The Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) was established as a civilian program, but its potential for national defense was undisguised. The government would pay for a 72-hour ground school course followed by 35 to 50 hours of flight instruction at facilities located near eleven colleges and universities. The CPTP proved successful, not only strengthening national […]
Gulfstream Announced that Its G500 and G600 Each Exceeded 100,000 Flight Hours
The Gulfstream G500 and G600, which entered service in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and are powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, have each surpassed 100,000 flight hours. Both aircraft have seen strong demand and continuous global utilization in the private aviation industry due to their reliability and popularity. Both aircraft are U.S. Federal Aviation […]
Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC) at All 29 Continental U.S. Airports
On June 2, 1991, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced pre-departure clearance (PDC) operational at all 29 continental U.S. airports designated to receive the system, which used data link to speed departures and reduce voice radio frequency congestion. At the time, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) clearance delivery process had the potential to be cumbersome, […]
First Emergency Use of a Martin-Baker Ejection Seat
On May 30, 1949, test pilot John Oliver (“J.O”) Lancaster went out to test a Rolls-Royce Nene-powered Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 (radical “flying wing”) aircraft. During the test, he encountered severe pitch oscillations in a 320 mile per hour dive, which made him fear the aircraft would disintegrate. Due to the situation, Lancaster became the first […]
First Trans-Atlantic Flight Using GPS
On May 23, 1983, a Rockwell Collins Sabreliner piloted by Charles Hall and David Selzer, flew from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, in a demonstration of the GPS navigation. The trip was broken into five flights that took approximately 3 to 4 hours each, because that was the length […]
Gulfstream’s Enhanced Vision System (EVS) Installed on Gulfstream IV-SP® Business Jet
EVS was one of the best aviation safety advancements since the enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) since it enabled the flight crew to see runway markings, taxiways, adjacent roads and surrounding conditions. The EVS also helped crews avoid runway incursion and hazards that would otherwise not be easily visible. At the time, FlightSafety International, […]
First Flight Over the North Pole
Byrd and Chief Aviation Floyd Bennett flew over the North Pole on May 9, 1926, in the Josephine Ford, a triple-engine Fokker high-wing monoplane. Byrd’s and Bennett’s flight was the first time an aircraft had flown over the top of the world. The pair took off from Spitsbergen, Norway, and reportedly covered the 1,545-mile […]
The First Nonstop Transcontinental Flight
During the flight, Macready and Kelly faced flying over unknown territory at night and through storms and rain for over half the flight. Also, by the time Macready and Kelly reached the Continental Divide in Arizona, the T-2 had used up most of its fuel, making the airplane lighter and easier to control as they […]
Textron Aviation Delivered Its 400th Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2
Gulfstream Celebrated the G700’s Certification
On April 4, 2024, at the Savannah Convention Center riverwalk, the newly FAA-certified G700 jet flew over the Savannah River. During the flyby, the G700 was accompanied by a G800 jet, which wa expected to be certified later that year. At the time, the G700 was dubbed the most spacious business jet in the industry, […]
