News

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 […]

Airports throughout the Northeast were back in operation Sunday and normal schedules were expected at most by Monday in the wake of a big snowstorm that crippled the area over the weekend. In all, more than 6,600 flights were cancelled. New rules that punish airlines with fines for leaving passengers waiting too long in closed […]

The NTSB says a short circuit in one of eight cells in the APU battery of a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 led to the fire in the aircraft at Boston Logan Airport Jan. 7. At a news conference on Thursday, NTSB Chairman Debra Hersman said evidence from the flight data recorder and damage to the […]

Some Chicago pilots are hoping to foster the creation of at least one new flying club in a place that needs and will support one through the offer of a “scholarship” and some practical advice. Ground Effect Advisors is offering the award, which includes about $3,500 worth of supplies and tools, to the group that […]

PilotWorkshops has purchased the assets of ZD Publishing, and its line of “pilot-friendly” GPS manuals, the company announced Wednesday. ZD Publishing’s founder John Dittmer created the line of GPS manuals covering 21 Garmin and Bendix/King panel-mount and handheld GPS units. PilotWorkshops says Dittmer will continue to update the manuals and will add to the list […]