Top 10 General Aviation Stories Of The Year

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

Plane & Pilot

Tuesday, December 18, 2018 at 05:08 AM ET

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Plane flies by control tower.

Key Takeaways:

General aviation in 2018 experienced significant challenges, including the ongoing ADS-B mandate deadline, battles against high FBO fees, the closure of Santa Monica Airport, and a successful fight against ATC privatization.
The year saw major technological advancements recognized, with the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet winning the Collier Trophy and the introduction of more affordable digital retrofit avionics for light GA aircraft.
Despite these hurdles, aviation achieved a milestone with its safest year ever in general aviation history and presented a booming job market for airline pilots due to high demand.
Emerging and disruptive technologies, particularly drones, raised complex issues of safety, privacy, and regulation, alongside the developing, albeit speculative, concept of autonomous "Ubers of the Skies."

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2. Cirrus Jet Wins Collier

Cirrus Aircraft SF50 Vision Jet, photographed on March 27, 2017 from Wolfe Air Cessna O-337.

It’s not often that general aviation gets a big win, but in April Cirrus Aircraft took home aviation’s highest honor when it was awarded the 2017 Collier Trophy for its groundbreaking SF50 Vision Jet. Competing against a field of nine aircraft and spacecraft, including the favorite for the prize, the Boeing 737 MAX, and several other noteworthy nominees, the Vision Jet became the first light aircraft to take home the prize since 2005, when the Eclipse 500 twinjet won the honors. Cirrus delivered the SF50 in December of 2016 and has by now delivered almost 100 of the jets and has orders for hundreds more.

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