Recent Updates

John King, of King Schools, has been without a medical for two years since he had a seizure and he’s now fighting to get it back. Like many other pilots who have appealed disqualifications, he’s finding it a frustrating experience that he says is ultimately hurting the FAA itself. Duration: 8.00 File Size: 6.6 Mb […]

NASA’s Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) preliminary design model is entering an eight-week testing phase at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, the agency reports. The Glenn Research Center wind tunnel will simulate speeds from Mach 0.3 to Mach 1.6 to ensure smooth airflow into the engine during all phases of flight and to confirm […]

Controversial budget carrier Norwegian Air will launch trans-Atlantic service with its new Boeing 737MAX aircraft this summer with one-way promotional fares as low as $65 from secondary airports in the U.S. Northeast to airports in Ireland and Scotland. Those who jumped on the offer will be able to fly round trip from the U.S. to […]

Pilots continue to report increasing numbers of suspected in-flight sightings of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) to air traffic control, says data released Thursday by the FAA. Pilots reported 1,274 sightings of sUAS in areas where those systems are not authorized to operate for the February 2016 through September 2016 reporting period. Those figures are […]

A new training and simulation center for the ATR -600 series of twin turbopropeller commuter aircraft was opened to customers in Florida this week, the company announced on Tuesday. The new ATR full flight simulator is located at the existing Airbus Training Center across the street from Miami International Airport. ATR is a joint venture […]

Sales of piston-powered, fixed-wing aircraft were flat for the third year in a row, says the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) year-end report issued Wednesday—1,142 piston airplanes delivered in total, down slightly from 1,265 in 2015. Since 2009, sales of piston airplanes have hovered around 1,000 units per year, down from a modern-era peak of […]

Stemme AG and S-Plane Automation Ltd said this week they plan to integrate S-Plane subsystems into the Ecarys ES15 Stemme motor glider to create an optionally piloted vehicle, combining the capabilities of a manned aircraft with those of a UAV. With a human pilot onboard, the OPV can execute missions such as flight in civil […]

A $35 million lawsuit filed against Van’s Aircraft, characterized by Van’s as an attack on the kitplane industry as a whole, was settled by the parties late last year. In a press release issued Wednesday, Van’s said the case was dismissed, which is accurate, though it omitted the reason for the dismissal. Van’s Aircraft told […]

A team of Russian engineers working in San Francisco as Hoversurf have posted a video online showing an indoor flight test with their “hoverbike” design. The vehicle is powered by electric motors that drive four rotors, arrayed vertically at each corner. The pilot sits in a sort of saddle with his legs on either side, […]

Consumer drones have attracted millions of users, and created a conundrum for general aviation — are they friend or foe? On the one hand, many pilots have embraced the technology and enjoy it; on the other hand, the small flying machines can pose a threat to aircraft if operated irresponsibly. AOPA on Tuesday took a […]