The Civilian Pilot Training Act of 1939 Signed into Law

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

“World’s best-selling light jet”: Phenom 300 Series

On February 21, 2024, Embraer announced that its Phenom 300 series had maintained its status as the “world’s best-selling light jet” for 12 consecutive years. According to data released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), since Embraer delivered 63 Phenom 300 series aircraft throughout 2023, the Phenom 300 also attained the best-selling twinjet for […]

First Flight of the Cessna Citation II

Cessna Citation is a marketing name used by Cessna for several “families” of turbofan-powered jets that have been produced over the years. The Cessna Citation II was a direct development of the Citation I. It was also the first of the Model 550 series of light corporate jets. The Citation II had an increased seating […]

Gulfstream G650’s Flight Test

The high Mach number was achieved to validate the aircraft’s maximum speed for stability characteristics, a requirement for receiving a Certificate of Airworthiness from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Such high speeds were outside the aircraft’s normal flight envelope. The G650’s maximum allowable Mach number at the time was Mach 0.925. Before this first test […]