Paul Adrien is a soft-spoken man, so much so that you would not realize he has a wealth of aviation knowledge and experience when you first meet him unless you happen to mention planes. A retired optometrist who hails from New Hampshire and Massachusetts, he moved to the Grand Island section of Eustis, Florida, with his […]
Aircraft
Thrush 510P earns 10,500 pounds gross weight certification
With the stroke of a pen, the FAA has certified that the Thrush 510P joins its sibling, the Thrush 510G, as being fully compliant with the most modern certification standards — and able to officially fly at its fully operational gross weight of 10,500 pounds. The new certification marks the culmination of more than eight years […]
Sun Flyer to benefit from Part 23 reform
DENVER – The recent release of the revised Part 23 airworthiness standards for the Federal Aviation Regulations will “significantly” streamline the process of certifying the Sun Flyer, according to officials with the company developing the electric flight trainer. The FAA released a final rule in December 2016 for the new Part 23, which enables a more […]
Certification tests begin for Sonaca 200
Sonaca Aircraft has started assembly of the first two Sonaca 200s, a single-engine two seat general aviation aircraft, which will be used for ground and flight tests to obtain EASA certification. The first aircraft, which was assembled at Sonaca’s site in Belgium, has been entirely dedicated to ground tests. “We tested the strength of the seats, seat […]
Sales launch for flying cars
RAAMSDONKSVEER, The Netherlands — PAL-V has officially started the sales of its flying cars, the Liberty Pioneer and Liberty Sport. “After years of hard work, beating the technical and qualification challenges, our team succeeded in creating an innovative flying car that complies with existing safety standards determined by regulatory bodies around the world,” says Robert Dingemanse, CEO […]
Skyrunner takes off
SHREVEPORT, La. — SkyRunner is now selling its dual purpose, FAA-approved off-road aircraft. Featuring a dual engine powertrain, a Polaris ProStar 1000 engine powers the ground system, while a Rotax 914 UL light-sport aircraft engine enables SkyRunner to take flight. Using ram-air parafoil wing technology, renowned for its safety due to inherent stability, control and resistance to […]
LaBelle to lead XTI Aircraft Co.
DENVER, Colo.— Robert J. LaBelle has joined XTI Aircraft Company (XTI) as its Chief Executive Officer. He joins XTI after three years as CEO of AgustaWestland North America. Prior to that he served as president of AgustaWestland Tiltrotor Company, the company supporting the development of the AW 609 Tiltrotor. LaBelle joined AgustaWestland in 2004 after […]
Maule’s M-9 Series grows by two
Maule Air has expanded its M-9 series with the newly certified M-9-260 Fuel Injected and M-9-235 Carbureted. The former is powered by a 260-hp Lycoming IO-540, the latter by a 235-hp Lycoming O-540 that can burn mogas. Both can seat up to five people and have a 2,800 pound gross weight. The useful load of the […]
Belite introduces Pipper
WICHITA — Belite Aircraft has introduced its first two-place experimental aircraft design, the Pipper. “I wanted to take my wife flying in a Belite aircraft,” explains James Wiebe, the CEO of Belite, “and implement my years of learning about what it takes to make a light plane quick to build, strong and affordable for the […]