News

The FAA is not doing enough to ensure that regional airlines meet the same level of safety as the major carriers they are affiliated with, according to a report from the Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General, released last week. After the 2009 crash of a Colgan Air Q400, which was operated as a Continental […]

The FAA has extended the comment period by a month for a controversial new rule it says is aimed at ensuring contract maintenance companies do their work to the standards set by their customers. The proposed rule would require air carriers to ensure maintenance done to their airplanes by third parties is done according to […]

An Eastern Michigan University undergrad has launched a survey on a topic that gets plenty of media attention (especially if celebrities are involved) but, as far as he’s been able to determine, has never been independently studied. Robert Chapin says the survey is designed to poll flight crew members on the incidence of air rage. […]

If Congress doesn’t act before next Friday, March 1, the automatic spending cuts that would take effect would result in cutbacks for air traffic controllers, President Obama said on Tuesday. The FAA budget could be cut by $600 million, and controllers would likely be furloughed for one day per pay period through the end of […]

ATP Flight School has opened a database aimed at helping pilots find jobs and also to help airlines find pilots. PilotPool.com allows pilots who want to join the airlines to register and keep their qualifications updated so that they may be considered by airline recruiters monitoring their progress and that of others registered on the […]

A leaner and financially fit Beechcraft Corporation has emerged from bankruptcy protection with an eye to launching new products and supporting the existing fleet. In a podcast interview with AVweb in advance of today’s announcement, Beechcraft spokesman Shawn Vick said the new company has more than $600 million in capital to work with and encouraging […]

The FAA will move forward with plans to establish six test sites for unmanned aerial systems, Administrator Michael Huerta said on Friday. “We expect to learn how unmanned aircraft systems operate in different environments and how they will impact air traffic operations,” he said. “The test sites will also inform the agency as we develop […]

The new Editor-in-Chief of AVweb‘s sister publication, Kitplanes magazine, says he intends to build on the magazine’s long history of home-built know-how and adapt it to an evolving market. Paul Dye began tinkering with airplanes when he was 13 and has finished two RV projects, one of which he built with his wife, Louise. He […]

The English farmer who claims there are more than 100 Spitfires buried in Burma vows to continue his search for the aircraft even though his financial backer has pulled out. David Cundall says the reason the six-week effort to find some of the Second World War aircraft has failed is that the government won’t allow […]

Airbus says it has abandoned lithium ion batteries for its new A350 airliner and it’s because of all the problems rival Boeing is experiencing with its 787. “Airbus considers this to be the most appropriate way forward in the interest of program execution and A350 XWB reliability,” spokeswoman Mary Anne Greczyn said. The flight test […]