July 14, 1988, marked the first flight of the SOCATA TBM F-WTBM, the first of its prototypes. TBM was established by the Aerospatiale General Aviation Division, Socata, and the US manufacturer Mooney, to produce a high-performance business aircraft. Performance promised by the manufacturer included taking six passengers at 345 mph (300 knots) with a full […]
Air Canada Flight Got As Low As 59 FT Above Ground Level Before Go-Around at SFO Taxiway
On July 7, 2017, Air Canada Flight 759 (AC 759) from Toronto to San Francisco got as low as 59 ft above ground level (AGL) before completing a successful go-around. The Air Canada pilots lined up the Airbus A320 to land on occupied Taxiway C at San Francisco International Airport instead of on parallel Runway […]
Gulfstream G600’s FAA Certification
By the end of June 2019, the Gulfstream G600 earned FAA certification. The aircraft received both its type and production certificates on the same day from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The certifications cleared the way for the first completed G600 deliveries to customers as scheduled in 2019. The FAA type certification allowed G600 […]
The Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)
On June 23, 1981, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator J. Lynn Helms announced the FAA’s decision to adopt the threat alert and collision avoidance system, soon renamed the traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS). If there is a potential collision developing, the TCAS alerts the pilots and provides climb/descend instructions to them. In 1981, […]
Runway Incursion at SFO
On May 26, 2007, a runway incursion occurred at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) when an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia turboprop aircraft from SkyWest Airlines (flight SKW5741 operating as United Express), nearly collided with an Embraer 170 Regional Jet from Republic Airlines (flight 4912 operating as Frontier Airlines) at the intersection of runways 1L and […]
East Hampton Town Airport (KJPX)
On May 19, 2022, the formerly known East Hampton (New York) Airport (KHTO) re-opened as a private-use airport named the East Hampton Town Airport (KJPX). For years, residents of the summer vacation hotspot had complained about airport noise, particularly from helicopters and jets. After an airport airspace analysis, the FAA gave its approval, stating in […]
Gulfstream’s G650 First Trans-Atlantic Flight
On May 12, 2012, Gulfstream G650 aircraft (S/N 6020) completed its first trans-Atlantic flight to make its European debut at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva (EBACE). The green, unpainted aircraft was flying under an experimental certificate, and arrived at Geneva International Airport from Dulles International Airport (outside of Washington, D.C.) in […]
Three vs Two Crew Fun Fact
During the piston and turbojet eras the government had mandated a three-pilot crew operation when the gross weight of an aircraft exceeded 80,000 pounds. However, in April 1965 the FAA announced that it was abolishing the weight limit criteria and aircraft would be certified for two-crew operation on an individual basis. The amendment to § […]
