News

Virgin Galactic should be in space “within weeks, not months,” CEO Richard Branson told CNBC this week. He added that he expects to fly to space himself “in months and not years,” and customers will be in space “not too long after that.” Virgin Galactic pilots have been flight-testing VSS Unity, with the aim to […]

Garmin announced today that it is expanding the list of aircraft eligible to upgrade from the company’s G1000 integrated flight deck to the newer G1000 NXi. The NXi upgrade is available immediately for G1000-equipped Daher TBM 850/900 and King Air 200/300/350 aircraft. Garmin also said that it expects to add upgrade eligibility for the Citation […]

The FAA’s just-revealed report that it would consider raising the light sport aircraft limit from 1320 pounds to 3600 pounds is just a proposed talking point and any rule is at least a year and a half away, according to EAA. And no, the 3600-pound figure isn’t a typo nor confusion over kilogram conversion, as […]

An ongoing effort by AOPA and some GA industry allies has met with some success—Signature, the biggest FBO in the U.S., with about 200 locations, is now publishing its fees online, at least for piston aircraft. “This is a step in the right direction,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. AOPA’s staff review of the posted […]

To support the ongoing development of aviation technology, NASA says it will host a series of Grand Challenges, starting in 2020, to promote “public confidence” in urban air mobility. The agency now is planning an “Industry Day” in Seattle, Nov.1-2, to discuss the role NASA will play in the first UAM Grand Challenge and its […]

The FAA’s new reauthorization bill was approved by both the House and the Senate over the last few weeks, and now has passed the final hurdle—the president’s signature—to become the new law of the land. The bill provides $90 billion in funding over five years, making it the longest-term FAA bill since 1982. GA advocacy […]

The rate of fatal accidents in experimental amateur-built aircraft dropped last year to the lowest rate ever recorded, EAA said last week. The annual activity survey conducted by the FAA shows the estimated number of hours flown in experimental aircraft rose from about 890,000 hours in 2016 to 950,000 in 2017. At the same time, […]

American Mike Goulian claimed his first-ever home soil victory in the Red Bull Air Race series with a convincing victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. Goulian’s time of 106.208 was more than a half second faster than runner-up Pete McLeod, of Canada, in the final race. France’s Nicolas Ivanoff was third. “Right now […]

China’s first privately funded and developed aircraft had its first flight a couple of weeks ago but it’s not clear what the future holds. The Guanyi GA20 took a 26-minute hop around Nanchang Airport on Sept. 20. It’s a low-wing composite design and while it might be Chinese in most regards, it’s powered by a […]

Toyota has filed for patent protection of an unusual flying car design that uses the same drive mechanism for road and the air. According to TransportUp, the “Dual Mode Vehicle With Wheel Rotors” uses the rotor hubs as wheels when the device is on the ground. The rotors fold into the wheel allowing the vehicle […]