Recent Updates

AVweb’s search of aviation news worldwide found announcements from ARGUS International,Keystone Aviation, Bell Helicopter, and Rectrix Aviation.ARGUS International Inc. has announced their intent to acquire Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) of Orlando, Florida, a privately held business that has carved out a recognized and respected position in the safety training, certification and management of Unmanned Aircraft […]

The U.S Senate’s version of FAA reauthorization legislation, introduced this week, includes measures supported by general aviation such as medical reform and streamlining for aircraft certification. Spinning off air traffic control services from the FAA, however, is no longer part of the picture after the House shelved its version of the bill. U.S. Sen. John […]

If there’s a great untapped resource in general aviation—other than unsold airplanes—it must be empty seats. Four-place airplanes rarely fly with more than two people and if we had data on it, I suspect most piston aircraft flights have one body aboard. And once this autonomy thing comes together, we can dispense with him/her and […]

The FAA can’t mandate lower safety criteria for cargo operators than for passenger airlines based solely on cost, representatives for UPS pilots argued in court this week. Lawyers for the Independent Pilots Association told the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., that the FAA’s rule governing flight crew duty and rest requirements, finalized in […]

The FAA today proposed a new rule (see link below for full text) that aims to fundamentally change the way small general aviation airplanes are certified, potentially reducing the time required to bring new technology to the market and also cutting costs. The new rule replaces the current prescriptive design requirements in Part 23 with […]

Regional carrier GoJet Airlines has put its money on the table to attract pilots and mitigate the shortages that are affecting the industry. The airline, which flies 47 CRJ700 and seven CRJ900 as United Express and Delta Connection from Boise to Quebec City, is guaranteeing new first officers at least $2,700 a month and captains […]

The future role of Textron Airland’s Scorpion trainer/light attack jet is in question now that the Air Force is saying the bid requirements for its new jet trainer are firm. A few years ago, Textron, in partnership with Airland Enterprises, secretly developeda small twin-engine military aircraft that has been touted as an affordable front-line attack […]

Jet Blue has launched an ab initio training program that it hopes will help to diversify its hiring pool and also give the company control over a pilot’s training from start to finish. The four-year program, which has been in the works since last year, is now accepting online applicants, at a cost of $125,000. […]

Hartzell’s popular five-blade carbon-fiber composite propeller now is available for Piper’s Meridian and M500 single-engine pressurized turboprops, the companies announced this week. “Hartzell’s new Meridian composite prop boosts climb rate while decreasing noise,” said Hartzell President Joe Brown. The blades are certified for unlimited life and are 5 to 10 times stronger than wood core […]

DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, said last week it will develop a new X-Plane to pursue “radical improvements” in aircraft that can take off and land vertically, then shift to horizontal flight mode and reach speeds up to 400 knots. “The design envisions an aircraft that could fly fast and far, hover when […]