Recent Updates

The controversial FAA reauthorization bill that would create a private air traffic control organization will not be introduced in the full House this week as originally scheduled, according to Politico. Quoting unnamed sources, the Washington political publication says it was told by a “leadership aide” that the House Transportation Committee, which approved an amended version […]

Although most of the drone news these days is about regulations and dangers (perceived and real) their use can result in some truly magnificent marriages of art and technology. We missed this when it first surfaced in November of 2015 but the Guinness World Record flight of 100 drones controlled by Intel software to a […]

Virgin Galactic is keeping SpaceShipTwo’s flight schedule under wraps even as the company unveiled the new model at a splashy ceremony Friday at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The company did emphasize the spacecraft is already undergoing an elaborate series of component tests in the name of safety. “Our commitment to safety can be […]

U.S. Army researchers are experimenting with making 3D-printed drones on demand. The Army Research Laboratory recently proposed the concept as a means to quickly build and deploy small unmanned aircraft in the field. The idea won a spot in the 2017 Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments, which allow selected project teams to demonstrate new technologies, the […]

In rural Holden, Missouri, roughly 50 miles southeast of Kansas City, is a 10-acre island of recreational aviation in a vast ocean of corn and soybeans. The pole barns adjacent to its 1000-foot grass strip look like those on neighboring farms, until you look inside. The hulking gray lathe, milling machine, and drill press don’t […]

Virgin Galactic will roll out a replacement SpaceShipTwo suborbital space plane on Friday and while it will look the same as the one that crashed in 2014 there are some important internal differences. According to the Verge, the company says the new vehicle has more automation and failsafe systems designed to prevent the kind of […]

AVweb’s search of aviation news around the world found announcements from Sonex Aircraft, The Squawk App, Parkland College and Advent Aircraft Systems.Sonex Aircraft announced its latest aircraft development project: Sonex and Waiex B-Models, offering more room and comfort, more panel space, more fuel, more engine choices, and more standard features combined with reduced build time.Pilots […]

The Hypstair hybrid-electric powertrain ran for the first time this month, launching a test series for the project led by Slovenian aircraft maker Pipistrel. Hypstair, which has been making the rounds at European aviation events, features 200 kilowatts of takeoff power and 150 kilowatts of continuous power suitable for a light GA aircraft. It can […]

I spent a good portion of January conducting interviews and research for a major print piece on electric aircraft to appear in the March issue of Aviation Consumer. My impression is that there’s as much going on in this field beneath the surface as there are known projects. Expect to learn more in 2016. Last […]

Today at the Singapore Airshow, Bombardier introduced a new variant of its Q400 aircraft, which it says will be the world’s only commercial turboprop capable of carrying 90 passengers. The 90-seat configuration comes with a 2,000-pound increase in payload. Bombardier says those 12 to 14 extra seats help deliver a 20 percent advantage in operating […]