All General aviation articles – Page 565
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Australian airlines target degree pilots
Paul Phelan/CAIRNS Australian carriers want more airline pilot recruits to hold or obtain university degrees involving management skills. They are planning a tailored course to achieve this. Ansett and Qantas, with input from major regional carriers, are close to agreement on a scheme whereby 10-20% of pilot recruits would ...
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Alberta gets Phoenix FanJet go-ahead
Kate Sarsfield/LONDON Alberta Aerospace (AAC) has been given the green light by a Belgian court to proceed with certification of the Phoenix FanJet. This follows a protracted battle with former investors in bankrupt manufacturer Promavia over the rights to the single-engined aircraft, formerly known as the Promavia Jet Squalus. ...
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Canada Diamond sold
General aviation aircraft manufacturer Diamond Aircraft has been sold to Australian businessman Peter Chambers for an undisclosed sum. London, Ontario-based Diamond, which designs and builds the DA20 Katana range of two-seat single-engined light aircraft, has focused in recent years on the training market. Observers, however, believe that the ...
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Columbia flies at third try
NASA successfully launched the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS93 on 23 July after its second launch attempt on 22 July was called off because of bad weather. The Columbia, with its Chandra X-ray Observatory payload, was originally due for launch on 20 July - the 30th anniversary of the ...
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Licensing unchanged despite Kennedy crash
US authorities appear to have no intention of changing the rules about the weather and light conditions in which private pilots without instrument ratings (IR) may fly, despite the crash last week of John F Kennedy Jr's Piper Saratoga II. The investigation into what caused the accident will centre ...
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Flight data plans
A US company developing a vehicle data recorder system for cars has announced plans to develop a version for use as a flight data recorder (FDR) in general aviation aircraft. Santa Barbara, California-based Diversified Auto Technology expects its general aviation FDR to be available in the first quarter of next ...
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Experimental engines
After-market and engine-overhaul specialists Superior Air Parts and Mattituck Aviation are combining to produce a line of four-cylinder aircraft engines for experimental aircraft. Components for the 110-185kW (150-250hp) engines will be supplied by engine part supplier Superior and shipped to Mattituck's New York site for assembly. Source: Flight International
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US AOPA warns on safety after Loran delays
The US Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has warned that general aviation safety will be seriously undermined by any further delay in the decision on the continuation of the Loran-C navigation system and any plans to bring forward the shut down of Loran-C transmitters in the USA. AOPA ...
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Vagabond four-seater aims for home with private operators
Kate Sarsfield/LONDON A four-seat general aviation aircraft aimed at private operators is being developed by Italian design and engineering company Etruria Technology. The Vagabond piston single is in the design phase, says Etruria. "We are about two years away from the maiden flight of the first [of three] ...
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Airsat deliveries
AlliedSignal has begun initial shipments of the new Airsat 1 satellite communication avionics for use with the Iridium satellite system. The single-channel Airsat 1 will provide voice communication services on corporate and general aviation aircraft. The system costs $29,500, with telephone calls priced from $3.50/min within the same country to ...
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UK ambulance service expands
The National Association of Air Ambulance Services (NAAAS) is extending its operational coverage within the UK and has issued a tender for two new helicopters to cover two key regions. "The minimum requirement will be for twin-engined helicopters with the ability to transport two patients and two attendants as well ...
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Atlantic seeks to end limit on regionals jets
Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) is pressing United Airlines for unlimited use of regional jets under 50 seats as it places a conditional order with Fairchild Aerospace for up to 110 328/428JETs to replace British Aerospace Jetstream 32 and Jetstream 41 turboprops. The United Express carrier wants to phase out ...
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Cessna may welcome Skylane RG back to single-engined fold
Kate Sarsfield/LONDON The continued buoyancy of the single-engined aircraft market in the USA has prompted Cessna to consider resurrecting the retractable gear (RG) variant of its four-seat 182 Skylane after a 13-year moratorium. "We are not overly anxious to introduce new models, but the market is strong, and ...
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SabreTech faces ValuJet murder charge
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC SabreTech, the maintenance contractor for the former ValuJet Airlines, says it will "vigorously defend" itself against murder and manslaughter charges brought by Florida state prosecutors. It also faces federal grand jury criminal indictments. The charges relate to the crash of a ValuJet McDonnell Douglas ...
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Eurotilt consortium drives for tiltrotor funding from EC
A consortium of European companies led by Eurocopter has requested funding from the European Commission (EC) for a new 19-seat tiltrotor ground test programme. The consortium comprises 33 companies from nine countries, including Spain's CASA and Fiat Avio of Italy. The European rotorcraft technology integration for a long-range transport ...
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Eurocontrol delays steps to taking regulatory powers
Emma Kelly/BRUSSELS Eurocontrol's Council has delayed until October a decision on whether to approve plans to consider granting the air navigation organisation regulatory powers to force member states to make urgent air traffic management (ATM) improvements. The move comes as Europe's air traffic control (ATC) system is facing a summer ...
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New engines
Reg Technologies has completed a short test run of a new "winged-rotor" diesel engine being developed through NASA's Small Business Innovation Research programme. Vancouver, Canada-based Reg also seeks a $600,000 grant to design, fabricate and test a 185kW (250hp) Rand Cam engine built to power light aircraft. The engine borrows ...
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Groen takes first orders for gyroplane
Groen Brothers Aviation (GBA) has begun selling its Hawk 4 gyroplane, which is under development with a first flight planned for August. Four dealers and two private customers have placed deposits on 86 aircraft, worth over $26 million. The company expects to announce further US dealerships soon. The first ...
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Fairchild 328JET receives European certification
The Fairchild Aerospace 328JET has gained European Joint Aviation Authorities certification, with US approval set to follow before the end of the month. The certification comes as the company moves closer to finalising a 110-aircraft contract from a US carrier, believed to be Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA). The approval, ...
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Jamaican force ready for two more AS355Ns
The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is due to take delivery of two Eurocopter AS355Ns in August, to add to the two it acquired earlier in the year. The aircraft, which were completed by Eurocopter UK distributor McAlpine Helicopters, will be deployed on law enforcement and anti-drug trafficking missions. In preparation ...