Recently in General aviation Category

This week Flightglobal publication Flight International asks if an avionics upgrade can equip Pilatus's versatile PC-6 veteran to last another 50 years. Pilot Pete Collins takes the aircraft to Swiss skies and reports back.

Airbus parent EADS is to make an environmental breakthrough at ILA by flying an aircraft powered by a biofuel composed purely of algae.

The daily flights will be conducted using a Diamond DA42 New Generation light twin powered by Austro Engine AE300s.

As a result of algae's higher energy content, fuel burn will be 1.5 litres per hour (0.4USgal/h) lower than if conventional Jet-A1 fuel were used, says EADS, adding: "Only relatively minor modifications and adjustments had to be made to the aircraft's engines." Continue reading...

Making general aviation more environmentally friendly has in the past had an alternate fuels focus, but as batteries improve, all-electric aircraft are emerging in Europe. From Lange Aviation's Antares 20E in 2005 to this year's new entrant, the PC-Aero Elektra One, there is a growing European challenge to the likes of China's Yuneec and its E430 model that already has a sales office in the UK. But which is more likely to hold back worldwide industry for the electrification of private flight: technology or its regulation? Continue reading...

GA's army of proponents have taken up the fight to raise the profile of this huge industry - which has a fleet of 10,000 aircraft in Europe - through a mixture of fortitude and self-preservation.

"GA is seen by a lot of people as largely pointless," says Martin Robinson, chief executive of the UK Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association - the international organisation concerned with general aviation - and senior vice-president of the International Council for AOPA, which represents the interests of GA at European Commission, Parliament, European Aviation Safety Agency and Eurocontrol and other egulatory bodies. Continue reading...

Italian general aviation manufacturer Oma Sud has received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for its twin-engine piston-powered SkyCar pusher.

The company applied for a type certificate in 2004 and first demonstrated a mock-up of the Textron Lycoming IO-360-C1E6-powered aircraft at the Paris Air Show in 2005. First flight took place in December 2007, at which time...

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Australian general aviation manufacturer Gippsland Aeronautics has received Argentinian certification of its GA8. Read more...

 

 

Photo: Gippsland

Boeing has brought its new BBJ Convertible to NBAA for the first time to highlight the multi-mission business jet. The aircraft, which is configured for Scandinavian Airlines medical evacuation, features a 140 x 96.5in (355 x 245cm) side cargo door. Boeing is touting an 8h freighter conversion time for the aircraft, which is based on the company's 737-700C... continue reading....

After a year economic downturn and bad publicity endured by the corporate aviation community, Gulfstream took a moment to celebrate with the roll-out of its new large-cabin G650 business jet.

Seven thousand employees, executives and local officials filled the aircraft's newly built final assembly building to see the first G650, T1, unveiled as it taxied into view under its own power at the company's Savannah, Georgia facility. Read more...

Click here to see more of Jon Ostrower's photos of the roll out.

Quest Aircraft has received production certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration for the Kodiak single-engine turboprop. Continue reading...

Cessna is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the maiden flight of the Citation. This is how Flight reported the event at the time: "Cessna flew the Fanjet 500 business jet for the first time on September 15 and promptly renamed it the Citation. "Also announced was a major revision of all performance, weight, dimension and price data from that which was first revealed a year ago. "The name Fanjet has been dropped because Cessna considers that the majority of business jets will be turbofan powered by the 1970s. "The Citation is the first of the new generation of mini business- jets powered by...." continue reading....