News

The accident rate varies among the various sectors of general aviation, says a new report from the Government Accountability Office, but without better data it’s hard to tell what’s really going on. For example, experimental amateur-built airplanes were involved in 21 percent of the fatal accidents reviewed, but accounted for only 4 percent of the […]

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner was all suited up and ready to fly on Tuesday morning when a gust of wind knocked down the still-inflating helium balloon that would carry him to 120,000 feet, and the mission was scrubbed. The next launch window for the Red Bull Stratos project, which aims to break U.S. Air Force Col. […]

The fiery crash of a Gulfstream G650 during flight testing in April 2011 was caused by an aerodynamic stall and subsequent uncommanded roll during a one-engine-out takeoff flight test, the NTSB determined on Wednesday. Those events were the result of several human failures, according to the NTSB: Gulfstream’s failure to properly develop and validate takeoff […]

Corporate aircraft owners in the Australian boomtown of Perth are protesting a new airport slot arrangement that will require them to reserve 24 hours ahead to get in and out. Of course, one of the advantages of private aviation is that a plane can be dispatched as needed but Perth is facing crunches of traffic […]

AOPA Summit begins Thursday in Palm Springs, Calif., and AVweb is of course there to provide concise daily coverage of the big show. Starting with the pre-show Parade of Planes on Wednesday, and wrapping up with the awards and speeches that help set the course for general aviation’s coming year, Summit is an interactive and […]

The FAA has renewed educational partnerships with Jamail Larkins and Build-A-Plane to help encourage young people to pursue careers in aerospace. These partnerships “inspire students across the nation to explore the many opportunities that aviation and aerospace careers offer,” said Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. Larkins will continue to serve as the FAA’s official ambassador […]

The machinists union representing about 825 workers at the Bombardier Learjet plant in Wichita, Kan., rejected the company’s latest contract offer over the weekend, and on Monday, workers went on strike. The company said it has contingency plans that will enable it to continue to build, deliver and service aircraft during the strike with minimal […]

In last week’s presidential debate, President Obama said people who operate business jets shouldn’t be entitled to an accelerated-depreciation tax break. “My attitude is, if you got a corporate jet, you can probably afford to pay full freight, not get a special break for it,” President Obama said. Jack Pelton, former Cessna CEO, was quick […]

The Air Force recently declassified documents that detail a plan to contract a Canadian company to build a flying saucer capable of flying at Mach 4 and landing and taking off vertically. According to CNET, Project 1794, as it was known, had a development budget in 1956 of $3.168 million (about $27 million in 2012 […]

A piece of aerial firefighting history has flown its last mission and will become the newest display at the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley, British Columbia, about 30 miles east of Vancouver. Conair Group Inc., which pioneered the conversion of military surplus aircraft into air tankers, is phasing out its fleet of Firecats, modified […]