, public, or air ambulance aircraft as detailed on page 43 of the […]