FIRST delivery of the new turbine-powered Vulcanair A-Viator is expected in the first quarter of 2008, with two more aircraft to follow this year. Naples based Vulcanair took over the former Partenavia company when it went bankrupt in 1999, and has developed various versions of the high-wing, retractable gear twin. The A-Viator is undergoing final certification work on a new glass cockpit.W: www.vulcanair.com ... more

MORE than $100 million is being invested in Eclipse Aviation by a Dutch corporation. The European Technology and Investment Research Center, known as ETIRC, will become the biggest shareholder in the VLJ manufacturer overnight when the deal completes.ETIRC is currently the exclusive provider of sales, customer service, maintenance support and flight training for the Eclipse 500 in Eastern Europe, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent Stat ... more

Socata equips latest turboprop single with Garmin G1000THE packed and sometimes confusing panel of the old Socata TBM single-engine turboprop is no more - the latest 2008 model has been equipped with the latest generation Garmin G1000 integrated cockpit.It's a stunning change for the French aircraft making it one of the most advanced light business aircraft. The G1000 features two 10-inch-wide primary flight displays(PFDs), and one 15-inch ... more

Jet specialist's A380 design 'fit for a king'IMAGINE Buckingham Palace with wings and you get some idea of what the first VIP version of the Airbus A380 will look like. A luxury version of the world's biggest airliner has been ordered by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Alsaud of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family, seen here signing the order at last November's Dubai Airshow.The interior is being designed by New York-based jet interior ... more

THE UK's IMC Rating has been thrown a lifeline by the EASA, the European Aviation Safety Agency. We have four years to persuade opposition in Europe that the IMC Rating is a valuable 'get-you-home' addition to pilot skills.Eric Sivel, Deputy Head of Flight Standards at EASA, explained at a briefing held at the CAA's London HQ in January that the UK CAA had fought hard to keep the IMC Rating during negotiations with EASA's governing committe ... more

AN electric-powered self-launching motorglider that can be flown on a microlight licence has had its first flight.The Taurus Electro is the latest aircraft from Slovenian company, Pipistrel, which has been making microlight motorgliders since 1995. The Electro's first flight was in late December 2007 from the company's base at Ajdovscina, not far from the Mediterranean coast. Electro was powered by three-phase brushless 140-volt motor devel ... more

Future king aims for his wingsFlying Officer Wales with instructor Sqn Ldr Roger Bousfield from 1 Sqn Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) by their Grob G 115 Tudor                                               ... more

AN Airworthiness Directive (AD) was issued by the FAA on 18 January for Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters. The AD requires an immediate visual inspection and 'tap test' of the rotor skin blade, plus a visual inspection of the rotor blades before each flight. A record of each inspection should be logged in the helicopter's maintenance records.The AD is the result of 11 reported incidents of blade debonding, which can lead to a loss of control ... more

FORMER service pilots who flew the Westland Wasp and Scout are planning a reunion on 12 April at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, Wilts.It's the idea of 'old and bold Waspies, John Beattie and John Adams, and organised by Nick Foster. John Beattie runs the Royal Navy Historic Flight at Yeovilton, and flew a Wasp during his navy career. The Wasp (Navy) and Scout (Army) were small turbine helicopters built by Westland from 1963 onwards. ... more

BELL is to stop making the veteran JetRanger series of helicopters. The Texas company will concentrate on production of its newer models, the 412, 407 and new 429. More than 7700 examples of the JetRanger have been made by Bell since the first in 1967. Three major updates since, including a more powerful engine in 1977, have kept it successful and it is one of the most popular helicopters for TV news operations. A longer cockpit version, th ... more

OXFORD Airport has started work on a brand new business aviation terminal. It's expected to be completed in June, and will triple the space of the existing general aviation terminal.  It is the first step toward Oxford Airport offering a fully fledged executive handling operation, says the management. The new terminal represents the first phase of a major investment by Oxford Airport's new owners, the Reuben Brothers, who purchased it ... more

A NEW Italian twin has had its first flight. It is the 'Skycar', designed and built by aerospace engineering company Oma Sud, based at Capua in the south of Italy.The aircraft was flown by chief test pilot and former NASA astronaut Maurizio Cheli. During the 45-minute flight, the aircraft climbed to 3500ft, before descending to make two approaches to the airfield and a full-stop landing. The Skycar fuselage is said to b e designed to genera ... more

VIRGIN Galactic has unveiled the design of the White Knight Two which will launch its passenger-carrying spaceship.White Knight Two (WKT) is essentially a 'mothership' which will take-off from the ground and lift the spaceship to the edge of the earth's atmosphere. It's a development of the original White Knight, which successfully flew and launched SpaceShipOne into space for the third time in October 2004 and won the $10m Ansari X Prize.T ... more

‘Star’ treatment for first UK-based Cessna ‘entry-level’ jetTHE first of the new Cessna Mustang jets to be based in the UK was given a spectacular launch party at Farnborough at the end of January. London Executive Aviation, the UK’s biggest private jet operator, unveiled the first of ten Mustangs that will be available for charter in the UK. Registered G-LEAI, the Mustang will fl y with two pilots and four passengers. LEA says ... more