Top 10 General Aviation Stories Of The Year

Here are the blockbuster aviation stories of a remarkable 2018 for GA.

Control tower
Plane flies by control tower.
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Aviation in 2018 was marked by significant regulatory and technological challenges, including the successful defeat of ATC privatization efforts, ongoing issues with drone integration, and concerns over the looming ADS-B mandate deadline.
  • The year also celebrated notable triumphs, such as the Cirrus Vision Jet winning the Collier Trophy, advancements in affordable digital retrofit avionics, and record-breaking safety years for general aviation.
  • Key industry trends included a massive airline pilot hiring boom due to demographic shifts, the disruptive growth of drones with associated regulatory complexities, and the emergence of concepts for autonomous "Ubers of the Skies."
  • General aviation continued to face specific challenges regarding high FBO fees and the eventual closure or reduction of key airports like Santa Monica.
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10. Ubers Of The Skies

Airbus
Airbus

The mobility world—yes, that is a thing—is all abuzz with mobility solutions talk, and for many city dwellers, that means learning how to dodge out-of-control e-scooters. But the big plan for many companies, including Boeing, Airbus, Google, Uber, and others, is to make automated air transportation—meaning, no pilots needed—the standard way of getting around. Many of the so-called solutions involve the development of autonomous flying machines, many of which are electrically powered multi-copters that feature computer-controlled operation, including navigation and collision avoidance. Listening to these developers talk about their inventions, you’d come to believe that it’ll all be here in a year or two. We remain highly skeptical, but it inarguably will be interesting to watch this movement play out. We’ll keep you apprised.

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