Cirrus Aircraft is expanding its Grand Forks, N.D., facility to accommodate a new autoclave oven in preparation for production of the Vision SF50 jet. Modifications to the Grand Forks facility began in May and the autoclave was delivered June 27, when the installation process will begin. The building housing the autoclave will be built around […]
Aircraft
Seminoles join Piper’s G1000 Club
VERO BEACH, Fla. — Piper Aircraft has received Type Certificate (TC) approval from the FAA to incorporate the Garmin G1000 avionics suite into new twin-engine Piper Seminole aircraft models for delivery beginning this year. With this latest TC, the Garmin G1000 is standard equipment on nearly all new Piper products, according to company officials. “The […]
Fractional ownership: Getting a piece of a high-end aircraft
Would you like to fly a well-maintained, newer airplane, but can’t afford to buy one just yet? Rather than back-burner this dream, you might want to consider fractional ownership. One of the first fractional programs available to the single-engine piston driving crowd was PlaneSmart!, which began operations in 2003, “as a means to give pilots […]
Aircraft sales and use tax: A CAVU approach
By ASHLEY HAYES FORTE Before you are cleared for takeoff in your new airplane, take some time to do a little pre-planning in regards to your tax liability. With a little bit of advanced planning, you can enjoy a stress-free purchasing process, leaving your tax concerns on the ground, where they belong.The best way to […]
Access Aviation Project: Creating new pilots
The first step in helping someone get a pilot certificate is getting that person into an airplane. That’s the mission of the Aviation Access Project, an asset management company geared toward Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA). According to CEO Rick Matthews, to attract wanna-be pilots to the “culture of aviation, we have to make aviation friendlier.” “It […]
ICON raises $60 million to start production
LOS ANGELES — ICON Aircraft has raised its fourth and final round of equity funding, totaling more than $60 million. The round included investors from North America, Europe, and Asia, according to company officials. The company will use the funds to complete production preparations, demonstrate regulatory compliance, ramp up full-scale aircraft production, and perform R&D […]
The flying mini-van?
Wall Street Journal blogger Jonathan Welsh makes the case that the HondaJet could become the “Civic of the air,” making it the closest thing to a flying mini-van out there for families who want to travel by air, rather than road. Of course, with its projected $4.5 million price tag, that would be an expensive […]
Students begin building planes
The winners of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and Build A Plane Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) aviation design challenge competition began today to assemble two Glasair Sportsman aircraft at Glasair Aviation in Arlington, Washington. The building process will take two weeks. The teams — each consisting of four students, a teacher and […]
GippsAero rolls out 200th Airvan
MORWELL, Australia — GippsAero reports that the 200th GA8 Airvan has rolled off the production line in the company’s Latrobe Valley manufacturing facility. Authorized sales and support dealer, Hawker Pacific, took delivery of the aircraft during a company-wide celebration. The 200th GA8 is a turbocharged Airvan, with a full-fuel payload as equipped of more than […]