News

Air traffic controllers are among the highest-paid U.S. government workers and may find themselves exempt from a federal employee pay freeze proposed by the Obama administration. The U.S. employs about 15,500 controllers who earn an average of $136,000 per year. Those controllers last year negotiated a contract with the FAA that provides raises of at […]

AOPA and Jeppesen, two of the largest players in the online flight planning business, say a patent obtained by FlightPrep doesn’t affect their products and they are not willing to discuss it. In a statement released Wednesday, AOPA says it will not meet with FlightPrep to discuss the patent and it will be business as […]

Fifty years ago, Dec. 16, the midair collision over New York City of a United Airlines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation became the worst aviation disaster to date; it’s since brought regulatory change and today it will be recognized, again. The crash killed 128 people on both aircraft and six more on the ground. […]

Oil prices reached a record $147.27 per barrel in 2008 and that helped cripple some airlines; now, the U.S. is considering new rules that would curb speculative trading on commodities and Delta Air Lines is among those urging strict limits. General counsel to Delta, Richard B. Hirst, wrote the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) saying, […]

Of all the possible careers out there, being a commercial pilot is one of the 50 best choices, according to a recent report by U.S. News. The list was based on data from the U.S. Labor Department, showing which occupations are likely to add jobs at an above-average rate over the next decade, while also […]

Boeing’s Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system took a ride aboard NASA’s 747 shuttle carrier on Monday, for a 50-minute test flight, marking the first time the 747 has carried any aircraft other than the space shuttle. The flight was a shakedown prior to moving the drone from St. Louis, Mo., to Edwards Air Force Base, […]

Reuters says Dassault Falcon is eyeing a major manufacturing presence in China as a way of tying up 40 percent of the said-to-be burgeoning market for business jets in the country. Reuters says the New Jersey company is negotiating with the Chinese government-owned AVIC to either set up shop in China or work on the […]

RunwayFinder, a popular online flight planning website, announced Tuesday that it was shutting down in the face of a lawsuit from FlightPrep, an Oregon company that successfully patented online flight planning almost a year ago. RunwayFinder developer Dave Parsons said he had hoped to reach a licensing deal with FlightPrep which included the dropping of […]

Pratt & Whitney Canada says it will spend up to $1 billion to create a new generation of fuel-efficient and lighter-weight engines. It confirmed the program in a news conference Monday. Although no actual engine projects were announced, the research cuts a swath across P&WC’s traditional market. “P&WC is developing the most advanced propulsion technologies […]

In honor of aircraft designer Burt Rutan’s retirement, which he announced last month (PDF), EAA says it is planning a tribute to his work at AirVenture next summer. “Burt is certainly an aviation icon and a pioneering visionary in the homebuilt movement,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA chairman. Rutan has been attending the annual event since […]