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:

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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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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