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 was a mixed year for aviation, marked by significant challenges such as the looming ADS-B deadline, high FBO fees, the closure of Santa Monica Airport, and complex drone integration issues, though attempts to privatize ATC were successfully resisted.
  • Despite these hurdles, the year saw major triumphs, including the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet winning the Collier Trophy, the widespread adoption of affordable digital retrofit avionics, and general aviation achieving its safest year ever.
  • The aviation industry also experienced a massive pilot hiring boom due to demographic shifts, while new technologies like electric and autonomous aircraft ("Ubers of the Skies") signaled potential future directions.
See a mistake? Contact us.

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.

Plane & Pilot

Plane + Pilot is general aviation’s only adventure-based magazine. From where to go, to how to get there, and everything in between, your next great adventure awaits.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get the latest Plane & Pilot Magazine stories delivered directly to your inbox

SUBSCRIBE