News

The FAA acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” when it reversed a longstanding policy and refused to allow aircraft owners to block their flight information from the public, NBAA and AOPA argue in a court brief (PDF) filed this week. “Very real concerns about safety, security and competitiveness justify giving aircraft owners and operators a way to […]

Aviators around the world should be on their guard against small shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles, the U.S. State Department said recently. The weapons, also known as Manpads (man-portable air defense systems), “pose a serious threat to passenger air travel, the commercial aviation industry, and military aircraft around the world,” the State Department said. Forty civilian aircraft […]

One of the biggest spoils of war taken by the rebels in Libya was opened up to the media on the weekend. Muammar Gaddafi’s private A340 has been turned into a kind of ridiculous retreat for rebel leaders, although the irony of their latest occupation doesn’t appear to be lost on them. Clad in fatigues […]

Military drones will soon be mixing it up with regular air traffic in up to 10 “airspace bubbles” the FAA and Department of Defense are creating to test and prove the safety of integration of unmanned aerial systems. According to AOL Defense the plan is contained in the proposed FAA reauthorization bill that will be […]

As the aviation industry looks for ways to make becoming a pilot easier, a 28-year-old New Jersey woman is proving there are few barriers to someone who really wants to fly. As NBC 40 reported last week, Jessica Arrigo caught a virus when she was seven that cost her both legs and hands. She’s had […]

There’s a new airport opening in Nevada today (Aug. 29, 2011) but you’ll need a ticket to fly there and it will be gone without a trace in 10 days. Burning Man, the formerly impromptu, uh, cultural gathering in the Blackrock Desert, runs until Sept. 5. About 50,000 people create an almost instant city where […]

The FAA Friday approved certification of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, launch customer ANA is expecting delivery on Sept. 26, and three years of delays mean Boeing’s profit on the design is still a long way off. ANA has scheduled the first commercial flight for Oct. 26, out of Tokyo for Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Boeing is currently […]

Industry groups have petitioned the FAA, saying changes should be made to the sport pilot rules to fix flaws that prevent the regulations from meeting their stated goals. According to language in the rules, their intent is, in part, to create public access to general aviation and increase the population of eligible professional pilots. According […]

The U.S. military Thursday moved aircraft from bases aligned with the forecast path of Hurricane Irene as private pilots organized emergency services for the already-stricken Bahamas. An estimated 78 military aircraft were to be moved off of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base at New Hope, N.C. The exodus included F-15Es and KC-135 Stratotankers. In Jacksonville, […]

A former Chinese farmer with little formal schooling who later worked as an automobile mechanic has designed and built at least one ultralight that briefly flew (before crashing) — he has now moved on to a flying saucer. Shu Mansheng’s project is a structure powered by eight motorcycle engines mounted vertically. They drive individual fixed-pitch […]