News

Just in time for spring and cross-country flying plans, the state of Florida has made some progress in getting rid of its aviation-unfriendly user tax, AOPA said recently. Current law allows the state to levy a sales tax of up to 6 percent of the purchase price on out-of-state airplanes that land in Florida, if […]

Mechanics at American Airlines used the wrong procedure to manually start an engine, and when the left engine caught fire during the departure climb the crew mishandled the emergency, the NTSB said this week. The MD-80 was taking off from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in September 2007 when the left engine caught fire. The crew […]

Helicopter pilot David Keith Martz, 52, this week lost his appeal to regain his certificate, which he lost after a video surfaced that allegedly shows him having sex with a Swedish adult film actress while flying a helicopter over San Diego. Martz argued that since his hands never left the controls during the encounter that […]

A Silicon Valley company has come up with voice-based GPS for aviation use. GiPSi Navigation Corp., of Menlo Park, Calif., says the GiPSi eliminates “heads-down” navigation by enunciating the information a pilot needs in a “clear human voice.” In fact, the GiPSi has no display. It communicates entirely by voice. In a news release the […]

Business travelers on some long-haul international flights have noticed that wireless Internet service is becoming available for the cabin, although it’s not widely in use. But the market is getting increasingly competitive with more companies pitching products for both airline and business aircraft use. The latest is AirCell, which has been plying the airborne cell […]

The flight school whose Cessna 172 was stolen for a cross-border flight Monday says security was not compromised in the incident because the alleged thief was a student who had normal access to the aircraft. Adam Leon, a 31-year-old Turkish immigrant who became a Canadian last year, was arrested near Ellsinore, Mo. Monday evening after […]

Sikorsky is designing a fix for the military version of its S-92 series to save a $5 billion contract with the Canadian Forces. The Toronto Globe and Mail reported earlier this week that the S-92 was certified without the normal 30-minute “run dry” capability in case of oil loss in the transmission. An S-92 operated […]

David Green, a spokesman for the Eclipse Owners Group, said on Tuesday the group has entered into a preliminary agreement with Hawker Beechcraft Corp. under which Hawker would provide maintenance upgrades and other aircraft services to Eclipse 500 owners. “The parties will now begin negotiations for a definitive binding agreement,” according to a news release […]

The mainstream media is starting to take note of the impact of TSA rules that general aviation pilots and operators have been unhappy about, and if a story in this week’s Denver Post is any indication, GA may get a sympathetic hearing. The costs and logistics of TSA regulations on Colorado’s airports are significant, Rex […]

Market analysts say Textron, the parent company of Cessna and Bell Helicopter, is prime for a takeover bid, and speculation grew this week that a move is imminent, perhaps by Lockheed Martin or Raytheon. Sikorsky officials have also expressed interest in acquiring Bell, according to Reuters. None of the companies would comment on the rumors, […]