News

Thirteen companies, claiming to be “part of the solution” to flight services, modernization and pilot training, have signed a letter to President Obama, the FAA and Congress, arguing that the FAA’s “cost recovery” pursuits threaten entrepreneurship. At issue is the FAA’s stated intent to impose a per person user fee on digital products created by […]

When American Airlines and US Airways approved a merger deal it created the possibility of an airline with more than 1,500 aircraft in its fleet and 600 more on order, governed by a board that includes representatives from both airlines and American’s creditors. The new carrier would serve 336 destinations in 56 countries through 6,700 […]

After about a year of discussion, negotiation and speculation, the boards of directors of American Airlines and US Airways have independently voted in favor of a merger, according to a Wall Street Journal bulletin (subscription required). The new airline will end up being 72 percent owned by American Airlines’ creditors and the rest by US […]

The Department of Defense Inspector General has found that an Air Force report stating pilot error as the cause of a fatal 2010 crash of an F-22 Raptor “is not supported by the facts.” The report, released Monday, examined the crash of November 2010 that took place in Alaska and killed the pilot, Captain Jeff […]

The FAA has announced that its study “General Aviation Airports: A National Asset,” which will help the FAA make planning decisions, has entered its second phase “to further define the role of GA airports.” Earlier work has resulted in the creation of four new categories for GA airports — national, regional, local, and basic. More […]

Deborah Hersman, who has been head of the National Transportation Safety Board since 2009, is a top contender for the job of Transportation Secretary, according to various sources. The Christian Science Monitor cited unspecified “reports” saying that Hersman will be President Obama’s choice to fill the slot, but Hersman declined to comment. “I feel very […]

Yesterday’s report on shipments of general aviation aircraft left out most light-sport aircraft manufacturers, but LSA advocate Dan Johnson has compiled his own annual report for the industry. Overall, said Johnson, “The first half [of 2012] foretold a better recovery, but the last half of the year stalled somewhat.” Based on a count of FAA […]

The Solar Impulse team in Switzerland has confirmed they will bring their one-of-a-kind aircraft to the U.S. in the next few weeks, after carefully disassembling it and shipping it in the belly of a cargo airplane. The solar airplane will be reassembled in California, probably in one of the large hangars at Moffett Field, home […]

The Army will test a tethered airship-based missile defense system at a military restricted area near Baltimore starting next year and that has prompted safety concerns for aviation operations. As we reported last week two aerostats packed with sophisticated radar and other gear will be tethered anywhere up to 10,000 feet and stay there for […]

A Wisconsin company said its new high-performance geared diesel aircraft engine reached a development milestone this week when it passed vibration tests done by propeller manufacturer Hartzell. Induced vibration through a gear reduction system eats props but Engineered Propulsion Systems (EPS) spokesman Steven Weinzierl said the integrated counter-vibration systems in the engine work and the […]