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 […]
Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) 50th Anniversary
Fifty years ago (March 8, 1974), began service, offering only one runway and one main terminal, which to this day is still Terminal 1. After opening, the airport was renamed to Charles de Gaulle after the former President who died in 1970). In its first year of operation, the airport handled 2.5 million passengers […]
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 G150 Aircraft Achieved Steep Approach Certification from the FAA
On February 2, 2010, Gulfstream Aerospace announced that the Gulfstream G150 aircraft had achieved steep approach certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The approval allowed the mid-size, high-speed G150 to operate at airports with an approach angle of up to 6 degrees. Most airports have an approach angle of 3.5 degrees or less. […]
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 […]
Delivery of the 100th Pilatus PC-24
On January 5, 2021, Pilatus announced that the 100th PC-24 had been delivered to its new owner Jetfly. The PC-24 offers sufficient comfortable space for up to ten passengers. The PC-24 offers passengers individually adjustable seats, a washroom with toilet, a baggage area which remains accessible in flight and a wardrobe. It also has a […]
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 […]