Several companies competing for the personal jet market are turning the downwind leg toward certification. One of those is Cessna, known for its piston-powered trainers and Citation business jets. In 2002 the company announced it was entering the Very Light Jet race with the Citation Mustang. The road to certification is often filled with challenges […]
Sopwith Camel shunned by bidders
The Sopwith Camel is perhaps the most famous Allied airplane of World War I. During the war approximately 5,490 of them were built, yet less than half a dozen still exist. Only one is airworthy and it recently went up for sale on eBay. The California-based seller proudly noted that the plane is an authentic […]
From cyberspace to outer space
Forget about the business jet as a sign of affluence. Today the well-heeled are pursuing dreams of space. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos has plans to build a rocketship complex in south Seattle to support his new aerospace venture, Blue Origin. The Seattle location will house the design and construction teams. Launch site of the reusable […]
Adam makes first delivery
Also making a first delivery in late 2005 was Adam Aircraft, which delivered its first A500 centerline piston-engine twin aircraft to a customer during the NBAA convention. “Adam Aircraft has moved from a developmental startup company that makes experimental aircraft to an FAA-certified manufacturer that is delivering standard airworthiness aircraft,” said Rick Adam, chairman and […]
Liberty makes first delivery
Liberty Aerospace made history with its first customer delivery in December. That’s because the delivery of an XL2 to Thomas Sams, a retired airline captain in Texas, also marked the first retail delivery of a production aircraft in the U.S. equipped with Teledyne Continental Motors Inc. PowerLink Full Authority Digital Engine Control ( FADEC).
Air show pilot dies in crash
Air show pilot Eric Beard was killed Jan. 6 when his Piper Seneca crashed in fog in Skagit County, Wash. Beard, 47, was flying for Airpac Airlines, a cargo company, at the time of the crash. The plane’s wreckage was found about 400 yards from the runway at Skagit Bayview Airport (BVS) near Mount Vernon. […]
Cirrus plans to add 75,000-square-feet
Cirrus Design Corp. is expanding. The company plans to build a 75,000-square-foot expansion to its existing facility at Duluth International Airport (DLH) in Minnesota.
GlobalFlyer damaged by fuel truck
The GlobalFlyer was damaged in early January when it collided with a fuel truck at the Salina, Kan., airport. A wingtip struck a fuel truck, causing “considerable” damage, according to officials at Virgin Atlantic, which sponsors the GlobalFlyer. The plane was repaired and pilot Steve Fossett planned to fly it to Kennedy Space Center’s Space […]
Man pleads guilty to flying drunk in stolen 172
A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty in a New York court to stealing a Cessna 172 while drunk. Philippe Patricio, 21, pleaded guilty to charges of reckless endangerment, unauthorized use of a vehicle, flying while intoxicated and resisting arrest, in exchange for an agreement that he will receive less than one year in jail. Patricio, […]