News

New York Governor George Pataki recently signed Assembly Bill 2122, requiring New Yorkers to submit to a criminal background check before starting flight training. Flight schools also must request criminal reports on any prospective student. Alphabet groups have already taken up the fight, saying the new law won’t stand up to a legal challenge. “Federal […]

A new Micco Aircraft Co. is back in business and there are some familiar faces at the new company. Dewitt Beckett, who ran the original Micco Aircraft in Florida from 1996 to 2002, has entered into an agreement to acquire the type certificate, tooling, fixtures and inventory for the Micco SP26 aerobatic sport aircraft. The […]

Cessna will introduce the CJ4, the newest member of the Citation business jet family, at the annual National Business Aviation Association convention in October. The new plane, which will seat seven to eight passengers, will be powered by two FADEC-controlled Williams FJ44-4A engines. First flight is scheduled for the first half of 2008, with first […]

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has launched AirGeorgia, an airport infrastructure improvement program aimed at rural GA airports across the Peach State. Perdue, a pilot who owns a Bellanca, is a staunch supporter of aviation. His latest effort is a financing program aimed at completing critical infrastruture improvements necessary to upgrade many of Georgia’s rural GA […]

The Aircraft Electronics Association recently hosted a three-day workshop to establish educational standards for avionics technicians. The workshop, attended by officials from Duncan, Executive Beechcraft, Garmin, Higginsville Avionics Lab and Spirit Avionics, along with representatives from Eclipse Aviation, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, Delta, American Airlines, the University of Alaska, NASA and the […]

Could your airplane save your life? Long-time test pilot Jim Stewart is convinced the design of the prototype Sport-Jet, a composite and aluminum four-place single-engine jet, saved his life. The prototype crashed June 22 on takeoff from Colorado Springs Airport. Preliminary reports from the NTSB point to wake turbulence as the cause of the accident. […]

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has once again earned the top ranking in the annual “America’s Best Colleges” guide published by U.S. News & World Report magazine. In the category of “Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering Programs” at schools where the highest degree is a master’s, Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus took first place, followed by the U.S. Air Force Academy […]

Have deployments of whole-airplane parachutes become old hat? That’s what Larry Williams, president of Ballistic Recovery Systems (BRS), a leader in the industry, is wondering. The company just learned about saves 189 and 190 a few months ago. Good news to report, right? Except company officials were a little puzzled about how to report the […]

The Virginia Regional EAA Fly-in and Expo, slated for Sept. 30-Oct. 1, celebrates its 10th anniversary this fall. Plans are to focus on educational activities. To give pilots flexibility to arrive and depart when they want, there will be no airshow this year, according to organizers.