News

Washington State legislators estimate they can raise $8.4 million a year on an excise tax increase on general aviation aircraft. As we reported in January, a citizens’ committee recommended a 1 percent annual tax on the value of an airplane (as opposed to the current $65 a year flat tax), calling it a “revenue opportunity.” […]

Cessna announced on Saturday that its new CJ4 received type certification by the FAA. That paves the way for deliveries to begin later this year. The aircraft is the largest in the CJ line and seats eight passengers in standard configuration with an aft lav. It will cost about $9 million. Of course, it comes […]

Court documents obtained by AVweb show Harlow Aerostructures is seeking to acquire the assets of Epic Air, by March 30, for one-tenth of Epic’s estimated value. Under the purchase agreement, Harlow has agreed to purchase substantially all of Epic’s assets for $2 million, payable in cash on closing. According to the filing, “the Debtor’s bankruptcy […]

The Army expects to top 1,000,000 total hours in unmanned aviation by April, and sees a need for over 3,000 UAV operators by 2018. The Army plans to recognize the hours-flown milestone in late May with displays in Washington at the Pentagon and the Smithsonian Museum. Meanwhile, fiscal year 2010 should see the addition of […]

John L. Baker, former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and second AOPA president, passed away March 11. Baker once served as assistant administrator in the FAA’s office of general aviation affairs and headed AOPA from 1977 through 1990. At AOPA, he worked for fair distribution of a then $4 billion surplus in the Aviation Trust […]

Win an XM WX Satellite Weather receiver from WxWorx as we continue the celebration of AVweb‘s 15th Anniversary! All you have to do is click here to enter your name and e-mail address. (You only have to enter once, and you’ll be entered in our prize drawings for the entire year – so if you’ve […]

The Environmental Protection Agency continues to go through administrative motions suggesting it’s serious about removing lead from avgas. Earlier this month, the agency sent a draft endangerment finding to the White House as part of its proposed action to address a petition from Friends of the Earth claiming that lead in avgas represents a public […]

The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) has announced its strong opposition to proposed legislation that would allow use of CVRs to punish pilots for procedural violations. The bill was introduced Feb. 26, by Senator Jim DeMint, R-S.C., in part to “improve air safety” by allowing carriers “limited use” of the information collected by the […]

Boeing Phantom Works has begun construction of a liquid-hydrogen powered high altitude long endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle designed to fly for more than four days at altitudes up to 65,000 feet, while carrying a 450-pound payload. Key to Phantom Eye is its propulsion system, which after five years of development saw completion of an […]

Wednesday, March 10, 2010, roughly 300 former Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) attended a ceremony on Capitol Hill to receive the Congressional Gold Medal for service to their country during World War II. The first minted medal was printed in gold and awarded ceremoniously. It will find its home at the Smithsonian. Surviving members received […]