Republican Sen. John Thune told Reuters on Tuesday there’s been a breakthrough that may allow the FAA Reathorization Bill to be taken up by the Senate. The House passed its version of the bill in the summer but there’s been a logjam in the Senate over relaxing airline pilot training, specifically a proposal to increase the number of loggable simulator hours from 100 to 150. Thune wouldn’t comment in detail on the discussions but said there is an agreement “deals with the pilot shortage, pilot supply issue and incorporates some of the best and greatest technology” Reuters reported him as saying ..read more

The Short Wing Piper Club says a proposed AD to replace rudders on almost 31,000 Piper aircraft built before 1974 is a huge overreach and the process itself is deeply flawed. Last week the FAA issued a notice that the comment period for the AD would be extended 90 days until late February. The Short Wing Piper Club has issued a statement noting the extension but also asking the FAA to change the AD to include much more information. The proposed AD came following an NTSB investigation into two incidents in Alaska in which the top rudder posts failed and the rudders bent 90 degrees in flight. Bo ..read more

The Short Wing Piper Club says a proposed AD to replace rudders on almost 31,000 Piper aircraft built before 1974 is a huge overreach and the process itself is deeply flawed. Last week the FAA issued a notice that the comment period for the AD would be extended 90 days until late February. The Short Wing Piper Club has issued a statement noting the extension but also asking the FAA to change the AD to include much more information. The poposed AD came following an NTSB investigation into two incidents in Alaska in which the top rudder posts failed and the rudders bent 90 degrees in flight. Bot ..read more

A Mooney M20C that crashed Tuesday outside of a strip mall in Plano, Texas, killing the 87-year-old pilot, was reportedly attempting a go-around, according to a newly released incident report. The aircraft crashed within a mile of Air-Park Dallas Airport—a nearby uncontrolled field. Witnesses told the Dallas Morning News they heard a loud boom and also saw the right wing dip before the crash. The aircraft ended up in the parking lot of the strip mall but no one on the ground was hurt. The crash was widely reported by local media. Elzie Monroe McDonald of Arizona was identif ..read more

A Mooney M20C that crashed Tuesday outside of a strip mall in Plano, Texas, killing the 87-year-old pilot was reportedly attempting a go-around, according to a newly released incident report. The aircraft crashed within a mile of Air-Park Dallas Airport—a nearby uncontrolled field. Witnesses told the Dallas Morning News they heard a loud boom and also saw the right wing dip before the crash. The aircraft ended up in the parking lot of the strip mall but no one on the ground was hurt. The crash was widely reported by local media. Elzie Monroe McDonald of Arizona was identifi ..read more

The FAA says Boeing can start certification flight testing of its MAX 10, the flagship of the latest generation 737 and a key part of the overall business plan for the brand. The 10 hadn’t been certified when the MAX 8 and MAX 9 fleet was grounded in 2019 and that, combined with a rule change, delayed its certification by years. The MAX 10 is the biggest of the type and is designed to directly challenge the Airbus A321 NEO in the long-range single-aisle space. On Wednesday the FAA granted type inspection authorization for the 10, the last paperwork step before actual testing can begin. The 10 ..read more

The FAA says Boeing can start certification flight testing of its MAX 10, the flagship of the latest generation 737 and a key part of the overall business plan for the brand. The 10 hadn’t been certified when the MAX 8 and MAX 9 fleet was grounded in 2019 and that, combined with a rule change, delayed its certification by years. The MAX 10 is the biggest of the type and is designed to directly challenge the Airbus A321 NEO in the long-range single-aisle space. On Wednesday the FAA granted type inspection authorization for the 10, the last paperwork step before actual testing can begin. The 10 ..read more

The FAA has extended the comment period on an AD that would require the replacement of rudders on almost 31,000 Piper aircraft made before 1974. The issue is explained in the video above produced by Airframes Alaska. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in October, the agency ordered every rudder equipped with a rudder post made of 1025 carbon steel be replaced with rudders that have posts made of 4130N low-alloy steel. Piper switched from 1025 to 4130N in 1974. The estimated cost of the rudder replacement is $3,000. The comment period was extended to Feb. 20, 2024. The AD was issued in response ..read more

The seemingly insatiable appetite for pilot training continues to grow unabated, as Textron Aviation announced today (Nov. 22) it recently signed an agreement with Lithuania-based Baltic Air Academy (dba BAA Training) for 48 Cessna 172 Skyhawks. The piston trainers are to be delivered in 2026. BAA Training is a member of the Avia Solutions Group, which has close to 100 locations and production facilities worldwide, according to the Textron announcement. Marijus Ravoitis, BAA Training CEO, said his company “has set an ambitious milestone to achieve a capacity of 500 to 1,000 students per year ..read more

The seemingly insatiable appetite for pilot training continues to grow unabated, as Textron Aviation announced today (Nov. 22) it recently signed an agreement with Lithuania-based Baltic Air Academy (dba BAA Training) for 48 Cessna 172 Skyhawks. The piston trainers are to be delivered in 2026. BAA Training is a member of the Avia Solutions Group, which has close to 100 locations and production facilities worldwide, according to the Textron announcement. Marijus Ravoitis, BAA Training CEO, said his company “has set an ambitious milestone to achieve a capacity of 500 to 1,000 students per year ..read more