Marc Cook has joined Van’s Aircraft as E-commerce and Media Manager. In this role, he will help drive the expansion of the Van’s webstore and lead improvements to customer-facing systems and communications. As editor in chief of Kitplanes magazine for a total of 11 years (and more than 130 issues) and a multi-time builder, Marc […] Read More
At Van’s, our top priority is delivering the best possible support to our customers—whether you’re currently building, flying, or dreaming about your next aviation adventure. To ensure responsiveness and that we meet your needs efficiently, we’re making a few changes to our phone support hours, as well as our factory tour and demo flight schedules. […] Read More
We understand that building your own airplane is an incredibly rewarding experience, but certain tasks—like assembling fuel tanks—can be complex and time-consuming. Based on your feedback from airshows, phone calls, and surveys, we’ve created a solution to make your build easier and faster: Pre-Built Fuel Tanks for the RV-14/14A and RV-10 wing kits. You can now choose pre-built fuel tanks […] Read More
One of the things that makes Van’s Aircraft stand out is the strength of the RV community—builders and owners who share knowledge, lend a hand, and support each other. To make those connections even easier, we’ve created a new opt-in network for RV builders and owners. This network is designed to help RV enthusiasts connect […] Read More
You may have noticed that our webstore was temporarily down for maintenance today. We’ve made several important updates to enhance your overall experience with the webstore. These improvements include upgrading our software and implementing a new shipping system to streamline the process, provide better visibility, and ensure you receive your products faster. Shipping costs are […] Read More
We’re excited to celebrate Joby Aviation’s recent achievement of receiving their FAA Part 141 certificate—a significant step toward the launch of their commercial electric air taxi operations. This certification enables Joby to streamline pilot training through its Flight Academy, creating a strong pipeline of skilled aviators for the future of urban air mobility. We’re especially […] Read More
Van celebrated his 85th birthday performing another development flight test of the RV-15X! Despite being 5’11” now (down from his youthful 6’1″), Van needed a pile of cushions to “sit tall” in the RV-15X, but still had 2 ½” of headroom—a testament to the plane’s spacious cabin. Van shared: “From the beginning, the RV-15X’s performance […] Read More
On the fourth day of AirVenture, Rian Johnson, Van’s Aircraft Chief Engineer and Chairman of the ASTM F37 Committee, sat down with Marc Cook of KitPlanes. They discussed the latest updates on the Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) final rule. You can watch their conversation starting at the 2:35 mark in this video. Key […] Read More
Van’s Aircraft has partnered with Fuuz, an advanced cloud-based manufacturing solution. This marks a significant step in Van’s manufacturing modernization process, enhancing operational efficiency and growth. Fuuz will enable Van’s to transition from a patchwork of technologies, including a legacy enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with limited manufacturing functionality, to a unified approach involving a […] Read More
We’re thrilled to spotlight some truly remarkable stories from our RV builder community at EAA AirVenture! Jessica Cox, alongside EAA Chapter 898, is undertaking an extraordinary project: constructing an RV-10 with adapted foot controls for the pilot side. Jessica’s approach to aviation and her advocacy for people with disabilities continue to inspire us all. This […] Read More
We had an incredible week at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh! Thank you to all our past, current, and future builders who visited our booth. It was a pleasure connecting with so many members of the Van’s community. For those who couldn’t join us at Oshkosh, KitPlanes offered some great coverage of our “What’s New at Van’s” […] Read More
On May 16, 2024, Van’s Aircraft successfully emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, completing the critical restructuring process necessary to secure our future and allow us to better serve our customers. The need to file for Chapter 11 protection was driven by significant financial challenges, including supply chain disruptions, increased production costs, and quality issues exacerbated […] Read More
Friday, March 29, 2024 On Friday evening, Van’s Aircraft filed its Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization with the Federal Bankruptcy Court. The filing will be complete after the court sets various hearing dates and the judge signs a certificate making it an official court document. This usually takes 3-5 days. Then, a copy of the […] Read More
When Van’s filed for Chapter 11 protection in early December, many of our customers had open orders and deposits on various Van’s airframe kits and third-party items including engines, propellers, avionics kits, and powerplant kits. Several weeks ago, Van’s sent notice to customers with deposits on aircraft kits stating that these orders contained terms, conditions, […] Read More
The following comments were submitted to the FAA regarding their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on MOSAIC. The letter was prepared by Rian Johnson, Chief Engineer at Van’s Aircraft and Chairman of the ASTM F37 committee, which governs light-sport aircraft standards. January 22, 2024 Docket Operations, M–30; U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue […] Read More
As we work through the Chapter 11 planning requirements and execute our daily operations, the staff at Van’s Aircraft have been hard at work. We’ve processed a large volume of kit reorders and continue to handle related emails and phone calls. We’re shipping kits to customers every day, and we’ve started sending replacement parts to […] Read More
The comment period for the FAA’s MOSAIC NPRM ends in a few days, on January 22nd. The Experimental Aircraft Association has recently released guidance for others interested in submitting comments. We encourage you to review the NPRM and comment. This document summarizes Van’s Aircraft’s thoughts on the EAA’s guide in two areas: noise and stall […] Read More
The Van’s Aircraft Engineering team has recorded two presentations related to the acceptability, use, and testing results of laser-cut parts in RV aircraft. The below videos include an 18-minute summary presentation with an introduction by Dick VanGrunsven, as well as a highly-detailed, 2-hour presentation by the Van’s Engineering team. These presentations have been made to […] Read More
Van’s Aircraft has long been known for providing excellent aircraft kits at an affordable price. Over the past few years, the cost of producing airplane kits has soared substantially. Candidly, due to a number of factors we found ourselves operating the business at a loss. Thus, to continue providing the best possible airplane designs and […] Read More
On December 4, 2023, Van’s Aircraft filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code, a key step in the reorganization of our company. During this period of reorganization, we will continue to source, produce, and provide parts, service, and support to our customers. We will also be crating and shipping kit orders. […] Read More
