Did you know…? The Department of Defense did not allow women to fly in combat until 1993. United States Navy Lt. Kimberly Dyson became the first American woman to fly a combat mission for the U.S. a year later in 1994. Women in aviation and their contributions to the industry were heavily ignored for many years. However, many of those contributions are being acknowledged today for the impact they had on the aviation industry. Contact us today for [...]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere. You use AI in your car, home, and every “smart” device you own. In fact, 77% of today’s devices use some form of AI. But what you may not know is that AI in aviation has been changing the industry’s landscape From safety advancements to managing air traffic more accurately and in real-time, AI is a potent tool with seemingly limitless potential. This is exactly why individuals and organizations can’t wait to get [...]

 Piper Aircraft In the early 1920s, Piper Aircraft began refining a more aerodynamic aircraft design. Their initial low-drag monoplane, made famous by the Spirit of St. Louis, accomplished its first successful non-stop transatlantic flight in 1927. After witnessing its ability to fly from New York to Paris across the Atlantic, many sought to replicate its design and emulate its success. Gordon and C. Gilbert Taylor teamed up to create their own version under the Taylor Brothers Aircraft Company. [...]

Beechcraft By Textron Aviation Beechcraft’s history dates back to 1932. Founded in Wichita, Kansas by Walter and Olive Beech with engineer Ted Wells, the company quickly made its mark on the aviation industry. The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing took to the skies that same year. Because of the Staggerwing's success, the distinctive staggered wing aircraft became a symbol of Beechcraft. This resulted in them producing over 750 Staggerwings. After the wildly successful Staggerwing, Beechcraft continued production by introducing [...]

Bombardier Aviation In 1937, a young mechanic from Quebec invented a “snow vehicle", a 7-passenger B7 snowmobile that kicked off Bombardier’s success. Over time, Bombardier expanded into different types of snow vehicles. This ultimately created the iconic Ski-Doo personal snowmobile in 1959, which launched an entirely new industry. Under the leadership of Laurent Beaudoin from 1966 on, Bombardier went public. A major turning point came in the 1970s after the oil crisis forced cuts in snowmobile production. The [...]

Beechcraft By Textron Aviation Beechcraft has a history dating back to 1932. Founded in Wichita, Kansas by Walter and Olive Beech with engineer Ted Wells, the company quickly made its mark on the aviation industry. The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing took to the skies that same year. Because of the Staggerwing's success, the distinctive staggered wing aircraft became a symbol of Beechcraft. This resulted in them producing over 750 Staggerwings. Following the success of the Staggerwing, Beechcraft introduced [...]

Ever wish there was a database with everything you could want as a buyer or seller of aircraft? Gathering reliable information about aircraft appraisal services can easily become overwhelming. This is why VREF Online is an ideal aircraft data assistant for individual owners and organizations. Because buying or selling an aircraft looks different for different people, our database can also help answer some questions like… What features do I want most from an aircraft? Is business jet A [...]

Envision living life like The Jetsons? When the popular 60s sitcom appeared on television, their tech inspired us all to think about the future of urban air mobility (UAM). More than 60 years after The Jetsons pilot episode premiere, we still don’t operate zippy space cars with a Rosey the Robot at our side. But aviation industry professionals know that we have witnessed seriously significant UAM developments – some of which can be life-saving. Ever been in an [...]

Cessna Aircraft By Textron Aviation Clyde Cessna, the founder of Cessna Aviation, discovered his passion for aircraft at an aviation exhibition in 1911. With a background in mechanics and car sales, he assembled his own airplane using a kit. He eventually became a skilled pilot. In 1916, J.J. Jones gave Cessna the chance to work in part of the J.J. Jones Car Co. warehouse to build aircraft. Jones had just one condition – that the wings of his [...]

Robinson Helicopter Company Founded in 1973 by Frank Robinson, the Robinson Helicopter Company produced top-quality, affordable, reliable helicopters. Its first model, the R22, was introduced in 1979. It gained popularity for its simplicity, affordability, and ease of maintenance. Catering to private owners and flight schools, the R22 continued to rise in popularity. Because of this, the 4-seat R44 Raven I launched in 1992 and evolved into the enhanced R44 Raven II with improved performance capabilities. In 2010, the [...]