2020 Sees a Little Less of Everything

The NTSB has announced a decrease in fatalities for 2020, with sweeping reductions in flight activity across the country, according to its most recently compiled statistics. For a country with spotted lockdowns, a patchwork of travel regulations, and consumer pessimism, it's somewhat unsurprising to see the depression in travel throughout the year. The report is happy to note that for the first time in two consecutive years, no Part 121 air carriers were involved in fatal accidents, a return to normalcy. As per the usual course of things, fatalities came almost entirely from general aviation operations, where 332 lives were lost, down from 414 the year before. The overall fatal accident rate was 1.049 acc

Heartening News: Aircraft Shipments and Billings Lookin' Good

The General Aviation Manufacturer's Association released the third quarter report on GA shipments and billings, showing strong increases in 2021 when compared to an anemic 2020. Turboprop, business jet, and helicopter deliveries saw increases during the first 9 months of the year, with near parity in piston airplane shipments. Overall, statistics for the industry have improved across the board, no difficult feat for a year that was frought with economic uncertainty and erratic travel conditions. More interesting the the recovery seen compared to 2019 figures, where most categories show near parity to modern quantities. Piston aircraft sales in 2021 only lagged from 2020 numbers by

Targets Luxury Sports Car Market for Personal G-250 Variant

Swedish helicopter specialty company Savback is working with Italian outfit GHT Helicopters to create an ultra-light helicopter, an affordable, reliable product suitable for personal ownership and flight training. With an eye towards Italian automotive styling and design history, Savback's expertise in rotary-wing technology, and some outside-the-box thinking the pair see their offering as a dynamic addition to the quickly growing air mobility market. Using the base of GHT's G-250 Eagle, a small capsule helicopter boasting low fuel consumption, FADEC, and performance belying its size, the companies are looking to create a more premium, upmarket version with striking styling and turbi