50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

United States aviation news

Electra reveals design for EL9 Ultra Short hybrid-electric aircraft

Electra revealed the design of its EL9 Ultra Short hybrid-electric product aircraft, a nine-passenger piloted aircraft built for the electric future that redefines air travel without airports, emissions, or noise. Electra now enters the development phase of the EL9 backed by over a year of successful flight testing of its EL2 Goldfinch two-seat prototype, proving the technology’s readiness f...

NASA selects Electra as awardee in AACES 2050 program

NASA awarded Electra.aero a contract to develop key technologies and aircraft concepts for next generation commercial airliners that could enter service by mid-century. The award to Electra comes under NASA Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability 2050 initiative. John Langford founded Electra in 2020 with a specific mission to lead in the development of sustainab...

Sikorsky & Rain successfully demonstrate autonomous flight with wildfire mission autonomy to rapidly find and suppress test fires

Sikorsky and Rain successfully demonstrated how an autonomous Black Hawk helicopter can be commanded to take off, identify the location and size of a small fire, and then accurately drop water to suppress the flames. Performed Oct. 29 at Sikorsky headquarters in Stratford, the Rapid Wildfire Response Demonstration showed the effective fusion of Sikorsky’s MATRIX™ flight...

BETA Technologies raises more than $300M in additional equity capital to fund growth and commercialization

Beta Technologies has raised $318 million in Series C equity capital. QIA led the raise and several of BETA’s largest investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company and TPG Rise Climate increased their ownership in BETA. Longtime customer United Therapeutics has also joined this round as an investor. The financing round was priced at an increased valuation relative to prior...

Hartzell Propeller elevates customer service experience

Hartzell Propeller is making a number of investments to further elevate its customer service experience. Hartzell has introduced a new propeller exchange program, added new Hartzell-owned propeller service facilities, and unveiled a customer-centric Hartzell Service Center website. These initiatives are designed to improve customer convenience, reduce downtime, and provide an enhanced se...

Thornton Aviation installs first CDS/R to Universal InSight conversion on a Falcon 900B per Dassault STC

Thornton Aviation has used Dassault’s STC to integrate and install Universal Avionics InSight Integrated Flight Display system into a Falcon 900B. Dassault’s STC allows operators to upgrade to the four-display InSight system while maintaining the existing Honeywell flight management system. This project was unique due to the existing CDS/R displays installed in the aircraft. The S...

Paragon expands Northeast presence with Westover Metropolitan Airport partnership

Westover Metropolitan Airport announced its recent partnership with Paragon Aviation Group.This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Westover's long-standing history as a key aviation hub in the Northeast. Westover Metropolitan Airport, initially established as Westover Field by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, has been a vital part of the region's aviation history. Durin...

Gulfstream completes emissions testing of sustainable aviation fuel with Zero sulfur

Gulfstream Aerospace successfully completed ground emissions testing of 100% neat sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) containing zero sulfur on the all-new Gulfstream G700. Powered by Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, the G700 ground emissions test was conducted to measure multiple fuel types, including a 30/70 SAF blend and neat SAF (a non-fossil-based aviation fuel). The preliminary results of the...

NetJets and Signature Aviation announce landmark partnership for first new-build facility in Las Vegas

NetJets and Signature Aviation broke ground last week on a cutting-edge facility in Las Vegas—the first-ever new-build collaboration between the companies. The extensive campus at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) will feature a custom-designed NetJets exclusive-use terminal, NetJets Service Hub™, and two hangars. Projected to be operational by 2027, this state-of-the-art spa...

Avfuel to expand sustainable aviation fuel access in Southeastern U.S.

Avfuel Corporation announced its expansion of blended Sustainable Aviation Fuel (having target percentages of 30% neat SAF and 70% conventional jet fuel) across the southeastern United States supplied from Valero Marketing and Supply Company (Valero), a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corporation.  This announcement came during NBAA-BACE 2024, where innovation and the advancement of sustaina...

Skyfarer Academy launches to bring live online aviation training for pilots of all levels

Skyfarer Academy announced the official launch of its aviation training platform, dedicated to providing live online flight and ground instruction. Skyfarer Academy connects students and pilots with flight instructors who specialize in various segments of aviation. The platform serves as a complementary training resource for students enrolled in both Part 61 and Part 141 programs, as well as those...

Pilatus PC-12 was last year’s most flown business aircraft in the USA

Swiss-Made PC-12 was last year’s most frequently flown business aircraft in the USA. Specifically, 316,328 takeoffs by the “World’s Greatest Single” were recorded between August 2023 and July 2024, representing 8.8 percent of all departures. Once again, this single-engine turboprop impresses with its versatility, safety, reliability and efficiency. In business aviation, the...