Business & Military

The X-37B unmanned space plane landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Friday. The awkward-looking machine glided to an uneventful landing at 9:34 a.m. local time. “I’m extremely proud of our team for coming together to execute this third safe and successful landing,” said Col. Keith Balts, commander of the 30th Space Wing. The […]

As suddenly as it cancelled the rule, the FAA has reinstated Advisory Circular 91-57, the Model Aircraft Operating Standards that have guided radio control aircraft operators since 1981. As we reportedlast week, the AC was cancelled on Oct. 10. It was back in force by Oct. 14. Cancellation of the AC, which sets out the […]

TSA Administrator John Pistole has announced his intention to retire at the end of the year for a job at Anderson University. Pistole, with a little more than four years in the top TSA job, is the longest-serving administrator. He is credited with implementing a more “risk-based” approach to transportation security, including the popular Trusted […]

Tomorrow, Mitsubishi Aircraft will roll out its entry into the world’s regional jet competition, the MRJ-Japan’s first commercial airliner in more than 50 years. The product of a partnership between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Toyota, the 70- to 90-seat regional jet is priced at $42 million. Mitsubishi reports it has 191 firm orders for the […]

The U.S. Marine Corps announced that it is determined to meet its goal of having its first squadron of 10 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters ready for combat in July 2015. In an interview with Reuters, outgoing Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos was asked if the Marines would miss the target date for declaring an […]

AVweb‘s weekly review of what is happening in aviation uncovered news of an invitation to fly in and help out with Bahamas Habitat, a record-setting third quarter for Embraer, a collaboration in the development of the Sun Flyer electric airplane, and an announcement that Hartzell’s developmental activities for its new five-blade prop will be showcased […]

Lockheed Martin is working on a compact fusion reactor that could be small enough to provide a power source for aircraft, and it could be ready to fly in 10 years or less, the company said on Wednesday. “Our compact fusion concept combines several alternative magnetic confinement approaches, taking the best parts of each, and […]

Gulfstream announced on Tuesday it plans to add two all-new wide-cabin business jets to its line: the Gulfstream G500 and G600. The first copy of the G500 is already built, and taxied up to the company’s unveiling event in Savannah, Georgia. The company also displayed a 70-foot-long mockup of the G600. “The G500 and G600 […]

Representatives of the machinists union negotiating a new contract with Textron Aviation said company officials abandoned the talks on Sunday. The union said its committee had reviewed Textron’s proposal and passed back a counterproposal. “We were expecting to receive a ‘last, best and final’ offer from the company,” the union said. “Instead, they walked out […]

Chicago Center is expected to be back in full service Monday, a little more than two weeks after an arson fire put it out of commission. Since the Sept. 26 fire, which was allegedly set by a contractor’s employee who also tried to take his own life, staff and contractors have been scrambling to clean […]