Business & Military

Blue Origin launched its experimental spacecraft this week from Texas, marking the start of the company’s unmanned test flights with plans to develop a space tourism vehicle.The New Shepard craft launched Wednesday from Blue Origin’s test site, reached an altitude of 58 miles, then separated from its rocket and deployed a parachute for landing, Reuters […]

AVweb’s search of aviation news around the world found an aircraft restoration competition, news from the upcoming Air Race Classic, a partnership between Jet Logistics and Medflight One, and the Aero Club of New England’s annual award announcement.The National Aviation Heritage Invitational (NAHI) is proud to be able to create the Best Contemporary trophy in […]

Airbus’ electric airplane, the E-Fan, will be produced in Pau in southwest France, the company said Thursday. Airbus is purchasing a site there and plans to begin building a final assembly line in mid-2016. The E-Fan, developed by Airbus subsidiary VoltAir, is a two-seat trainer with two propellers and two battery-powered motors. The demonstration aircraft […]

The ever-intriguing X-37B space plane is slated for its fourth mission in May, this time to experiment with a propulsion system for military satellites, the Air Force announced this week. The target launch date is May 20, according to multiple news sources. The military has revealed little about past missions, prompting broad speculation about what […]

Flaris, the single-engine very-light jet that has been in development in Poland for about six years, has been in taxi testing since last month and a first flight is expected soon, according to the company website. Test pilot Henryk Szkudlarz will be at the controls for the first tests, which will take place from the […]

The FAA’s proposed rule for allowing small unmanned aircraft systems (under 55 pounds) into the federal airspace drew more than 4,400 comments, including input from aviation advocacy groups. Several of the advocacy groups, including EAA, AOPA and GAMA, said the FAA should lower its ceiling for small UAS ops to 400 feet, instead of 500, […]

Piaggio Aerospace has delivered the first Avanti Evo, its third-generation version of the twin turboprop, to a customer in Greece, the company has announced. The seven-seat airplane, with a VIP interior, will be used for charter. Piaggio CEO Carlo Logli said the company expects to deliver five more of the airplanes by the end of […]

Although there were widespread predictions (including by the FAA itself) that the agency’s proposed rule (PDF) for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) would overwhelm the bureaucracy with comments, only a relatively manageable 4,428 people and organizations took the time to make their feelings known. The devil is in the details, however, and some of the comment […]

The heads of all seven unions representing FAA employees have jointly condemned Congress’s exploration of privatization of the air traffic operation, saying what’s needed is reliable funding for the agency. “On behalf of the thousands of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees represented by our organisations, we are writing to express our viewpoint regarding recent discussions […]

The Breitling Jet Team, a seven-ship formation team that uses L-39 Albatros trainers, is starting its first U.S. tour at Sun ‘n Fun this week. AVweb’s Russ Niles spoke with team lead Jacques Bothelin. Duration: 3:23 File Size: 3.1 MB download here