News
Welcome to our News Room. Here you will find out what's going on in Virginia aviation.
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NAS Oceana Air Show will now be Broadcast
Naval Air Station Oceana will broadcast its annual air show on Saturday, September 19 from Noon to 4 p.m., featuring performances by a variety of military aircraft including the Navy's F/A-18 Super…
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Chad Weaver Aviation Scholarship Program is Now Accepting Applications
The Chad Weaver Aviation Scholarship Program is available this year with some new opportunities to help you pay for your aviation ground school and flight training. This year the scholarship includes…
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Xwing Unveils Plans for Autonomous Cargo Operations
Autonomous flight technology pioneer Xwing says it has already made more than 70 pilotless takeoffs and landings in a converted Cessna 208B Grand Caravan. Unveiling the aircraft on Thursday at…
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US regional carrier ExpressJet to cease operations in October
The US regional carrier ExpressJet announced that it will cease its operations for United Express on September 30. The carrier also announced that it will lay off most of its 3,000 workers. United…
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This Mars Helicopter Aims to be First Ever to Fly on Another Planet
On August 14, a scheduled course correction slightly altered the path of Mars 2020 on its journey to the Red Planet. Another correction will come on September 30, which is 62 days after launch. On…
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Jeanette Epps Joins 2021 Spaceflight Mission
NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps joins the first Operational Boeing Crew Mission to the Space Station. This will be the first spaceflight mission for Epps. She earned her bachelor's degree in physics…
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Used Business Jet Sales Are Up This Summer
Used aircraft sales picked up sharply in June and July after a slow April/May brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact. Dealers accredited by the International Aircraft Dealers…
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U.S. Bans Private Charter Flights to Cuba
Effective Oct. 13, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will suspend charter authority of all U.S. and foreign carriers between the U.S. and Cuba, except for authorized public charters to and…
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Gander Flight Training Works to Increase Number of Women in Aviation
On July 22, Lauren Kattenbusch and Victoria MacKenzie earned their commercial pilots licenses, marked by a third white stripe. The licenses mean they have the ability to fly any single-engine…
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BVLOS Waivers for Public Safety
Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) waivers from the Federal Aviation Administrations are now available to public safety organizations that fly drones. The FAA released the BVLOS waiver guide for…
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ICON A5 Arrives at DOAV to Assist with Aviation Education
The Virginia Department of Aviation partnered with Virginia VSATSLab to purchase an ICON A5 to help introduce more youth to aviation. The ICON A5 is an amphibious light sport aircraft with foldable…
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Delta to Furlough 2,000 Pilots
Nearly 2,000 Delta Air Lines pilots will be furloughed October 1 – the most recent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Delta's Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) called the planned layoff of…
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FAA to Test and Evaluate Unmanned Aircraft Detection & Mitigation Equipment
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it plans to evaluate technologies and systems that could detect and mitigate potential safety risks posed by unmanned aircraft. The effort…
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Jacqueline D. Van Ovost Becomes Military’s Fifth Female Four Star General
When newly commissioned 2nd Lt. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost tossed her cover in the sky as the Thunderbirds roared over Falcon Stadium, she was graduating into an Air Force that would repeatedly tell her…
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FAA Launches Pilot Program to Translate UAS Content into Spanish
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a pilot program to translate into Spanish select web content for users of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS commonly referred to as drones). The program…
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Dierks Bentley and Michael Goulian Team Up For Aviation
They are at the top of their respective industries: one an award-winning country music superstar, entrepreneur, and pilot; the other a renowned airshow performer, aerobatic champion, and 13-year Red…
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AI 5, Fighter Pilot 0
An experienced F-16 pilot went head to head with an artificial intelligence algorithm and lost in five straight simulated dogfights as part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency test. In a…
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Aerospace Advisory Council Meeting Postponed
Due to the special session of the Virginia General Assembly, the Aerospace Advisory Council that was scheduled from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, has been postponed. A rescheduled date has not…
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VFR Mail Tower Raised at Chase City Airport
On August 18, 2020 Chase City Airport made history by raising one of only two VFR mail towers in existence in the US. The Virginia FAA will make this a historical airport for this structure in the…
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PlaneEnglish Develops Radio Skills
If you worry about your skill using an aviation radio, a group of Purdue University graduates has developed an app that can reduce your anxiety and develop your proficiency. PlaneEnglish is an…
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2021 Aviation Design Contest
On National Aviation Day (U.S.), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced that registration for the 2021 Aviation Design Challenge has opened. This annual competition promotes…
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U.S. Air Force Changes Weapon Design to Utilize More Women and Minorities
In 2022, the U.S. Air Force will take delivery of the F-15EX, a new and improved version of the nearly 40-year-old F-15E Strike Eagle. Despite all of the modern advances of the new jet, only 9…
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Counter-Drone System Testing to Begin
The Federal Aviation Administration will begin testing and evaluating drone security systems for safe use at airports in the United States. Though counter-UAS systems have found success in military…
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NATA Establishes General Aviation Airports Committee
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is pleased to announce the establishment of a General Aviation Airports Committee to assist the Association's policy priorities and advocacy efforts…
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Counter-Drone Technology Advisory
Four federal government agencies issued a joint advisory to clarify federal laws and regulations that apply to "the use of capabilities to detect and mitigate threats posed by Unmanned Aircraft…