News

The FAA’s plan to implement ADS-B in the National Airspace System faces “significant risks and challenges,” according to a report released last week by the Office of Inspector General for the Transportation Department. The number-one issue is the reluctance of those who use the airspace to purchase and install new avionics for their aircraft. “Users […]

The FAA will publish a new proposed rule in the next few months that would require pilot certificates to include a photo, an FAA spokesperson said this week. Currently, pilots are required to carry a government-issued photo ID in addition to their pilot certificate. U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., recently wrote to the FAA, the […]

If you own an aircraft, you will have to re-register it sometime over the next three years, and last week the FAA issued a clarification (PDF) to help some of those owners who are starting the process now. The FAA says it has sent out re-registration notices to owners of aircraft that were registered in […]

Click for larger version A hot-air balloon and a paraglider collided as they flew above an airport open house in Cottonwood, Ariz., on Saturday morning. The balloon envelope tore but did not completely collapse, and photos from the scene appear to show the paraglider’s canopy entangled in the envelope structure. The two aircraft fell about […]

In two decisions handed down last week, Canada’s Supreme Court confirmed that airports fall under federal jurisdiction exclusively, a decision heralded by aviation supporters. “This is a great day for Canadian aviation,” said Kevin Psutka, president of the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association. “This issue has been debated for decades.” The two court decisions cited […]

Machinists employed by Hawker Beechcraft have rejected a new seven-year contract, raising questions about the company’s future in Wichita. The workers voted 55 percent against the deal, which would have cut their pay by 10 percent and raised their health insurance premiums. “It was just a bad contract. Everything. Wages, insurance and everything else was […]

Bombardier didn’t wait for NBAA to announce two new aircraft aimed at the ultra-long-range, large-cabin market. The Global 7000 and Global 8000 aircraft are extensions of the Global series that currently rests with the XRS model. Bombardier announced Saturday that the 8000 model, due for delivery in 2017, will be the longest-range aircraft in its […]

Reports from China Friday state that authorities there have approved guidelines to reform low-altitude airspace management over the next five to 10 years with the goal of encouraging the development of general aviation. Under the guidelines, low altitude is defined by airspace below 1,000 meters (general aviation advocates had pushed for a 3,000-meter boundary). The […]

European pilots flying under FAA certificates and with N-registered aircraft have a couple of months of breathing room in which to press their case against proposed rule changes they believe will seriously damage general aviation in Europe. A conciliation committee between the European Union Commission and the national governments has delayed until December a decision […]

Nine major U.S. airlines could collectively post $2.4 billion in profits, a record for the third quarter, according to AirlineFinancials.com, while the DOT’s workforce figures through August haven’t recorded much positive change. AirlineFinancials predicts the airlines will post average net profit margins of 7.2 percent in the third quarter, with combined revenue figures near $33 […]