Recent Updates

Virgin Galactic tested its SpaceShipTwo, space-tourist-carrying vehicle Thursday over the Mojave Desert, exceeding Mach 1 and achieving an altitude of nearly 70,000 feet while demonstrating less than rock-solid stability. The vehicle was dropped at 46,000 feet and climbed under rocket power for 20 seconds, reaching 69,000 feet and 1.43 Mach (nearly 1,100 mph) with two […]

The U.S. government is paying $6,600 a month to keep an old turboprop it leases grounded in Georgia even though it seems doubtful the Gulfstream G-1 dubbed Aero Marti will ever fly for Uncle Sam again. The contract now is a non-fly [agreement], Steve Christopher of Phoenix Air Group told the Washington Post. Thats what […]

British pilot Ken Wallis took his first solo flight in 1937, flew as a stunt pilot and doubled for Sean Connery in 1967, and passed away Sunday at the age of 97, after “a long and successful life doing what he wanted,” his daughter told BBC.co.uk. Wallis flew Wellington bombers for his country in World […]

Embraer delivered its first modernized A-1 jet, the A-1M fighter, to the Brazilian Air Force on Tuesday, at the company’s industrial plant in Sao Paulo. The subsonic A-1 light jet is “fundamental” to the defense of Brazil, said Air Force Gen. Juniti Saito. “Its modernization presents a big gain in capability.” Embraer said it plans […]

Turkish Aircraft Industries has flown the Hurkus, a two-seat tandem trainer that is designed to compete with the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II and Embraer Super Tucano. The aircraft, which is apparently a clean-sheet design but looks a lot like a T-6, was announced in 2007 and flew on Aug. 29 in Ankara. The 33-minute gear-down […]

AOPA incoming President Mark Baker says he’s already spoken with EAA Chairman Jack Pelton about future “collaboration” to better serve both organizations and their members. In his first (and, as far as we can tell, only) interview since being named to the post Aug. 22, Baker told AOPA Live host Tom Hainesthat while it’s too […]

Founded in 2012, Titan Aerospace of New Mexico aims to create solar-powered unmanned aircraft to act as satellites with years-long flight durations. The company has two models in the works: the Solara 50 and the Solara 60, with the numbers referring to each vehicle’s wingspan in meters. Both are being designed to fly autonomously at […]

The California National Guard has deployed an MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft to support firefighters in their effort to control the Rim Fire threatening Yosemite National Park. Based out of Victorville, Calif., the aircraft is expected to identify key locations of fire activity, where the fire has been controlled, how it moves, and avenues of […]

Loosely based on comments made by the former commander-in-chief of the Russian air force, Army General Pyotr Deynekin, rumors have emerged that Russia’s next long-range assault jet will likely be unmanned, but it’s not coming very soon. The General said that a sixth-generation program is in the works and told RIA news agency it “most […]

Garmin has announced a planned G5000 retrofit for Beechjet 400A and Hawker 400XP aircraft. The company hopes it will have the STC ready in 2015. Although both designs are out of production, hundreds remain in service and Garmin VP Carl Wolf said the glass cockpit will modernize the legacy bizjet.This upgrade offers existing owners and […]