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:

  • 2018 saw significant aviation challenges including battles against ATC privatization, the looming ADS-B deadline, high FBO fees, the closure of Santa Monica Airport, and complex integration of drone technology.
  • The year also brought triumphs such as the Cirrus Vision Jet winning the Collier Trophy and the introduction of more affordable digital retrofit avionics for general aviation.
  • The industry achieved record safety levels in general aviation and experienced a booming demand for airline pilots, while the disruptive rise of drones and concepts for autonomous "Uber of the Skies" continued to shape the future.
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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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