News

China’s latest flying military aircraft prototype, the J-20, may or may not be stealthy, or a true “fifth-generation” fighter, because “we don’t know, frankly, much about the capabilities of that plane,” Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said this week. Currently, the Pentagon does not know if China’s new aircraft uses a “fifth generation” engine or […]

A pilot in California was killed earlier this month when his airplane struck a 197-foot-tall tower during an agricultural flight, just a few days after the FAA published a proposed policy that would establish voluntary procedures for marking such towers. Meteorological, or met, towers gather data to determine if a site would be profitable to […]

A MiG-29 Soviet-era fighter jet flew for the first time above Washington state this week, after a two-year restoration project by the Historic Flight Foundation. The two-seat MiG-29UB was manufactured in the Soviet Union sometime between 1985 and 1991, and flew with the Ukrainian Air Force until 2005, when it was demilitarized and offered for […]

Mahindra Aerospace said this week its new five-seat airplane, which would be India’s first indigenous GA aircraft, is expected to fly for the first time next month. According to Indian news sources, the NM5-100 will sell for “20 percent less than a similar aircraft from Cessna.” The company has been working for a several years […]

One of the interesting side stories of the Eclipse Aviation debacle was the courting of Russia, including then-President Vladimir Putin as a manufacturing base and major customer. Although the VLJ heyday has passed there are apparently Eclipse 500s still in Russia and you’ll find them in the oddest places. Eclipse 500 serial number 09, registered […]

A week after a California court ruled the FAA has pretty much absolute authority over the use of airports that have accepted money from it (in this case Santa Monica) the City Council of Naples, Fla., appears poised to test that concept. The council this week voted to continue zoning discussions on whether the local […]

There’s been a significant improvement in the used business jet and turboprop inventory but it might be too early to signal a real recovery for new sales. AMSTAT reports that more used business aircraft and turboprops were sold in the last quarter of 2010 than in any quarter in recent memory. Inventory remains higher (14.7 […]

One hundred and sixteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed a letter (PDF) to President Barack Obama urging him not to support aviation user fees as a means to fund the FAA’s budget for 2012. User fees would be “a step backward” in efforts to modernize the air traffic control system, and […]

Pilots who fly general aviation aircraft that were certified before the year 2000 should be aware that the stall-warning system may not work as expected in icing conditions, the FAA said on Monday. Pilots have reported that they felt a shudder or buffet, but attributed it to engine or propeller icing. “These reported events occurred […]

The FAA said last week it will take a fresh look at a longstanding rule that exempts aircraft operated by the federal government from most FAA regulations. “The statute is vague,” said John Allen, the FAA official who oversees flight standards. “It is very confusing.” Problems arise especially when Part 135 operators work under contract […]