Recent Updates

Back in the days when Pueblo, Colorado, still had a TRACAB (terminal radar in the tower cab), I was visiting with the controllers when the following took place. A Cessna pilot, who hopefully was a student, was on a flight from Colorado Springs, field elevation of 6,172 feet MSL, to Pueblo, elevation 4,725 feet MSL. […]

As private space launches increase and diversify, those activities are causing “significant impacts” on commercial aviation, according to a white paper (PDF) published by ALPA last week. Those impacts include flight delays, flight-plan alterations, increased distance flown, longer flight times, flight cancellations, crew duty cycle changes, gate slot management and added fuel burn. As one […]

A recent test flight in the National Airspace System with a drone that was operated remotely showed that a chase aircraft is not needed for safety, NASA reported last week. During the June 12 flight, the Ikhana research aircraft used its own detect-and-avoid technology as an “alternate means of compliance,” NASA said. Previously, flying remotely […]

It’s now illegal to possess most laser pointers (outside of houses) within six miles of any Canadian airport thanks to an order made by Canada’s transport minister on Friday. Marc Garneau issued an interim order banning anyone from having a laser pointer with more than one milliwatt of output power while outdoors in a six-mile […]

A proper FAA reauthorization may have to wait (again) thanks to this week’s surprise retirement of a Supreme Court justice. All of the focus in Washington will be on the maneuvering ahead of President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy and unless everything goes exactly right for the long-awaited FAA bill, it’s likely […]

The Air Force has suspended flight evaluations in its light attack aircraft experiment after the death of one of the program’s pilots in late June. Lt. Christopher Carey Short, a naval aviator, died in the crash of an A-29 Super Tucano at the Red Rio Bombing Range in the White Sands Missile Range in New […]

New research from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that flight attendants are at a higher risk than the general public for several forms cancer. To gather data, the Harvard Flight Attendant Health Study surveyed U.S.-based flight attendants and compared the results to non-flying groups of similar ages and genders. The study […]

This week, AVweb’s news roundup came across reports on a new Air Repair Station certification for Wayman Aviation, Adventure Aviation’s acquisition of an AL250 simulator, the recent release of an IFR communications manual from PilotWorkshops and additional AirVenture forum presentations by Superior Air Parts. Wayman Aviation announced last week that it has earned FAA Part […]

Boeing’s New Hypersonic Concept I’d love to see the technology advance. I’ve been following Reaction Engines in the U.K. for several years. The have a very interesting concept for using ultra-high-efficiency heat exchangers to produce oxygen from the air to use in rocket propulsion, thus reducing the need for the weight of O2 on board. […]

Transcend Air Corporation has announced that it has begun development on a six-seat vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) concept designed to carry business travelers between major cities. The Transcend Air Vy 400 will be a piloted, turbine-powered model intended for four to five passengers. The company has also said it has plans to launch a […]