Recent Updates

The U.S. Air Force detailed plans to address its aircrew shortage and modernize its fleet in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget request released on Monday. “There is a bow wave of modernization over the next 10 years,” said Heather Wilson, secretary of the Air Force, in a statement posted online. “Bombers, fighters, tankers, satellites, helicopters […]

President Trump’s budget plan was released on Monday, including a proposal to privatize the air traffic control system, and aviation advocates were quick to respond. “The idea of handing over the nation’s ATC system to what amounts to an airline cartel … is bad policy,” said NBAA President Ed Bolen. AOPA said the proposal doesn’t […]

All 71 people aboard a Saratov Airlines An-148 regional jet were killed Sunday when the aircraft went down shortly after takeoff from Domodedovo Airport near Moscow. There were 65 passengers and six crew on the aircraft, which was on a flight to Orsk. Some Russian media are reporting the flight crew reported a technical malfunction […]

Three people were killed and four badly injured when a sightseeing helicopter went down in the Grand Canyon Saturday. The aircraft was destroyed in the post-crash fire and at least two survivors were seen running from the wreckage before it exploded. The condition of the injured wasn’t immediately available. The helicopter was operated by Papillon […]

When AVweb visited the Cirrus factory last summer, it was in the process of reorganizing to ramp up production of the new Cirrus SF50 VisionJet. In this detailed video, AVweb’s Paul Bertorelli reports on how the factory builds its popular piston and jet aircraft. view on YouTube

Airbus Helicopters has flown its commercial parcel delivery prototype and expects it to be picking up and dropping off small parcels for students and staff at the National University of Singapore later this year. The octocopter took off from its maintenance center, landed on the roof of a purpose-built parcel station and a robotic arm […]

Buoyed by burgeoning public acceptance of autonomous cars and air taxis, various companies have dusted off the idea of creating single-pilot transport aircraft, although all seem to agree that passenger service is likely decades away. At the Singapore Air Show last week, Singapore-based ST Aerospace was showing off its concept for a single-pilot heavy cargo […]

The Philippines has canceled a $300 million order for 16 Bell 412 EPI helicopters after the Canadian government expressed concern they might be used in President Rodrigo Duterte’s highly controversial campaign to kill insurgents. On Thursday, Philippine military officials tried to assure Canadian officials that the helicopters, which are built at Bell’s factory in Mirabel, […]

The first Pilatus PC-24 business jet has been delivered to New Hampshire-based PlaneSense. The fractional company has ordered 10 of what Pilatus has termed its “super versatile jet” for its ability to use unimproved runways. It already has 34 PC-12 turboprops so its relationship with Pilatus is substantial. The company bought four Nextant XTI jets […]

NASA has approved a mission using Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser spacecraft, in late 2020, the company announced on Wednesday. The mission will carry 6 tons of supplies to the International Space Station. “The Dream Chaser is going to be a tremendous help to the critical science and research happening on the space station,” Mark Sirangelo, […]