Industry Round-up, August 17, 2018 »
This week, AVweb’s weekly new roundup uncovered reports on a National Aviation Day celebrations at the Air Zoo and a visit from members of the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation. More
AVweb flash
FAA Warns Against Drone Flights Near Wildfires »
The FAA has issued a statement warning pilots of unmanned aircraft (UAS/drones) to stay away from wildfires. The agency emphasized that while proper use of drones for firefighting missions can provide a lot useful information, unauthorized flights risk the lives, especially since firefighting operations typically occur in the same airspace as the majority of hobby drone flights – at or below 200 feet AGL. More
Top Letters And Comments, August 17, 2018 »
This week's letters brought comments from readers about unleaded avgas replacements, the Q400 suicide crash, and autonomous Skyhawks. More
Blue Angels Upgrade To Super Hornets »
The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a contract to configure nine F/A-18E and two F/A-18F Super Hornets for the Blue Angels demonstration team. The contract for getting the eleven Super Hornets ready for their debut with the Blue Angels, which is worth approximately $17 million, was awarded to Boeing on Monday. More
Privateer Amphibian Makes First Flight »
After more than ten years in development, the Privateer Amphibian made its first successful flight last week. The single-engine pusher from Privateer Industries was designed by John Meekins and Bill Husa. It has been reported that the flight went well in spite of minor instrumentation issues that prevented some of the planned testing. More
G600 Begins Performance Testing »
Gulfstream Aerospace has announced that it is beginning FAA certification field performance testing on its Gulfstream G600 long-range business jet. The aircraft made its first flight on Dec. 17, 2016. Since then, Gulfstream says its five G600 test planes have made more than 600 flights and accumulated over 2,290 flight hours. More
FAA Reauthorization Bill Back In Play »
With Congress back in session this week, the fight over FAA reauthorization has resumed. Thirty-three GA organizations signed a letter sent to Senate leaders on Wednesday, asking them to get it done. More
GA Expands In China »
Authorities in China opened 93 new general aviation airports in the first half of this year, Xinhua reported this week, bringing the total number of GA airports nationwide to 173. The country now has a total of 404 airports, including 231 civil airports. More
Bill Promotes Flight Training For Veterans »
A bill now under consideration in the U.S. Senate would provide grants to flight schools to help them recruit veterans to train to become commercial airline pilots. More
New Space Exploration Tech Partners For NASA »
NASA has announced new partnerships with six U.S. companies to develop technologies related to space exploration. The accepted proposals cover three strategic technology focus areas: Expand Utilization of Space, Enable Efficient and Safe Transportation Into and Through Space and Increase Access to Planetary Surfaces. More
AVweb Insider
Unleaded Avgas: All On The Same Page (Not) »
If you were thinking the torturous road to unleaded avgas was about to straighten and reveal the path to enlightenment, this year's much-anticipated fuel briefings at AirVenture would have been a shocking disappointment. In today's AVweb blog, avgas expert Paul Millner explains why the FAA's PAFI process doesn't exactly inspire confidence. More
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Picture of the Week, August 16, 2018 »
Taken on our return trip from AirVenture 2018 from a 182Q. This was a momentary shadow on the lake that lasted for about 15 seconds. Taken with a cell phone (Samsung Galaxy S8+). Photo by Matthew Wing.