News

Bombardier says it will fly its first CSeries passenger airliner by the end of June and it’s already making changes to the original design by squeezing more seats onboard. The company unveiled its first flight test article last week and announced that the larger version of the airplane, which was initially envisioned with 130 seats, […]

The NASA/JPL Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Project Team will receive the 2012 Robert J. Collier Trophy, the National Aeronautic Association announced on Tuesday. In choosing the project from a field of seven nominees, the committee cited the”extraordinary achievements of successfully landing Curiosity on Mars, advancing the nation’s technological and engineering capabilities, and significantly improving humanity’s understanding […]

The FAA has paid millions of dollars worth of settlements to 65 people who were on a Continental Airlines Boeing 737 that was blown off a runway at Denver International Airport on Dec. 21, 2008. KMGH-TV reported that the agency was facing a lawsuit for its role in the accident, in which several people were […]

The NTSB issued five safety alerts on Tuesday that aim to highlight the five most frequent errors that cause general aviation accidents. “We see the same types of accidents over and over again,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman. “What’s especially tragic is that so many of these accidents are entirely preventable.” The alerts remind pilots […]

Cirrus executives got what they wanted from the city of Grand Forks. N.D., this week — not only the $950,000 loan they had requested, but also an apology. Last week, city official Doug Christensen raised questions about Cirrus’s ability to repay the loan, and William King, vice president for business administration at Cirrus, tried to […]

Beechcraft and Embraer are engaged in a public relations battle over the Air Force’s choice of Embraer’s Super Tucano for a $427 million contract to provide a light air support (LAS) platform. The Air Force made its selection on Feb. 27 and within a week Beechcraft announced it would formally protest the award, suggesting there […]

The Sam LS, a new kit airplane with a retro look, flew for the first time on February 26, near Montreal, Canada, the company announced last week. “Liftoff was perfect, in about 300 feet,” said Thierry Zibi, president of Sam Aircraft. The all-metal airplane features tandem seating and a narrow fuselage with a choice of […]

As AOPA President Craig Fuller announces his departure, a survey of AVweb readers reveals that about half — 53 percent — think AOPA has done a good to exceptional job of promoting and protecting general aviation. But almost one in five — 17 percent — say just the opposite; AOPA has done a poor to […]

Sun ‘n Fun will hire air traffic controllers on its own if necessary to staff the annual airshow and fly-in next month. President Lites Leenhouts told the Lakeland Ledger paying controllers would reduce the amount of money the organization can give to aviation scholarships but it will do what it must to ensure a safe […]

Popular aviation charts vendor Air Chart Systems has sent a notice to its subscribers that it’s ceasing publication of the spiral-bound paper atlases that were its signature product for more than 50 years. In a note attached to the March 7 electronic update of en route charts and approach plates, the company suggests it’s out […]