News

Depressing financial results from India’s second largest airline Tuesday intensified debate about the future of the industry and the level of government involvement. Kingfisher Airlines, owned by liquor mogul Vijay Mallya, who flirted briefly with financing Epic Aircraft in 2007, is drowning in high-interest debt and losing money and Mallya says the answer is to […]

Eclipse Aerospace took commitments for five Total Eclipse light jets at the Dubai Air Show as the UAE certified the finished version of the Eclipse 500. Eclipse announced it would start taking orders for the updated version of the Eclipse 500 at NBAA in October and said resumption of production (subassemblies in Poland, final assembly […]

The FAA wants to expand an airworthiness directive that affects the Cessna 172 fleet to include another 768 airplanes. A proposed AD published on Monday directs operators to inspect the fuel return line assembly for chafing and clearance, and if necessary to replace and adjust the line. The AD aims to prevent leaks that could […]

The CEO of Diamond Aircraft’s Canadian operations in London, Ontario, says the takeover of the company is good news for the workers and will ensure the D-JET gets to market. It was announced Monday that a majority interest in Diamond was acquired by Medrar Financial Group, of Dubai, for an undisclosed sum. In an interview […]

The 12th biennial Dubai Airshow is open this week, and it’s the biggest ever for the venue, with about 1,000 exhibitors, 12 percent more than in 2009. Among the new designs that are getting attention are the United 40, a prototype UAV from Adcom with a sleek S-shaped fuselage and a tandem wing. “We like […]

Diamond Aircraft, based in Ontario, Canada, has sold a majority interest to Medrar Financial Group, a Dubai-based investment firm, the company announced Monday at the Dubai Airshow. Medrar will provide financing not only for the company’s line of piston aircraft, but also for continued development of the single-engine D-Jet, according to Diamond’s news release. Medrar […]

The days of inexpensive navigation and chart apps for your mobile devices appear to be numbered with the FAA’s announcement that it will begin charging for downloads that were previously free starting April 5, 2012. A story in the December issue of our sister publication Aviation Consumer says the Aeronautical Navigational Products Directorate (Aeronav), which […]

Deadline for proposals for the Wolf Aviation Fund is coming up Dec. 15 and organizers are urging those with project ideas to get cracking on their applications. The idea of the Wolf Fund is to provide small grants to folks who have ideas that foster and promote GA. In the past, grants have been awarded […]

Whether it’s all just a publicity stunt or it’s been Michael O’Leary’s dirty little secret, the flamboyant owner of Ryanair certainly knows how to stimulate headline writers. The Irish entrepreneur’s latest media bombshell is the suggestion that his no-frills airliners stream, among other things, porn to the handheld devices of passengers. He’s also thinking about […]

It’s just natural to adapt to one’s environment and when you’re Burt Rutan in Idaho with too much time on your hands, that means designing an airplane to take advantage of the circumstances. “Going out and exploring little lakes and rivers in a STOL seaplane is a fantasy, I think, for a pilot,” the legendary […]