Podcast

The Breitling Jet Team, a seven-ship formation team that uses L-39 Albatros trainers, is starting its first U.S. tour at Sun ‘n Fun this week. AVweb’s Russ Niles spoke with team lead Jacques Bothelin. Duration: 3:23 File Size: 3.1 MB download here

Cirrus started building the first production Vision SF50 this week. AVweb’s Russ Niles toured the plant in Duluth. view on YouTube

The FAA is exploring the idea, and the small airplane groups are gathering the information. AVweb’s Russ Niles spoke with Dan Johnson of the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association (LAMA) at Sun ‘n Fun 2015. Duration: 5:35 File Size: 5.1 MB download here

In mid-April, Piper announced its new M600 single-engine turboprop, a new model based on the successful Meridian. At Sun ‘n Fun 2015, Piper brought a cabin mockup of the new airplane, and AVweb spoke to Piper CEO Simon Caldecott about how the company plans to position the airplane in the market. view on YouTube

Mooney announced its new M10T training aircraft at the big air show in Zhuhai, China last fall. At Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida this week, the company took the wraps off a mockup of the airplane, and AVweb pointed some cameras at it. view on YouTube

Rod Rakic‘s vision of a nationwide airplane rental network is now a reality, with OpenAirplane nearing 10,000 members. “We’re taking away a lot of the friction of renting an airplane,” said Rakic when we caught up with him at Sun ‘n Fun. Duration: 5:31 File Size: 4.6 MB download here

It’s hard to compete with regulatory change for a topic that’s slow-moving, complex, and sleep-inducing, but GAMA’s European rep Greg Bowles is excited about the progress happening now, which he says will have real impacts on aircraft owners, buyers, and manufacturers around the world within the next few years. He talked with AVweb’s Mary Grady […]

Flight Design’s C4 is the company’s first four-seat, fully certified aircraft. Engineer Robert Adam spoke with AVweb at Aero in Friedrichshafen, Germany about the C4’s first flight last week. view on YouTube

At Aero Friedrichshafen this week, Kestrel’s Alan Klapmeier spoke with AVweb’s Mary Grady about his rationale in joining forces with Eclipse Aerospace to form the new company, One Aviation. Duration: 5:04 File Size: 11.6 MB download here

In a surprise announcement Monday, Piper Aircraft revealed three new models of its upper strata M-Class aircraft, including a new turboprop called the M600 that’s loosely based on its popular Meridian. With a new G1000 variant from Garmin, the Meridian itself is getting some retooling, becoming the Meridian M500, and the Lycoming-powered Mirage will morph […]