On April 26, 2007, Gulfstream Aerospace delivered its 150th Gulfstream G200 business jet. The G200 is one of Gulfstream’s six business jets and the first of the new generation of super mid-size business-jet aircraft to enter service. It offers the longest range, the largest cabin and the best balanced overall performance among its competitors. […]
First ARSR-4 Commissioned by the FAA
On April 12, 1996, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commissioned the nation’s first Air Route Surveillance Radar 4 (ARSR-4) air route surveillance radar. An Air Route Surveillance Radar is a long-range radar system used by the United States Air (USAF) Force and the FAA to control airspace within and around the borders of the United […]
Delivery of the 600th Cessna Citation CJ3
On April 5, 2021, Textron Aviation delivered in North America the 600th Cessna Citation CJ3 aircraft. The CJ3+, an upgraded version of the CJ3, received FAA certification in 2014. It features a Garmin integrated cockpit and cabin Iridium phone; high speed internet capabilities; Garmin G3000 avionics suite , which includes turbulence detecting weather radar, […]
Delivery of the First New Embraer Phenom 300E
On March 29, 2018, Embraer delivered the first new Phenom 300E business jet, having received its type certificate in the first quarter from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC – Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil). The new aircraft, designated “E” for “Enhanced,” […]
Maiden Flight of the Legacy 500
On March 22, 2013, Embraer announced that the third prototype of Embraer’s midsize Legacy 500 business jet had made its maiden flight. At the time Embraer said that the Legacy 500 was the first midsize jet with a six-foot, stand-up cabin; the only midsize jet with a wet galley; and the jet that offered the best […]
FAA Revised Separation Standard to Protect Small Aircraft
On March 1, FAA implemented a to protect small aircraft from wake turbulence, rotating air currents trailed by large aircraft. The danger from these wake vortices had grown with the introduction of “jumbo” jetliners. The new standard required separation between a “heavy” aircraft (over 300,000 pounds) and an aircraft operating behind it to be five miles, instead […]
Gulfstream G700 Achieved 25 Speed Records on the G700 World Tour
A year ago, January 26, 2023, Gulfstream Aerospace announced that the Gulfstream G700 achieved 25 speed records on the G700 world tour that had been recently completed. Gulfstream flew two fully outfitted G700 production test aircraft to more than 20 countries across six continents to demonstrate the aircraft’s performance capabilities and the flexibility and […]
The First Completely Computerized Landing
On December 8, 1964, a United Air Lines Caravelle jet made the first completely computerized landing (automatic touchdown) at Dulles International Airport (IAD). How landings play out? Limited visibility operations are divided into categories outlining the decision height (DH) and runway visual range (RVR). The decision height is the minimum height at which a pilot […]
Hijacking of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305
The aviation industry has come a long way in terms of commercial aviation safety, but on November 24, 1971, the first hijacking involving extortion occurred during a flight from Portland to Seattle. The hijacker- who may have been named Dan Cooper- told a flight attendant he was armed with a bomb, demanded $200,000 in ransom […]
Opening of Dulles International Airport
On November 17, 1962 ceremonies marked the o. The first airlines to fly into Dulles were Braniff, Delta, Eastern, Northwest, and TWA. Dulles went from serving over 54,800 travelers in its first year to over 23 million per year today. Another change was its original identifier. Due to passenger confusion between Dulles and the Dallas […]
