Trade-A-Plane Blog – Aviation News & Information Piston, Helicopters, Jets & Turbines

Five years ago, 14-year-old Savannah Weaver of Millbrook was sitting in the back seat of a little Cessna Aircraft on the runway at Wetumpka Municipal Airport, nervous but eager to take her inaugural air flight. Saturday at that same spot, Weaver was sitting in the front seat of a similar Cessna, no longer nervous but [...]

There are those in the general aviation community who think electric planes are the future for private aircraft, but regulatory hurdles are in place preventing them from proliferating in our skies. You see, current FAA requirements for light sport aircraft (LSA) -- planes that can be flown by anyone with a pilot's license -- preclude [...]

"This is the coolest of the cool," says Brent Ostermann, the engineer in charge of babysitting the 6,000-kilogram jet engine affixed six metres above his head. The General Electric next-generation (GEnx) turbine was designed to be strapped to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. But before it is, it must face the rigours of GE’s new aircraft [...]

Eclipse Aerospace Inc. received a production certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration    to produce an upgraded version of the Eclipse 500 very light jet. The company, which bought the assets of Eclipse Aviation Corp. out of bankruptcy in August 2009, announced last fall that it would begin producing the new Eclipse 550 in 2013. The [...]

Rotorhub revealed that a Pratt & Whitney engine would feature on the new aircraft in February, but at the time Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling would not reveal the model or size of the engine.

PW&C revealed details about the engine's involvement in the X4 project in a press release on 25 April.

'With a PW210 engine you [...]

April 24, 2012 - A GEnx-powered Boeing 787 Dreamliner made the first U.S. commercial landing in Boston Sunday afternoon. The flight launched a new nonstop route between Asia and Boston operated by Japan Airlines. JAL took possession of two Dreamliners last month in Seattle and will soon open a second new nonstop Dreamliner route between [...]

Back in February, we wrote about a new bill passed by Congress that gave private, military and commercial drones more access to U.S. airspace. Now, thanks to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the FAA has released a list of institutions that have asked for Certificates of Authorizations [...]

Ever imagined taking off down the runway in your very own Beech Baron airplane? It is not as far out of your reach as you might think as there are many airplanes for sale. Our Infographic “So You Want To Own an Airplane – An Infographic Illustration” brings to life the very possible reality of [...]

Cirrus Aircraft announced that its Cirrus Vision SF50 personal jet program, with major investment by its new owner CAIGA, is fully funded through certification and initial production. The company anticipates first customer delivery will take place in 2015. The Cirrus Vision creates a new category in personal aviation – it is the first aircraft of [...]

When a small, piston-powered aircraft gets a flat tire and blocks the sole runway at your rural airport, you can’t exactly call the auto club. “Bottom line, your runway is closed,” said Angie Johannsen, vice president of Redtail Aviation, which owns airports in Moab and Price. “Planes cannot land or take off. You need the [...]

Air Racers 3D, the first IMAX movie devoted to the Reno Air Races,  is rolling out across the country at select IMAX theaters, including the Naval Aviation Museum (Pensacola, Florida), Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center (Hutchinson, Kansas), National Infantry Museum (Columbus, Georgia) and U.S. Space & Rocket Centre (Huntsville, Alabama). The Smithsonian National Air and [...]

At the Kansas headquarters of Hawker Beechcraft, the outlook hasn't been that sunny lately. Sales are drying up, losses are piling up and bankruptcy seems a distinct possibility. In the soaring spaces of the company's 40,000-square-foot twin hangars in Delaware, however, the view is decidedly different. Despite its parent company's financial woes, Hawker Beechcraft's just-opened [...]

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team took flight to kick off the first day of Sun 'n Fun 2012! Sun-N-Fun opened Tuesday with beautiful skies and a comfortable 71 degrees. Crowds immediately poured through the gates to meet up with old friends, see the latest aviation products and services from vendors, and view the spectacular afternoon airshow. [...]