Today’s Top Pick is a 1977 SOCATA Rallye 235 E.

The SOCATA line of piston GA aircraft tends to get lots of attention on airport ramps in the U.S. because the brand was not well known here from the 1970s to the 1990s when these models were new.

The company, now part of Daher-SOCATA, operated previously under other names including Aerospatiale and Morane-Saulnier. Occasionally you might still hear pilots referring to a Rallye as a “Morane.”

The main reason pilots love the Rallye is its combination of decent cruise performance with impressive short-field capability. Substantial flaps and leading slats that deploy automatically help the Rallye execute remarkably short takeoffs and landings while making it especially reluctant to stall. A rugged trailing-link landing gear design gives the Rallye the ability to operate from a range of unpaved strips, making it a capable backcountry.

Beyond their novelty and stylish design, the Rallye and other SOCATA piston models can be bargains in today’s market, largely because they are unfamiliar to many shoppers. A friend recently told me he was on the verge of buying a TB20 Trinidad, which is a higher-performance retractable relative of the Rallye. But another friend “talked him out of it.” This is common because pilots can be suspicious types when it comes to uncommon aircraft that appear to be “orphans.”

However, between SOCATA owners clubs and the Daher-SOCATA factory, the older SOCATA models continue to enjoy support. 

This 1977 Rallye 235 E has 1,776 hours on the airframe and 608 hours on its 235 hp Lycoming O-540-B4B5 engine. The panel is equipped with basic VFR instruments with no nav/comm radios or transponder installed.

Pilots looking for a versatile, economical and innovative four-seat aircraft with superb visibility and styling that stands out should consider this 1977 SOCATA Rallye 235 E, which is available for $79,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

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The post This 1977 SOCATA Rallye 235 E Is a Short-Field Star and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Daher, the French maker of the TBM and Kodiak series of single-engine turboprops, recently held a unique contest in a search for new products users would like to see on the TBM series of very fast turboprops. Daher called the contest general aviation’s first hackathon or “General Aviathon.” The company chose three winning concepts that proposed highly imaginative solutions to further increase flight safety for the company’s TBM turboprops while also enriching the in-flight experience for passengers. The hackathon focused on two TBM operational themes: advanced features and capabilities to make the aircraft more connected, intelligent and autonomous; and innovative solutions to further refine the experience of piloting and using the TBM.

One of the winners was the Aviation Voice Recognition System (AVRS), proposed by Adam Kaplan and Ben Krosner, two engineers at the Massachusetts-based Scientific Systems Company, Inc. Their AVRS software package is capable of parsing and understanding instructions from air traffic controllers to make changes in the aircraft’s flight profile (such as climbing, descending and turning), which would be implemented subject to the pilot’s approval.

Leveraging the Microsoft Azure public cloud computing platform for acoustic modeling, the AVRS’ development would focus primarily on an aviation-centric language model created with real-world audio examples from air traffic control. By processing ground-truth flight data from the aircraft’s flight deck avionics (including location, altitude, and flight plan), the AVRS’ computations could be handled onboard, removing the need for cloud computing.

Also selected as a safety-related winner of the General Aviathon was an idea for virtual pilot monitoring on the TBM, providing verbal guidance based on images processed from cockpit cameras to assist the pilot in flying the aircraft. The “TBM Monitoring Pilot” proposal was submitted by Vijay and Meera Singh–husband and wife entrepreneurs who own and fly a TBM 900 aircraft based at Somerset Airport in New Jersey.

As TBM aircraft are typically operated by a single pilot, the “TBM Monitoring Pilot” would offer assistance by using a processor to perform object recognition, and then provide audio guidance to the pilot’s headset based on a deep-learning training set. Advantages of this proposal include the use of off-the-shelf processors developed for autonomous cars, as well as working with a finite set of objects to be recognized for rapid training of the system using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The hackathon’s third winning entry, “Avia-X,” proposed a real-time passenger experience system conceived by four students at the University of California-Berkeley: Alan He, Frank Ge, Gary Yang and Ken Guan. Avia-X would enhance the on-board environment with pre-set themes and emotion recognition for light and music, potentially expanding to include an olfactive experience. “Avia X” could be managed via the “Me & My TBM” cloud-based application for Android and iOS devices, which has been developed by Daher to support TBM owners and operators to track aircraft operations and maintenance.

The “General Aviathon” challenge was originally organized by Daher’s Silicon Valley-based innovation program, Armstrong by Daher. Winning ideas were selected this month following a competition that attracted 25 proposals from the United States, China, India and Mexico.The winning concepts were chosen by a jury of representatives from Daher and its hackathon technology partner, Microsoft, as well as from San Francisco-area startup companies, accelerators and the academic community. The pitches from 11 finalists were made during an event at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California, with more than 100 people in attendance. Each winner received a cash prize of $5,000. Each also has the potential of partnering with Daher in further development/deployment of their solutions.

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When you see the two fly together in a promotional video made for the Daher press conference at NBAA-BACE 2019, Daher’s acquisition of Quest Aircraft really begins to make sense. The TBM and the Kodiak make a striking, yet complementary, picture in the sky.

On Monday, October 21, Daher Aerospace CEO Didier Kayat announced that the purchase closed about two weeks ago, bringing the Sandpoint, Idaho-based Quest fully into the arms of Daher. In the process, the name “Quest” has been shed, and the new business unit emerges as Kodiak Aircraft.

Daher is the leader in aerospace logistics in Europe, and Kayat envisions the same position in the United States, once the facilities and capabilities grown from the marriage come to fruition. Kodiak features a 126,000 square-ft plant in Sandpoint, covering 30 acres and located within close proximity to the Northwest Aerospace Cluster.

Robert Wells, outgoing CEO of Quest Aircraft, calls the closing “a culmination of 15 years of a humanitarian dream.” He had Daher in mind as a new parent that would be a “perfect fit” long before the acquisition was brought to light. He recalled a moment earlier in October when a TBM 940 flew into Sandpoint, and how the employees were excited about the airplane.

There are 278 Kodiaks in the field, having logged about 165,000 hours. The airplane is certified in 67 countries, and Daher looks to expand this, seeking additional certifications in places where Quest may have made an approach but no headway.

On the TBM side, the company closes in on 1,000 deliveries, with 954 in the fleet as of October. The series has logged more than 1.76 million flight hours, and has 54 service centers around the world. The company plans deliveries of aircraft to take place at the centers in Sandpoint and Pompano Beach in the future.

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French aircraft manufacturer Daher has achieved FAA certification for the latest version of its highly successful TBM series—the TBM 940. This new model adds the safety of an autothrottle to the previous model, which was already chock-full of safety features such as Underspeed Protection, Electronic Stability Protection, and Emergency Descent Mode, all incorporated into the Garmin G3000 touchscreen flight deck.

The autothrottle system consists of a single lever that assists the pilot by automating the power applied to the Pratt & Whitney PT-6 engine. The system works through the autopilot, and Daher claims that the TBM 940 is the first autothrottle-equipped turboprop with full autopilot integration. An aftermarket autothrottle system is available for the Pilatus PC-12 though Innovative Solutions & Support’s STC.

An additional safety feature was also introduced with the 940—an automatic de-icing system. The system automatically activates when it detects ice on the airframe, propeller, windshield and inertial particle separator. Along with the new safety features, Daher took the opportunity to update the cabin environment, with added options for configuration, design, comfort, storage and privacy.

Daher announced the new model in March and brought it to the Paris Air Show in June after achieving EASA certification and delivering the first 940 to a British customer. Since then, Daher has continued to deliver the 940 in Europe and Latin America, but the FAA certification now allows for deliveries to the company’s most prolific market.

The company also continues to offer the G1000-equipped TBM 910. While similar in all ways except the avionics suite, this model lacks the autothrottle and automatic de-icing capabilities.

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Daher last week unveiled the newest version of its single-engine turboprop, the TBM 940, that includes autothrottle, an automatic de-icing system, as well as a number of cabin interior enhancements. The announcement came during the safety seminar meeting of the TBM Owners and Pilots Association held in Pompano Beach, Florida.

The company says the TBM 940’s auto-throttle fully integrates with the airplane’s autopilot and is the first ever installed on a standard production turboprop weighing less than 12,500 lbs. Innovative Solutions & Support offers a retrofit version for the PC-12 NG. The engine parameters display for the TBM 940’s Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66D is simplified through an intuitive single smart gauge.

The TBM 940’s deicing system is automatically activated for deicing of the airframe, windshield, propeller and the engine’s particle separator when icing or ice accretion is detected and the pilot does not take action.

Daher has also incorporated ergonomic and style upgrades including redesigned seats, additional thermal insulation in the cabin sidewalls, a new central storage shelf, an additional 115V electrical outlet at the right rear seat panel and additional USB charging for a total of six for passengers and three for the pilots.

The TBM 940 retains the same range and handling qualities as earlier generation aircraft in the 900 series. Certification of the TBM 940 by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the FAA is expected to be received at Aero Friedrichshafen 2019 allowing new aircraft deliveries to begin late spring of 2019.

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Daher announced at the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In and Expo that it has made further enhancements to its TBM 930. The French single-engine turboprop received the latest upgrade to the Garmin G3000 system, adding the SurfaceWatch alerting system for the runway environment; Baro VNAV, which allows pilots to fly precision approaches based on barometric pressure when the SBAS that is required for WAAS is unavailable; and visual approach capabilities, which provides lateral and vertical guidance based on a three-degree glideslope, to the already highly capable system. The symbology has also been improved.

Pilots and passengers of both the TBM 910, which has the G1000 with the NXi upgrade, and the 930 will also appreciate the addition of heated seats, which can be individually adjusted by each occupant.

Backlighting has been added to the central column for improved visibility at night of such things as the manual trim, power lever, flaps lever and override controls. Pilots will notice a difference in the communication when the oxygen mask is required, as a high-fidelity microphone has been incorporated into the mask.

Finally, the 2018 models will include the TBM Elite Package, which includes the Total Care Program for maintenance; and subscriptions to the Jeppesen Pilot Pak, Sirius XM weather and radio, and the Garmin Pilot app, which can share data with panel mounted avionics through the FlightStream 510, if installed.

The post Daher Upgrades TBM 910 and TBM 930 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The year 2017 closed with companies evaluating their successes and failures. In a year that saw only a slight increase in the total number of airplanes delivered, Cirrus and Daher boasted the strongest numbers since the market crashed about a decade ago, while Honda Aircraft boasted producing the best-selling light jet in the market.

With the ramp-up in deliveries of the recently certified Vision SF50 jet, Duluth, Minnesota-based Cirrus had a great year, both on the jet side and on the piston side. The company delivered 22 Vision Jets in 2017 along with 355 SR20s, SR22s and SR22Ts combined, an increase of nearly 12 percent over the previous year for the piston models. Cirrus now owns nearly 30 percent of the piston airplane market share and delivered dozens more pistons than Textron Aircraft, which combines the models of former light airplane behemoths Cessna and Beechcraft.

While this is a promising trend for Cirrus, the number is a far cry from the 710 SR-series airplanes that Cirrus delivered in 2007. Cirrus expects to deliver its 7,000th SR-series airplane in April.

Daher has also been on a steady rise in the past few years with the introduction of its latest offerings: the TBM 910 and 930. The company delivered 57 TBMs, nearly catching up with the 60 airplanes that flew away from the factory in Tarbes, France, in 2008.

Honda Aircraft noted that the HondaJet was the most delivered jet in its category last year, with 43 delivered to customers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

The post Cirrus, Daher and Honda Record Robust 2017 Sales appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The past year was packed with exciting new aircraft, incredible aviators, and no shortage of fun airshows and exhibitions, and we took every chance we could to bring you there with some of the best photography in aviation.

Look back with us on 2016 with photos of new airplanes, from the highly anticipated HondaJet to the backcountry-conquering XCub; gargantuan fly-in events such as AirVenture, Sun ‘n Fun and Flying Aviation Expo; and some of the most interesting personalities in the flying world.

Our first stop is perhaps the most anxiously-awaited event in the aviation community: Oshkosh. And AirVenture 2016 didn’t disappoint. The annual fly-in attracted hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for airshow performances, seminars, fireworks, new product introductions and an almost unimaginable gathering of airplanes. You can find our full coverage of AirVenture 2016 here.

Daher’s TBM 930 graced the cover of our September issue. As an added bonus to our online readers, we also published a Behind the Lens feature, with extra photos and video from the cover shoot in South Florida. Below are a few images from that shoot.

Our April issue featured some of the top performers in the airshow circuit. Michael Goulian, Anna Serbinenko, Kevin Coleman and Sammy Mason explained how they’re pushing boundaries in aerobatics and what it takes to make it in the show.

In early April, the gates at Florida’s Lakeland Linder Airport opened for the 42nd time, welcoming aviators to Sun ‘n Fun for a week of educational forums and workshops, aircraft and tech displays, and aerobatic performances.

This year saw the introduction of the piston model of Lancair’s Evolution. Flying tested the four-seat composite airplane and featured it on the cover of our August issue. Check out some pictures of the plane below.

Flying magazine caught up with the Solar Impulse team at Moffett Airfield in Mountain View, California, where the Si2 landed during its solar-powered journey around the world, which was completed in July.

The third annual Flying Aviation Expo had a little bit of everything: airplanes galore, engaging speakers and seminars, top-notch entertainment and more. Full coverage of the flying-filled weekend in Palm Springs, California, can be found here.

Another new airplane that made for some stunning photo ops was the Piper M600. Piper’s latest turboprop has a clean-sheet wing, more power, touchscreen avionics and stylish interior enhancements.

Flying was also witness to history in 2016, during the first flight of a replica Junkers F13 in Zurich, Switzerland. High-end suitcase maker Rimowa celebrated the landmark event with a lavish, Golden Age of Aviation-themed party. Both the flight and the fete that followed made for some memorable photos.

Gracing the cover of our November issue was the brand-new Legacy 450. The fly-by-wire mid-light bizjet makes Embraer a major contender in the business aviation market.

One of the most interesting pilots featured in Flying magazine this year is Kyle Franklin, a third-generation airshow performer who reflected on his family’s legacy, his career in aviation and the success and tragedy along the way.

This year’s National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, took on new look, but the excitement was still there as the event roared into its 53rd year. Check out the photos below and see our full coverage of the races here.

Cirrus turned its safety record into one of the best in the industry with its new approach to transition training. Flying Editor-in-Chief Stephen Pope went through the course this year and came away a bigger believer in CAPS than he already was.

It was also a big year for CubCrafters, which saw certification of its XCub. The rugged new taildragger is right at home flying in remote backcountry locations, and it’s easy on the eyes too.

One of the best places to see what’s new in the world of business aircraft this year was the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland, last May. Here are a few photos of what was on display.

A story in the May issue of Flying brought us to California’s Camarillo Airport, where the Commemorative Air Force restores, maintains and flies a beautiful collection of warbirds. Check out some of the CAF’s collection below.

The HondaJet HA-420’s unique design made the light jet one of the most anticipated airplanes of 2016. Find out whether the HondaJet lived up to the hype in this feature from our June issue.

The past year also brought the opportunity to tour Mooney’s factory in Kerrville, Texas, giving our readers an inside look at where the M20V Acclaim Ultra is being built.

Game Composites’ versatile GB1 GameBird is engineered for serious aerobatics, so who better to help us put it through its paces than freestyle world aerobatic champion Rob Holland?

The post Flying’s Year in Photos 2016 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

It was a year filled with big news stories that not only helped to reshape the general aviation landscape but will almost certainly continue to do so for many years to come. The past 12 months have seen aircraft milestones, major changes to FAA regulations and a presidential election unlike any we have witnessed in our lifetimes. How these changes will affect general aviation we won’t fully know for some time, but it’s obvious we are now at a crossroads that will lead us down a new path. Here are the stories and events Flying covered in 2016 that we’ll all look back on as the touchstones for transformative change.

The Battle for Santa Monica Airport

The city of Santa Monica, California, and local pilots are locked in a heated battle for the future of this important general aviation gateway, with both sides securing important victories and suffering setbacks in 2016. The latest round went to pilots after the FAA ordered the city to halt evictions of airport businesses, calling the city’s maneuvering “a clear contravention of law.” But the city may end up getting its way eventually as yet another airport disappears from our sectional charts.

FAA Issues Commercial Drone Rules

There’s a new section in the Federal Aviation Regulations — Part 107 — and aviation will never be quite the same again. The FAA over the summer passed rules for the commercial operations of drones weighing less than 55 pounds, opening up the skies to more than 2 million small unmanned aerial vehicles in operation today. That number is predicted to grow to 7 million drones by 2020. How we’ll integrate unmanned aircraft with regular air traffic will be one of the biggest challenges of this century.

Chinese Company Buys Stake in Diamond Aircraft

Diamond Aircraft made headlines when it sold a 60 percent stake in its London, Ontario, Canada division to Chinese firm Wanfeng Auto Holding Group. Diamond Canada said the investment will support globally expanded production, sales and service, allowing for a stronger focus on the U.S. market. Wanfeng is interested in growing its aviation arm. Through the investment, Diamond Canada has acquired all rights to the DA62 and DA40 (both Lycoming and Austro engine options) from Diamond Austria. Diamond Canada also said the investment will allow the companies to “review” the future of the single-engine D-Jet or a derivative airplane.

Daher Introduces TBM 930

The launch of the Garmin G3000-equipped TBM 930 this past spring was a hush-hush affair as Daher tried to keep the news quiet. Leaked brochures gave fans of the speedy turboprop single a good idea of what was coming. The 930 builds on the long legacy of the TBM family, giving buyers of the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-powered single a touch-capable avionics system not to mention the category’s first fully enclosed lavatory.

FAA Launches ADS-B Rebate Program

While some questioned the wisdom of announcing a $500 government rebate program for ADS-B equipment just before Oshkosh while simultaneously delaying the official start of the program until after Oshkosh (and thereby putting the brakes on ADS-B avionics sales at AirVenture), the cash giveaway is having the desired effect. GA pilots are buying ADS-B gear in droves as it appears likely that all 20,000 rebate checks will indeed be claimed by next September when the program expires.

Dassault Certifies Falcon 8X

The Falcon 8X is French airframer Dassault’s new flagship model, capable of whisking eight passengers and three crew members on 6,450-nm legs in supreme luxury. The trijet is a stretched version of the fly-by-wire Falcon 7X designed to compete with top models from rival Gulfstream. Priced at around $58 million, the first 8X has been reserved for Serge Dassault, chairman and CEO of Groupe Dassault.

Solar Impulse 2 Completes Round-the-World Journey

After a lengthy delay caused by overheated batteries after its Pacific journey to Hawaii, the all-solar-powered Solar Impulse 2 completed its round-the-world trip on July 26, landing in Abu Dhabi after 17 legs in nearly as many months. Si2 resumed its journey by flying from Hawaii to California last spring, making a total of six stops on the U.S. mainland, the last of which was a triumphant landing at JFK International Airport in New York on June 20. Next, the Solar Impulse team plans to build an unmanned solar-powered airplane that theoretically could keep flying forever.

CubCrafters Unveils Part 23-Certified XCub

It’s not often that an aircraft manufacturer unveils to the aviation press a fully certified airplane that is ready for delivery from day one, but CubCrafters did just that with the introduction last spring of the XCub, a backcountry star that is perhaps the ultimate PA-18 clone. We liked it so much we gave it a 2016 Flying Editors’ Choice Award.

Piper Certifies M600

Another Editors’ Choice award winner was Piper’s M600, the latest iteration of the PA-46 line, and this one is the best Piper single yet. The secret to Piper’s success with the M600 was in giving the airplane a larger wing that increased speed and range; adding 100 horsepower (to 600 shp); totally redesigning the interior; and upgrading the cockpit to the touchscreen-equipped Garmin G3000 avionics system. The changes add up to an airplane that is a worthy step-up contender from high-performance piston models while also giving would-be buyers of some pricier airplanes ample reasons to take a closer look.

Mooney Introduces Acclaim and Ovation Ultra

Mooney is back. The company, now under Chinese ownership, is revamping its factory in Kerrville, Texas, to produce upgraded versions of the M20 Acclaim and Ovation, now with the addition of the “Ultra” moniker. A welcome addition to the new airplanes is a pilot-side door that makes entry and exit a snap. The interiors have also been redesigned with stylish leather seats and the addition of keypads to the G1000 avionics. With a top speed of 242 knots, the turbocharged Acclaim is still the fastest FAA-certified production piston single in the world.

Aviation Mourns the Passing of Arnold Palmer, Bob Hoover, John Glenn and Eric “Winkle” Brown

The aviation community collectively mourned the passing of four of its most celebrated figures in 2016, starting on February 21 with the death of Eric “Winkle” Brown, 97, a renowned test pilot and the British Royal Navy’s most-decorated pilot ever. Little did we know at that time that three of America’s most beloved aviation heroes — golf legend Arnold Palmer, test pilot and aerobatic luminary R.A. Bob Hoover and Mercury 7 astronaut and former Sen. John Glenn — would also pass before the year was over.

Dynon and Garmin Certify non-TSO’d Displays in Part 23 Airplanes

With help from the Experimental Aircraft Association, Dynon last spring obtained a blanket approval permitting installations of the non-TSO’d D10A electronic attitude indicator in Part 23 airplanes. Garmin followed suit two months later with an STC of its own, this one for the non-TSO’d G5 flight display that the avionics maker originally developed for the Experimental aircraft market. The certifications are just the start of a broad relaxation of FAA regulations aimed at hastening the pace of technological innovation in general aviation while driving down development costs.

Icon Production Delayed

First it was Icon Aircraft’s 40-page purchase agreement that caused a minor revolt among A5 buyers, and then came news of a one-year production delay of the light sport amphibian. Both put a dent in the California LSA maker’s reputation. Icon has since scrapped its original purchase contract in favor of a much simpler and more palatable document and has been working hard to rectify problems in its production process that caused the year delay. Icon has just opened the first two A5 training centers along with a new composites factory in Mexico that should lead to the resumption of full-rate A5 production by the summer.

ATC Privatization Battle Rages On

Proponents of an airline-backed proposal to privatize ATC in the United States claim that President-elect Donald Trump is a supporter of the idea as well. That has opponents on the other side girding for a resumed fight to keep ATC under the jurisdiction of the federal government. While the FAA’s handling of ATC and NextGen has been far from perfect, there’s plenty of evidence to support the argument by GA interests that privatizing the massive air traffic control system in the United States is a recipe for disaster. Look for both sides to continue the battle into 2017 and perhaps beyond as the new administration comes into power.

Trump Elected

Donald Trump’s come-from-behind presidential election victory was foreseen by none of the pollsters and pundits who believed Hillary Clinton held insurmountable leads in several Rust Belt states. On election night, Clinton’s so-called Blue Wall came tumbling down, ushering into power a pro-business Washington outsider whose policies could be a boon for the economy and, by extension, general aviation – or maybe not. What we know for certain is this will be a very different sort of presidency led by a different kind of president. We’ll let you know in four years how it all worked out.

ACS Goes into Effect

The Airman Certification Standards officially replaced the FAA’s Practical Test Standards in August, launching a brave new era in which new student pilots will be taught to more stringent standards that framers of the new rules believe will lead to safety improvements. Not everybody is a fan of the ACS, and that fact led to an epic live debate at Flying Aviation Expo in Palm Springs, California, in October between well-known aviation educators John King and Rod Machado. John helped craft the ACS and is all for the change while Rod has concerns about exposing pilots to longer practical tests and airline-level, higher-order thinking skills that may not be appropriate for new students.

Cirrus Vision Jet Certified

The world’s first single-engine personal jet obtained its FAA certification in 2016. Manufacturer Cirrus Aircraft has just opened a new customer center in Knoxville, Tennesee where deliveries of the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet have just begun. The SF50 is revolutionary for giving buyers an incredibly simple-to-fly jet that should prove to be an easy step-up airplane for current owners of SR22 piston models. The Vision is also the first jet ever built with a full-airframe BRS parachute to save the day should things go wrong.

HondaJet Deliveries Begin   Perhaps the most radical business jet design ever, the HondaJet with its natural laminar flow wing and fuselage and unique over-the-wing engine configuration can also be called one of the most beautiful airplanes ever to grace an FBO ramp. Now that the airplane is fully certified with RVSM and icing approvals, buyers are getting the chance to fly their new HondaJets on real-world missions. The early word from pilots is that the airplane is a dream to fly, with excellent handling, performance and operating economics. It’s just what the world expected from Honda when the carmaker launched the jet program 20 years ago.

FAA Part 23 Rewrite Emerges

The FAA rewrite of Part 23 light airplane certification regulations could be one of the most significant changes in aviation in most of our lifetimes. The rules haven’t been updated in more than 50 years, and as a result it has been incredibly difficult for aircraft manufacturers to innovate. That’s all about to change with the FAA’s crafting of new regulations that will follow industry-consensus standards for light aircraft design and allow for flexibility that should lead to more technologically sophisticated and affordable airplanes in the future.

Third-Class Medical Reform Passed   AOPA and EAA put on a full-court press for this one in 2016, and the associations’ efforts finally paid off over the summer. Congress directed the FAA to eliminate third-class medical requirements for most private pilots by July 15, 2017, using data from sport pilots to back up the contention that there’s no safety detriment in allowing pilots to skip the visit to their aviation medical examiner every two years. Once the new rules go into effect, private pilots will take an online medical factors course every two years and visit their personal physician every four. The change is expected to remove barriers to the cockpit for many thousands of pilots with minor medical issues and continue to reap benefits for general aviation for decades to come.

The post Flying’s Top 20 Aviation Stories of 2016 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Daher announced a program to pair TBM turboprop owners with commercial charter operators. Dubbed Fly and Charter your TBM (FACT), the program links owners and charter operators, providing the needed initial documentation, insurance guidance and technical advice.

FACT also incorporates the TBM Charter Pack, a Daher-designed support solution for higher aircraft utilization rates. The TBM Charter Pack extends the aircraft manufacturer’s TBM Care Program (TCP) to cover commercial operations and provides continuing airworthiness monitoring through CAMP systems, while also offering a dedicated TBM maintenance hotline and TBM professional training courses.

At the 2016 NBAA Convention Daher said the TBM aircraft family is “well-suited for charters and on-demand transportation — especially from community airports where operations benefit from the aircraft family’s speed, economical operating costs and the ability to serve smaller runways. Demand for such services is growing worldwide, especially as more airworthiness authorities approve commercial flight operations with single-engine turboprops.”

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