Aircraft Leasing Company Indicted In $50 Million Financing Scheme

The owner of an aircraft leasing company, who was indicted earlier this year on commercial bribery charges, his corporation, and five new individual defendants are facing an expanded federal indictment alleging that they engaged in a fraudulent financing scheme that raised more than $50 million. (avstop.com) More...

Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty Lasering Flight On Approach To Green Airport

Joseph Aquino, 31, Warwick, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence on Friday to a federal charge of willfully interfering with the safe operation of an airborne commercial aircraft and endangering the safety of the 23 passengers and three crew members onboard. Aquino illuminated the cockpit of an incoming flight on final approach to T.F. Green Airport in Warwick with a laser (avstop.com) More...

NTSB Report Details How Close United Airlines Flight 889 Came To A Midair

United Airlines Flight 889 (N216UA) had just departed San Francisco Airport, California for Beijing, China with 268 onboard on March 27, 2010, when an operational error occurred at the San Francisco Airport Traffic Control Tower (SFO ATCT). Flight 889 (UAL889), a Boeing 777 and a Cessna 182 (N9870E) transiting the SFO class B surface area southbound toward Palo Alto, California, passed within approximately 480 feet laterally and (avstop.com) More...

AEA Testifies Over GPS Interference By Lightsquared High Speed Wireless Network

Tim Taylor, president and CEO of FreeFlight Systems, testified on Capitol Hill on behalf of the Aircraft Electronics Association to a national television audience carried live by C-SPAN3. FreeFlight Systems, is an AEA member. Located in Waco, Texas, FreeFlight Systems is a manufacturer of professional grade avionics for commercial and (avstop.com) More...

FAA Warns Pilots Of Part 23 Aircraft Stall Warning Indicators In Icing Conditions

The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin to inform pilots of normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter category (part 23) airplanes certificated before 2000 of the potential hazards associated with stall warning characteristics in icing conditions. Part 23 contains airworthiness standards for airplanes in the normal, utility, aerobatic, and commuter categories. It dictates the (avstop.com) More...

JetBlue Fined For Violating Disability Code Share Disclosure Rules

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on Monday assessed a civil penalty against JetBlue Airways for violating rules protecting air travelers with disabilities and for failing to disclose when flights sold by the carrier were being operated under a code-sharing arrangement (avstop.com) More...

Senator Jim Inhofe Finally Gets His Way With “Pilots Bill Of Rights” Was It An Abuse Of Power

On Friday the U.S. Senate unanimous passed the Pilots’ Bill of Rights (S.1335). The bill garnered the endorsement of pilot and actor Harrison Ford. For the past few weeks, Senator Inhofe a member of the Senate General Aviation Caucus worked with Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Kay Bailey Hutchison, chairman and ranking member (avstop.com) More...

UPS To Retrofit Air Fleet With Full Facemasks For Pilots

UPS announced it would retrofit the cockpits of its air fleet with quick-donning, full-face oxygen masks with integrated smoke goggles. Installation of the enhanced pilot safety equipment comes at the recommendation of the Joint UPS-Independent Pilots Association (IPA) Safety Task Force. This comes after a UPS Airlines Flight 6 which (avstop.com) More...

Executive Jet Receives FAA Authorization To Use Jepp Charts On IPad

Jeppesen announced on Friday that Executive Jet Management has received authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration to use the Jeppesen Mobile TC App for iPad as an alternative to paper aeronautical charts. The authorization allows Executive Jet Management to use iPad and the Jeppesen Mobile TC App as the sole (avstop.com) More...

Piper Aircraft Showing Strong Growth In New Aircraft Sales

Piper Aircraft Inc. significantly increased its new aircraft market share, billings and deliveries during 2010, highlighted by the company’s performance in the pilot training sector. And for the first time in recent Piper history, international exports accounted for more than half of the company’s volume by deliveries and dollars. For the year 2010, Piper (avstop.com) More...