News

The tailhook might seem like a mature bit of technology for airplanes — it’s been in use for more than 100 years — but Lockheed Martin is finding it a challenge to get the tailhook to work right on its high-tech F-35C Joint Strike Fighter stealth aircraft. A recent Defense Department report (PDF) about the […]

Wings, the classic 1927 film about World War I pilots, is available on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time, as of this week. The film, which won the first-ever Academy Award for “Best Picture,” has been “meticulously restored,” according to Paramount Home Entertainment. “Featuring groundbreaking aerial dogfights and epic battle sequences, Wings is both […]

Twenty Airbus A380s must undergo inspections to check for cracks in the rib feet — metal brackets that attach the wing ribs to the skin — the European Aviation Safety Agency said in a directive (PDF) published on Friday. Cracks were previously found that originate in the ribs and extend to the skin panel attachment […]

A compromise on an arcane bit of labor law will likely result in a long-term reauthorization bill approval in the next month or so. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) have struck a deal that will require a public hearing if the National Mediation Board wants to make changes […]

A Charlotte company has developed a lightweight air conditioning system that could find applications in a broad range of light aircraft. Corbi Air President Ron Corbi said that when he started flying the Alto Light Sport aircraft his company represents, he immediately recognized the need. “I wanted air conditioning and I was told it wasn’t […]

Sport Aviation Expo officials say this year’s show has set attendance records. Although no figures were released, sunshine and warm temperatures in Sebring drew significant crowds. At least one exhibitor reported brisk sales. Renegade Aircraft said it sold at least three aircraft at the show. The weather also boosted fly-in traffic and the normally sleepy […]

Weight increases for light sport aircraft may be intended to allow for the installation of safety equipment, like ballistic parachutes, without affecting payload. Whether the weight increase will open legacy trainers like the Cessna 150 and 152 to be included in the category, as many people have suggested since the category was created in 2008, […]

A joint initiative by EAA and AOPA to convince the FAA to offer medical certificate exemptions for certain limited GA operations will likely be delayed while the agency looks for a new administrator. In a town-hall meeting speech at Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring on Friday, AOPA President Craig Fuller said former FAA Administrator Randy […]

The FAA has opened “a dialogue” about increasing the maximum weight for light sport aircraft as a safety measure, Rod Hightower, the president of EAA, said Thursday. In answer to a question following a speech at the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association, Hightower stressed the preliminary nature of the FAA’s consideration of the idea but he […]

Women in Aviation International will hold their 23rd annual conference March 8 to 10, in Dallas, Texas, offering seminars, workshops, networking events, and a commercial exhibit area. The event brings together a wide range of aviation professionals, educators and enthusiasts from around the world, and welcomes men as well as women. The focus of the […]