Recent Updates

XTI Aircraft, a startup company that aims to develop a new certified six-seat aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing, said this week it has attracted $10 million in “reserve shares” through its “test the waters” crowdfunding campaign. The “nonbinding indications of interest” were collected via startengine.com, which enables startups “to gauge interest in a […]

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a funding bill on Monday that aims to extend current levels of funding for the FAA through the end of next March. Currently, the FAA’s funding is set to expire on Wednesday night. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it’s expected to be voted on before the […]

LightHawk, a nonprofit group that promotes the use of airplanes for conservation, has named Terri Watson as its new executive director. Watson had been a volunteer pilot for the group, starting in 1997, and previously served on the board. She also was executive director from 2000 to 2003. Watson was working for a nonprofit parks […]

The first flight of the KC-46 next-generation tanker took place on Friday and, as expected for a mature design like the Boeing 767, it did fine on its four-hour shakedown. Now that Boeing has shown the airplane can fly, it’s getting ready for the so-called “Milestone C” testing that will show whether the plane can […]

In my lofty role as editorial director here at AVweb, I am also self-appointed Chief of Word Police. We all have our little foibles and sacred cows, no? I actually have only two. I sweep the copy for two things; one is a word, the other a phrase. The word is “upbeat,” the phrase is […]

AVweb’s search of aviation news around the world found a new aviation conference for the younger crowd, an executive director announced for LightHawk, a high-profile partner announced for the Purdue Research Park, and the latest recipients of the AOPA Foundation’s GA grants. The first MODAERO Fly-In & Conference is specifically scheduled to coincide with collegiate […]

The Perlan 2 glider made its first test flight Wednesday above Redmond Municipal Airport in Oregon, completing another step in the project team’s goal to set a new altitude record next year. Pilots Jim Payne and Morgan Sandercock flew the glider to 5,000 feet above the field during the first of what will be a […]

NASA is now testing a tablet-based “super-app” that it says will help airlines and other operators to save time and reduce fuel consumption by constantly working to help fine-tune the aircraft’s route and altitude. The Traffic Aware Planner application connects directly to the avionics information hub on the aircraft. “It reads the current position and […]

A man is in the hospital in Waco, Texas, for a mental evaluation after he allegedly tried to steal a Learjet at the local airport. Police issued a statement saying the man drove his car through a security gate and parked beside the aircraft about noon on Thursday. He was approached by an off-duty police […]

The B-29 Superfortress “Doc” came alive Friday morning as the restoration team fired up each engine for the first time – persisting through 15 tense minutes when no. 2 failed to start after multiple attempts. The event, captured on webcam from Wichita, marked the start of a series of test runs before the Superfortress gets […]