Recent Updates

I’ve been reading a book called Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free. Beyond its amusing title, it’s but an extended essay on the notion that the U.S. is the ideal place to breed and encourage cranks because the entire country was founded on imaginative ideas that challenged the […]

A signal-jamming system to deter unwanted drone flights was unveiled this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Developed by Airbus Defense and Space, the Smart Responsive Jamming Technology can disable signals between a drone and its operator or, in some cases, jam its navigation system. Since some drone flights in prohibited areas […]

The debates over user fees and ATC privatization are coming back to the forefront as Congress settles into its second session. The impetus this week came from a piece in Politico by U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Kansas Republican whose district covers Wichita. The proposals are brewing in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as […]

AVweb’s search of news in aviation turned up a Published Pricing feature for OverhaulBids.com, an expansion for a Piper training school, Airforms’ latest product for Cessnas, and a new look for the Diamond DA40 Tundra version. OverhaulBids.com now offers Published Pricing for engine overhauls. Know the cost for Lycoming, Continental, and Pratt & Whitney overhauls. […]

Cessna Aircraft’s Citation CJ2+ is no longer in production, leaving other variations in the Citation series to fill the demand for business jets. The CJ2+, which had about 10 years in production, is an updated version of the 7-seat Citation CJ2, which initially went into service in 2000. Cessna has not delivered a CJ2+ since […]

Officials at Cape Air blamed a pilot shortage for recent flight cancellations at Billings Logan International Airport, in Montana, according to the Billings Gazette. Officials with the regional airline said 16 flights have been grounded over the last few days because pilots couldn’t be scheduled. An airline spokesperson said they have brought in pilots from […]

The FAA released its smartphone app for drone flyers on Wednesday, reminding users that it’s a tool to help with legal compliance. The B4UFLY app is available for iOS devices. A beta version for Android devices also is available along with a link to provide feedback. B4UFLY uses map and airport data, along with real-time […]

U.S. airlines could save more than $250 billion by 2050, thanks to technologies developed by a NASA program to boost fuel efficiency, NASA said this week. These new technologies, which were funded by NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation project, could cut airline fuel use in half, reduce pollution by 75 percent, and dampen noise to one-eighth […]

The New London Airport, in Lynchburg, Virginia, has been bought by Liberty University, a nearby Christian school with an aeronautics program. The school paid $1.8 million for the general aviation field, according to The Associated Press. The field, which has been in operation since 1961, will remain open for public use. “Obviously, we’ll be making […]

AirMule, an autonomous VTOL aircraft built by Tactical Robots, made its first untethered flight on Dec. 30, in Israel, the company has announced. The aircraft is powered by internal rotors, and is designed to enable autonomous evacuation of one or two people. It also can be quickly reconfigured for a variety of other missions. Flight […]