Eclipse Aerospace officials said at Oshkosh that they have received approval by the FAA for all Eclipse Jets to return to a maximum certified service ceiling of 41,000 feet. This will be effective for owners and pilots immediately upon the installation of the recently re-certified combustion liners, officials said. Eclipse and Pratt and Whitney Canada […]
House proposes clean extension of FAA funding
Democratic lawmakers are calling for an urgent vote on a clean extension of FAA funding in hopes of bringing 4,000 furloughed employees back to work. On Tuesday, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members introduced legislation that would extend FAA funding through the end of fiscal 2011, without any newly added provisions, according to a report at […]
#OSH11: Kiwis can fly
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), the country’s economic and trade development arm, is hosting a group of aircraft and equipment manufacturers, software developers, and other aviation companies at this year’s AirVenture. “Aviation is a $10 billion industry for New Zealand and is expected to reach almost $15 billion in the next few years,” noted […]
#OSH11: Lancair introduces new avionics suite
Lancair International has introduced a new avionics suite for the Evolution Aircraft: The EFC900X. Introduced in 2009, the Evolution by Lancair has been equipped with Garmin avionics, centered around the G900X system. The only thing missing was the integrated flight control provided by the certified GFC 700 autopilot, company officials said. Now, for the first […]
Voting still open for Pilot’s Choice awards
Pilots are being asked to cast their votes for their choice among 20 aviation-related charities that will benefit from grants from the Lightspeed Aviation Foundation. This is the second year for the foundation. Last year, it awarded more than $100,000. 2011 Charities selected are: Angel Flight Central, Angel Flight East, Angel Flight Soars, Angel Flight […]
Kitfox Series 7 Super Sport receives 51% approval
The FAA National Kit Evaluation Team (NKET) recently concluded its evaluation of the Kitfox Series 7 Super Sport Aircraft, noting it meets the 51% rule. In a letter dated July 21, Terry Allen, manager of the FAA Production and Airworthiness Division, stated that the Evaluation Team determined that the kit will “allow an amateur builder […]
Electric Cessna 172 begins taxi tests
Beyond Aviation, formerly Bye Energy, began initial taxi tests on its electric Cessna 172 last week at Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colo. The company’s goal is to develop a practical, cost-effective conversion to environmentally friendly electric propulsion systems as a replacement for internal combustion engines on aircraft requiring 150 to 200 hp, officials explained. “The […]
Memphis plans welcome back celebration for pilot
After 69 days and nearly 25,000 miles, Memphis businessman Wei Chen will be making his triumphant return home in just a few days after becoming the first Chinese citizen to circumnavigate the globe in a single-engine plane, a TBM 700. Chen, CEO and founder of Sunshine Enterprises in Memphis, said he is extremely eager to […]
#OSH11: Avidyne launches plug & play panel-mounted avionics
Avidyne introduced a line of panel-mounted, plug-and-play avionics for general aviation on opening day of AirVenture. The avionics stack includes the IFD540 FMS/GPS/ Navigation/Communication system with touch screen user interface, the AMX240 stereo Audio Panel with Marker Beacon, the AXP340 Mode S Extended Squitter (ES) Transponder, and the attitude-based DFC90 Digital Autopilot. Each of these […]