Business & Military

Once again, it’s the season to talk about fixing the FAA, this time by moving the air traffic function out of the agency and into a separate agency or a privatized corporation of some sort. As we reported, Rep. John Mica has introduced a billin the House of Representatives that would turn ATC into an […]

Horizon Unmanned Systems, a drone company based in Singapore, says it has developed micro fuel cells powered by hydrogen that will enable small multi-rotor drones to fly for up to four hours, instead of the 20 to 30 minutes that’s typical with lithium batteries. The prototype Hycopter stores compressed hydrogen fuel inside its tubular structure, […]

The move to separate the air traffic control function from the FAA is gaining momentum and it now appears that Congress is seriously considering a stand-alone air traffic organization that, by definition, would be independently funded. Although it’s a long way from reality, there is clearly widespread support for the idea in general to get […]

Carter Aviation Technologies, which has been working for years to develop the technology in its rotorcraft, announced this week the company is now moving out of the flight-test phase and will focus on moving the CarterCopter into production. “The time has come, and some would say overdue, to shift gears and focus on getting the […]

The question of a pilot shortage continues to draw comments from all segments of the aviation industry, showing that interests instead of fact may be what’s generating press and clouding real analysis. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) contends that there is no pilot shortage, but a pilot pay shortage. If you think this is […]

Gulfstream’s all-new wide-cabin G500 business jet has completed its first flight, the company announced on Monday. The airplane launched on Monday morning at 10:39 a.m. from Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport, and flew for about two and a quarter hours, with a crew of two pilots and a flight-test engineer. The crew tested all the primary […]

With Solar Impulse plying its way around the globe, solar-powered flight is getting plenty of press, but there are dozens of other quieter projects already in service or in development. A California company called Alta Devices is building super-efficient solar panels for these, but the company recently told us that as with pure electric aircraft, […]

A renowned computer security expert/hacker is alleged to have hacked into the guts of the flight control computer system on a United Airlines Boeing 737-800 through its television system and scrolled through a menu of vital aircraft functions. Details of the previously reported incident have emerged through asearch warrant application (PDF) filed by the FBI. […]

Producing electrical power from the sun has come a long way, and solar cells are getting remarkably efficient. But where to put all that power remains the issue for pure electric aircraft. AVweb’s Paul Bertorelli spoke with Rich Kapusta of California-based Alta Devices about the issues and the opportunities. Duration: 9:02 File Size: 8.5 MB […]

A $2 million prize from the U.S. Air Force awaits the first American team to successfully develop a small 100-horsepower turboshaft engine. Registration for the Air Force Prizeopened this week. The engine must be rated to 100 horsepower, consume fuel up to 0.55 pounds per horsepower per hour, and generate at least two horsepower per […]