Recent Updates

SpaceX successfully launched an unmanned supply mission to the International Space Station on Saturday morning, but an attempt to soft land and recover the booster to a barge at sea failed. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Tweeted Saturday, “Close, but no cigar. Bodes well for the future tho’. Ship itself is fine. Some of the support […]

FlyEco has been working on and testing its Smart Diesel for light aircraft. The diesel is adapted from the European version of the Mercedes Smart Car. AVweb took a brief flight demo in the aircraft recently. view on YouTube

AVweb’s search of the news in aviation turned up appointments at the National Air Transportation Association and ClipperJet Inc., a hiring initiative at Great Lakes Airlines, and business aviation student scholarships awarded by the National Aircraft Resale Association. NATA is pleased to announce the selection of Timothy R. Obitts as the association’s Senior Vice President […]

The FAA is still not saying when it will release its proposed rules for unmanned aircraft systems, but on Tuesday, the agency granted two more exemptions to allow UAS operations, including the first for real estate photography. The agency gave the exemptions to Douglas Trudeau, of Tierra Antigua Realty in Tucson, Arizona, and to Advanced […]

Flytenow, a startup online business that wants to match empty seats in general aviation aircraft with passengers who would share the costs, has sued the FAA over its statement that the practice would violate FARs. “This is a classic case of government overreaction to new technologies and innovative ideas,” said Jon Riches, a lawyer at […]

One of my secret ambitions has been to own an airplane company and I think I’m about to realize it. Not to reveal too much about my personal finances, but I’m about to come into a lot of money. I mean a really, huge, stupid amount of money. I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails […]

Unless you’re reading AVweb late Monday, by the time you read this Tuesday morning space launch history either will or won’t have been made. We ought to know for sure by about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. In case you haven’t been paying attention-and it hasn’t gotten much coverage-SpaceX is launching another of its robotic re-supply missions […]

In previous installments of this short series (in Kitplanes magazine), we have discussed the importance of planning your first flight thoroughly, and then preparing yourself for the flight-test environment with specific training. Let’s assume then that you have a good plan and have also “warmed up” your flying skills to be ready for the unexpected. […]

Rockwell Collins has been tapped to lead a NASA-sponsored study into “single pilot” operations of commercial airliners. In a news release last month, the company said the study will determine the feasibility of SPO in airliners while acknowledging the considerable barriers in the way. “The aviation industry has been looking at the potential for single-pilot […]

The FAA is now saying it doesn’t know when proposed rules governing the commercial use of small unmanned aerial systems will be ready for publication. Congress has set a deadline for the agency to map out the integration of UAS lighter than 55 pounds by next September and it was widely speculated that something would […]