Recent Updates

NBC News is reporting that a U-2 spy plane caused the air traffic control failure that backed up traffic to and from Los Angeles basin airports last Wednesday. The computer glitch caused a ground stop that rippled delays across the country and lasted more than two hours. It was an En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM) […]

Former House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., died unexpectedly early Saturday at his home in Potomac, Md. Oberstar was keenly interested in aviation and was viewed by aviation groups as an ally on Capitol Hill because of his consistent stand against user fees. He served 18 consecutive terms as the representative for […]

A story that appeared in Friday’s AVwebFlash described a rare action by the NTSB recommending a specific group of aviation companies in Alaska be targeted for additional oversight by the FAA. One of the companies has a name similar to that of a firm that is not part of the NTSB recommendation. AVweb made the […]

Cessna has announced that it will complete certification of its new, higher-speed Citation X in the second quarter and deliver several production aircraft. The latest version of the Citation X – featuring a record Mach 0.935 top speed for a transport category aircraft in production – has wrapped up flight testing, so all that is […]

Our weekly review of the news revealed that piston engine aircraft sales were up in the first quarter, the new Got Weather? campaign is kicking off, a company has been formed to produce a solar-electric light sport airplane and Kansas State Universitys aviation program has been the recipient of donated Frasca simulator. The General Aviation […]

Although I try to remain detached and aloof from the vulgarity of international politics, I couldnt resist just this one time. Did you see this news itemin which Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin, torqued at U.S. sanctions against Russia for stealing Crimea, suggested that we use a trampoline to deliver our astronauts to the […]

As a result of the bankruptcy of Evergreen International Airlines, its McMinnville, Ore., six-building, on-airport campus is up for sale (PDF). The buildings on sale do not include those on the across-the-street campus that contains the Evergreen Museum and the gigantic Hughes Hercules flying boat. According to brokers Ted Nicholson and Katrin Gist, the six […]

The Navy is accusing former Blue Angels commander Capt. Gregory McWherter of tolerating, and in some cases encouraging, “an inappropriate work environment within the squadron which may have violated the Navy’s sexual harassment, hazing and equal opportunity policies.” The Navy issued a more detailed statement a week after announcing that McWherter had been relieved as […]

The EPA has been petitioned (PDF) to reconsider its current position on leaded aviation fuel and start the process to regulate lead emissions from general aviation aircraft. Friends of the Earth, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Oregon Aviation Watch filed the latest petition last week. An earlier petition filed by the three in 2006 was […]

Airbus announced this week that it has successfully test flown a prototype electric aircraft called the E-Fan and the company says it’s bullish on building an electric-powered airliner for the regional market, possibly with a hybrid drive. The E-Fan is a composite, tandem two-seater with a pair of ducted fans on the tail driven by […]