WASHINGTON, D.C. — At its annual industry review Feb. 22, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released the 2016 year-end aircraft shipment and billings numbers. GAMA Chairman Simon Caldecott, president and CEO of Piper Aircraft, revealed that airplane shipments globally fell 3.9%, from 2,331 in 2015 to 2,241 in 2016, while airplane billings declined 14.1%, from $24.1 billion […]
Briefings
Brandywine Flight School expands fleet with taildraggers
WEST CHESTER, Pa. —Brandywine Flight School has added two taildraggers — a Cessna 140A and Cessna 170A — to its fleet of airplanes at Brandywine Airport. With these new additions, the flight school will offer “classic flying” instruction to its array of aviation packages and rental services, officials noted. “It makes educational sense to offer primary flight training in a tailwheel […]
EAA Sport Pilot Academy returns in 2017
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — The Experimental Aircraft Association’s Sport Pilot Academy, which immerses people in a three-week course that concludes with earning a sport pilot certificate, returns in 2017 with three sessions throughout the year. The all-inclusive course at EAA headquarters in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, features dedicated aircraft and instructors focused on successful completion […]
MODAERO expand with addition of air show
MODAERO is expanding its event with the addition of an airshow. The MODAERO Festival and Air Show will take place June 2-4, 2017, at the Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport (KCXO). The event began in 2016 as a fly-in targeting Millennials. Last year’s event featured aviation exhibits and a career fair with more than 60 exhibitors […]
Construction begins on new hangars at KAFW
FORT WORTH, Texas — Alliance Aviation Services, an FBO at Fort Worth Alliance Airport (KAFW) is building two new hangars that will total 72,150 square feet for corporate and general aviation users. “Demand for space at Fort Worth Alliance Airport is at a premium because the North Texas market has performed much stronger than the slow national […]
New expedition to search for Earhart’s plane launches
The Eustace Earhart Discovery Expedition launched Feb. 18 from Honolulu and expects to be at sea between 30 and 45 days in its search for the final resting place of Amelia Earhart’s aircraft. The group of ocean explorers, led by stratospheric explorer Alan Eustace, intend to search a wide area of the Pacific Ocean floor, which they […]
2017 National GA Award winners named
Every year for more than 50 years, the General Aviation Awards program and the FAA have recognized aviation professionals for their contributions to general aviation in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance/avionics, and safety. Recipients of the 2017 National General Aviation Awards are: Charles Gensler of Parker, Colorado — 2017 Certificated Flight Instructor of […]
Companies collaborate on optionally piloted aircraft
Stemme AG and S-PLANE Automation have entered an agreement to integrate S-PLANE subsystems into the ECARYS ES15 aircraft to create an Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV). The OPV combines the benefits of a manned aircraft with those of an unmanned aerial system (UAS), according to company officials. As a manned aircraft, the OPV can execute missions that […]
Registration for 2017 FAA UAS Symposium goes live
Registration is underway for the 2017 UAS Symposium scheduled to take place at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia, from March 27 to 29, co-sponsored by the FAA and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The event will bring together representatives from government, industry and academia to discuss topics of interest to the […]