News

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 […]

Every pilot is wary of bird strikes but an Australian cropduster pilot has new respect for bat strikes. Josh Liddle was on final for Ingham Airport in north Queesnsland when his aircraft went through a colony of bats. It was just after dark and the bats were headed out hunting when the big single went […]

The 2012 shipment report from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, released on Tuesday, was mixed, with deliveries of piston aircraft down by 2 percent compared to 2011, business jets down 3.4 percent, and turboprops up 10 percent, with growth of 0.6 percent overall for airplanes. Helicopter sales rose 21 percent, reflecting a growing global market. […]

Christopher Dorner, the former California police officer who has been the subject of a massive manhunt in the wake of three killings, received some flight training when he was in the U.S. Navy, the TSA says, and general aviation operators should use “an increased level of awareness concerning any suspicious activity.” The TSA alert (PDF) […]

All three men on board died when a Bell 206 helicopter crashed during filming for a Discovery Channel reality show near Los Angeles on Sunday. The crew was working with Eyeworks USA, a production company, on a new, unnamed series with a military theme. The incident is the worst film-set accident in California since 1982, […]

Dubai International Airport has opened the first-ever concourse designated for use by A380 aircraft. The concourse, airport officials say, is the first “purpose-built” facility for the big plane. Called Concourse A, the terminal has 20 gates and is designed to accommodate the passenger mix as much as the aircraft itself. The 528,000-square-meter facility is part […]

In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the FAA has released an updated list of public agencies that have applied for permission from the FAA to operate unmanned aerial systems (UAS). There are now at least 81 agencies that want to fly drones. Most are universities or other […]