A lot has happened in the world of aviation this year. From industry-changing scientific advancements to the passing of legends, we wanted to take a moment to look back at everything 2016 brought to our skies.
The beginning of the year saw a new take on an old classic with the XCub.
Fast, slick, and certified, the CubCrafters XCub is a clean-sheet, next-gen Part 23 taildragger with an attitude and a blue-skies future. Read more here.
A shift in the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba opened up new territory when Air Force One landed in Havana last March.
Learn how you can take advantage of Cuban airspace opening up here.
Swift Fuels made good progress on making their affordable, unleaded aviation fuel work without requiring engine changes in existing aircraft.
Read about their efforts to make cleaner skies a better option here.
On April 23, the Solar Impulse 2 became the first solar-electric airplane to circumnavigate the globe.
The historic landing at the end of the journey was just part of this remarkable story. Check out the rest here.
Mid-2016 saw the long-awaited arrival of the HondaJet!
We got to fly it first so we could bring you all of the details.
The ever-increasing popularity of drones has highlighted just how difficult it can be to share the skies. The Academy of Model Aeronautics had a few things to say about how the FAA handled pilot reports of near misses with drones this year.
See what they were talking about here.
Chinese airlines were hiring this year, offering big paychecks and bonuses to U.S. and European pilots who were willing to relocate.
Check out how much they were offering and how many people took them up on the it here.
3rd Class medial certification reform has been in the works for a very long time. This fall, the law was finally passed.
Read about the blessed insanity of the new medical rules here.
No summer would be complete without Oshkosh and this year was better than ever.
Check out our round up of 2016 AirVenture stories and photos here.
From fairway to runway, the golf legend Arnold Palmer used both brain and brawn to get the job done. His death on September 25th was a heavy loss for the flight world.
Read about why he mattered to aviation here.
War hero, test pilot, and airshow great Bob Hoover left us on October 25.
Read about his profound impact on generations of pilots here.
The January 2020 deadline for ADB-B equipage is looming. As of 2016, there is a lot to be done.
See just how many planes still need to be updated here.
3D printing comes to aviation in the form of a GE Turboprop engine that will reduce parts by the hundreds.
Check out the engine that Textron plans to use for the Cessna Denali here.
This December saw Virgin Galactic’s second SpaceShipTwo take its first big steps towards space.
Read about the success of the VSS Unity test flight here.
The city’s plans to shut down Santa Monica Airport have been in the news all year. This December, the FAA took further action to protect the airfield.
Read about the steps they’re taking here.
