Model Airplanes

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a million small drone aircraft have been sold in the past few years, and a growing number of them are turning up in the skies near airports and airliners, posing a risk of collision. Reports of drone sightings near other planes, helicopters and airfields are reaching the government almost daily, say federal and industry officials.

It’s a sharp increase from just two years ago when such reports were still unusual.

Many of the reports are filed with the Federal Aviation Administration by airline pilots. But other pilots, airport officials and local authorities often file reports as well, said the officials, who agreed to discuss the matter only on the condition that they not be named because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Michael Toscano, president of a drone industry trade group, said FAA officials also have verified the increase to

Article source: http://www.scnow.com/news/headlines/article_e6a335d3-c40a-5f8c-87ba-ff82d7bd1760.html

Cessna, in a joint venture with China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co., delivered its first two Citation XLS-Plus business jets from the venture’s operations in Zhuhai, China, the company has announced.

The planes were delivered to Guangzhou Zhongheng Group during Airshow China in Zhuhai.

Guangzhou Zhongheng Group is involved in the pharmaceutical, hospitality, real estate, and food and beverage markets.

The Citation XLS-Plus has seating for up to 12 passengers and has a range of more than 2,000 nautical miles.

Airshow China opened Monday.

Textron Aviation, which operates Cessna and Beechcraft, is showing the company’s products during this week’s show.

The Chinese market is predicted to grow in the coming decade, the company said, and Textron is well positioned to play a significant role in the growth in the region, it said.

At the same time, Cessna said it has seen an uptick in interest for its Caravan turboprop aircraft from Asia-Pacific customers during the first year of its joint venture with CAIGA.

Under the agreement, Cessna and CAIGA assemble and deliver Caravan utility airplanes in China for the Chinese market.

Customers are ordering Caravans configured for executive travel, freight, aerial survey and tourism, the company said.

Orders for the amphibian model increased after the Civil Aviation Administration of China granted approval for the Grand Caravan EX to operate on floats in China.

Cessna and CAIGA, a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China, or AVIC, signed an agreement establishing a joint venture in 2012. It began operating once its business license was

Article source: http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article3734029.html

In a few of my previous articles I pointed out that the market for super jumbos or VLAs (Very Large Aircraft) is a slow one and order inflow is limited. Boeing (NYSE:BA) nor Airbus (OTCPK:EADSF) is really able to sell their super jumbos to airlines. This might be due to their capability to carry a lot of passengers for which demand is not high, since is hard to completely fill the airplane, or because the new generation of airplanes such as the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350 are more efficient.

In this article I will be looking into the performance numbers to see whether these super jumbos are really doing badly in terms of efficiency.

Since Boeing and Airbus skew numbers a lot to make their aircraft and up on top I will look into various configurations and essentially look at how airlines are using both aircraft.

In this series I will also compare the Boeing 747-8I and Airbus A380-800 and look into the current order status for both aircraft and the upcoming demand (or lack thereof) for both aircraft and passenger comfort.

One of the first things that should be noticed is that there is a significant spread in the numbers for transport capability supplied by the manufacturer and the actual configurations used by airlines. Additionally some airlines use the Boeing 747-8I primarily as a replacement for the Boeing 747-400, instead of utilizing its full capabilities. To account for this various comparisons

Article source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/2669845-study-on-the-very-large-aircraft-market-the-battle-that-might-have-no-winner-part-1?source=google_news

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Nov. 10, 2014)– Propeller-powered drones have been around for nearly 10 years, but mass production is making them more accessible to everyday Americans.

But, what are the rules?

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expects U.S. airspace to be crowded with nearly 8,000 commercial drones within the next five years. Those numbers do not include estimates on local hobbyists flying drones in your neighborhood.

The FAA has a host of regulations about how private businesses and law enforcement can use drones, but the rules aren’t as defined for your neighbor.

“Anything that is flying can have malfunctions and sooner or later something is going to crash,” said Indianapolis Public Safety Director Troy Riggs. “Are they safe? Are they safe to the people underneath?”

Right now, the FAA says hobbyists cannot fly model aircrafts for payment or commercial purposes. The FAA also restricts recreational drones and model airplanes within 5 miles of airports. The agency defines model airplanes as devices that weigh 55 pounds of less and are prohibited from flying more than 400 feet above ground.

Riggs says the FAA has not created clear guidelines for local law enforcement, stating “It is very difficult, especially when you don`t have a lot of rules and regulations.”

Indianapolis Drone Club meets once a month to fly drones at Garfield Park. Preston Sego, an Indianapolis resident, started tinkering with the hobby in January.

“As prices of components come down, it has been more affordable to get into the hobby,” said Preston Sego.

A drone operator does not need a license or any

Article source: http://fox59.com/2014/11/10/drone-invasion-what-are-the-rules-regarding-drone-ownership-what-does-it-mean-for-your-privacy/