Passenger jets consume a lot of fuel. A Boeing 747 burns five gallons of it every nautical mile, and as the price of that fuel rises, so do fares. Lockheed Martin engineers developed their Box Wing concept to find new ways to reduce fuel burn without abandoning the basic shape of current aircraft. Adapting the lightweight materials found in the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, they designed a looped-wing configuration that would increase the lift-to-drag ratio by 16 percent, making it possible to fly farther using less fuel while still fitting into airport gates...

The Cirrus SR22 is known as the flagship aircraft from this leading manufacturer of small planes in the United States. The SR22 is seeing some exciting new additions this year, including extra seating, new appearance packages, an enhanced onboard satellite telephone system and a fully integrated communication system. It looks like 2012 is a great year to be flying one of these sleek single-engine planes...

In the coming weeks, pilots can expect to see mountain waves in several snowy, mountainous regions. When wind flow is perpendicular to a mountain, as the wind velocity and altitude increase during an inversion below 15,000 feet, or a stable air mass layer aloft, mountain waves will occur. These atmospheric disturbances are characterized by lenticular clouds that alert pilots to their potentially deadly presence. It’s possible to predict mountain waves and other atmospheric disturbances with a high level of accuracy, though, giving pilots a chance to decide whether or not to fly under such conditions.

Cirrus caused a buzz in the aviation world in 2008 when the aircraft manufacturer finally launched the much-awaited Perspective. The Cirrus Perspective by Garmin is a standard cockpit. It employs many of the same underlying technologies as the G1000 system, but is designed solely for Cirrus’ specifications. It offers numerous benefits and new features that Cirrus pilots will surely appreciate...

Winter is a popular time to travel.  Everyone wants to visit to family, friends, go skiing all in different areas of the country in a short holiday season.  Although winter weather conditions can create higher risk challenges, many pilots can’t help but to continue experiencing the wonders of aviation during the winter months. If you plan on flying on your own this winter, you can have a safe and enjoyable experience, as long as you take a few extra precautions and spend a little more time planning.