50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

United States aviation news

Joby receives FAA approval for Part 141 flight academy

Joby Aviation has received a Part 141 certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration for its flight academy as well as FAA acceptance for its air operations voluntary Safety Management System as established under Part 5. The FAA Part 141 certificate enables the Joby Aviation Academy to deliver streamlined pilot training, enabling the Company to efficiently and economically develop...

First outfitted Gulfstream G800 takes flight

Gulfstream G800 dedicated to testing the cabin interior has taken its first flight. Testing for this aircraft will validate the cabin design and performance of the industry’s longest-range aircraft, focusing on the complete passenger experience to ensure interior comfort and reliability. This first outfitted G800 took flight on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and flew 1 hour and 41 minutes, reachin...

Electra showcases hybrid-electric aircraft in DOD’s Thunderstorm 24-4

Electra has completed another military flight demonstration of its hybrid-electric prototype aircraft. The demonstration flights were part of the Thunderstorm 24-4 “Expeditionary Operations” technology showcase sponsored by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering in early November. An invitation-only field technology showcase, Thunderstorm 24-4 hi...

Jet.AI signs agreement on Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 fleet order from Textron Aviation for fractional program

Jet.AI  announced a fleet purchase agreement with Textron Aviation for the purchase of three Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 aircraft. With deliveries scheduled for Q2, Q3 and Q4 of 2026, the new aircraft will join the Jet.AI fleet as part of a brand-new CJ4 Gen2 fractional program. Jet.AI offers fractional jet ownership for individuals and businesses seeking flexible and convenient private aviation...

U.S. Air Force again selects Gulfstream for fleet support

Gulfstream Aerospace has been awarded a contractor logistics support services contract from the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center for C-20 and C-37 fleets. This contract extends over a seven-year period and provides services to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard. Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream commented: "For nearly 60 ye...

SkyDrive & SAI Flight unveil plans for commercial electric air taxi routes in South Carolina, confirm pre-order of 10 eVTOL aircraft

SkyDrive, SAI Flight and Greenville Downtown Airport, the state's busiest general aviation hub, have signed a MOU to jointly develop innovative business opportunities utilizing the cutting-edge SKYDRIVE eVTOL aircraft. The collaboration will focus on advancing air-cargo, air-taxi, and emergency service use cases, paving the way for a new era of efficient and versatile intra-community...

Cessna Citation Ascend continues to progress through certification program

Cessna Citation Ascend continues to progress through its certification program and will be equipped with the latest enhancements to the Garmin G5000 avionics suite. This flight deck will provide pilots with significant technological advances when it enters into service, expected to be in 2025. The Ascend program includes two test articles – Prototype and P1 – which have...

Dates for Future Opportunities for Seaplanes and Amphibious Aviation, FOSAA25, event confirmed

The organizers of the Future Opportunities for Seaplanes and Amphibious Aviation, FOSAA25,  have confirmed February 11, 2025, as the date for the second outing of the dedicated conference. The event, which will be held at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami, is building on the success of the first event held in March this year, when commercial members of the burgeoning seaplane and amphibio...

Clay Lacy Aviation breaks ground on Orange County FBO, largest private infrastructure investment in John Wayne Airport history

Clay Lacy Aviation began a new era of investment, service and commitment to Orange County aviation and the communities it serves. The 57-year-old private aviation services provider broke ground on a sustainability focused FBO development facility Thursday at John Wayne Airport (SNA).The FBO, aircraft management, maintenance and charter services provider will redevelop its existing 14 acres on...

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...