DANIEL Pangbourne won both of the trophies over the two-race weekend staged by the Royal Aero Club Records Racing and Rally Association (3Rs) at Bembridge, Isle of Wight, at the beginning of September.Flying a Piper PA-28 - proving any aircraft can win the handicap races - Daniel won the 2007 Rolls-Royce Merlin Trophy and Schneider Trophy air races. Whilst the Schneider Trophy has been raced for many years, the Rolls-Royce Merlin Trophy was ... more

Eight famous British de Havilland jets up for auctionA SMALL air force of privately-owned British jet warbirds is going up for auction. The well-known Source Classic Jet Flight of eight De Havilland Venoms and Vampires will be open to tender.The auctioneers, H&H Classic Auctions, say,"These gorgeous, on the button, historic aircraft have been regular performers at events and air shows all over Europe since being acquired over a per ... more

A TEAM of American and British architects and designers, accompanied by officials from the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) and Virgin Galactic, have unveiled the designs of Spaceport America to be built near in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Construction on the 100,000 square-foot hangar and terminal facility is scheduled to begin in 2008."The world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport is designed to convey the thrill of space trave ... more

13-aircraft team based at Flying MADVENTURER and record-setter Steve Fossett is still missing after his aircraft, a Citabria Super Decathlon, failed to return after a flight in the southern Nevada desert on Monday, 3 September.Steve was flying solo after taking off from the Flying M ranch, which belongs to his friend and fellow aviation enthusiast, Barron Hilton. It's understood Steve was on a local pleasure flight and not, as has been sugges ... more

DISPLAY pilot Brian 'Chubby' Brown was killed at the Shoreham Airshow last month while flying a WW2 Hawker Hurricane.Brian, 49, one of the most experienced Hurricane pilots around, had stepped in to fly the aircraft at the last minute. The aircraft crashed in front of a packed crowd as various WW2 fighters carried out a mock dogfight.Tony Smith, 60, chief pilot of the Real Aeroplane Company at Breighton where Brian was airfield manager, sai ... more

A SOLAR-powered aircraft has smashed the official world record for the longest-duration unmanned flight.The 18mt wingspan Zephyr, built by UK defence firm Qinetiq, flew for 54 hours during tests. The company says it's the first time a solar-powered craft has flown under its own power through two nights."This aeroplane is going to go a lot higher and a lot further," Chris Kelleher, Zephyr's technical director and 'pilot', told BBC Ne ... more

CESSNA has confirmed it is negotiating to buy Columbia Aircraft. Columbia ran into financial difficulties and filed for Chapter II bankruptcy in late September.Cessna issued a statement during the NBAA Convention (Report, page 21) saying that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation to acquire selected assets and certain liabilities of the Bend, Oregon-based aircraft manufacturer. Jack Pelton, ... more

Maiden flight for new Italian light twin powered by RotaxA BRAND new light twin aircraft being developed by Italian manufacturer Tecnam has made its first flight. The P2006T was flown last month from Tecnam's manufacturing base at Capua Airport by factory test pilots Andre Canetto and Enzo De Blasio.Tecnam is aiming the Rotax-powered aircraft at the 180/200hp market, saying it will offer higher safety and lower operating costs than single-e ... more