“Big Things Have Small Beginnings”

Set for November 6–8, 2025 at Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL) in Lakeland, Florida, the first-ever Affordable Flying Expo (AFE) is tailor-made for aviation enthusiasts, home-builders, sport pilots and newcomers alike. This three-day gathering brings together indoor exhibits, flying demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and one of the first major public forums dedicated to the newly implemented MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) rule. What truly sets this expo apart is the dedication of the vendors — the aircraft designers, kit-builders, avionics specialists, flight-training schools and parts suppliers — who are rallying around the theme of affordable aviation in a MOSAIC world. Unlike larger shows where exhibitors may just display their latest gear, AFE invites vendors to engage actively: demo flights, close inspection of gear, one-on-one conversations, workshops and real-world

The Crew’s Return Spacecraft Was Struck by Debris Hours Before Their Departure

Three Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station watched as their Shenzhou-20 return capsule was struck by a piece of space debris, leaving them stranded mere hours before their scheduled trip home. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said the end of the crew’s six-month mission has now been postponed indefinitely.

Organization Sends “Just the Facts” About General Aviation’s Place in FAA Reductions

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is bluntly shutting down any claims that business aviation has been exempted from the FAA’s new traffic reduction measures. The cuts come as the shutdown blazes past the one-month mark and controllers become less and less willing to work without pay.

Plane Maker Falls Back to the Good ‘Ole E-175

After years of teasing and tentative promises, Embraer has pulled the plug on its next-generation turboprop program. This ditches the plan for a clean-slate design, instead drawing the manufacturer back to the trusty E175 platform.

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Elon Musk is once again promising the impossible…this time, in the form of a Tesla that flies. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk said the company is “getting close” to demonstrating a prototype of what he dubbed “crazy, crazy technology.” The comment came during a discussion about the long-delayed Tesla Roadster: a model first unveiled in 2017 and postponed every year since its planned 2020 debut. Boeing announced the completion of the $10.55 billion sale of assets from its Digital Aviation Solutions business unit to private equity firm Thoma Bravo. The divestiture includes Jeppesen, ForeFlight, AerData, and OzRunways, and those businesses will operate as the standalone company Jeppesen ForeFlight. The A220, once marketed for its profitability and efficiency, seems to be spending a lot more time parked than planned

Federal Airport Staff Continues Working Without Pay as the Shutdown Drags On

As the federal government shutdown enters its sixth week, Denver International Airport (DEN) is stepping up to mitigate some of the fallout. The airport has formally asked the FAA for permission to use its own revenue to pay air traffic controllers in hopes of skirting new capacity reductions implemented across 40 major airports.

UPS, FedEx Both Step Back With the Fatal Accident’s Cause Unknown

Cargo airlines have grounded their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo aircraft after a UPS jet crashed shortly after takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky, killing at least 14 people. The move follows recommendations from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration as investigators work to determine the cause of the accident.

Also: Louisville UPS Crash Aftermath, Taiwan Boosts Pilot Pool, Spartan Acquires, DON’T MISS the MOSAIC Town Hall!

This three-day Affordable Flying Expo brings together indoor exhibits, flying demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and one of the first major public forums dedicated to the newly implemented MOSAIC rule. What truly sets this expo apart is the dedication of the vendors — the aircraft designers, kit-builders, avionics specialists, flight-training schools and parts suppliers — who are rallying around the theme of affordable aviation in a MOSAIC world. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on November 4 that, if the government shutdown continues into next week, “mass chaos” will hit US air travel… and the DOT will be forced to make changes. His remarks were the strongest warning yet from the administration as thousands of unpaid controllers continue working under mounting strain. President

Also: Duffy Predicts ‘Mass Chaos’, Modern Skies Coalition, More Impacts,  Archer Buys Hawthorne

With only a few months of preparation—and minimal outside media support—the first-ever Affordable Flying Expo successfully unfolded over three energetic days this past week. According to exhibitors and attendees, (not us), it was a success. As with any first-time event, there were lessons learned. Thankfully, we had the expert team from the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo by our side. Two and a half years and 1,000 flight hours after its unveiling captured the attention of business aviators across the world, Textron’s Cessna Citation Ascend has earned FAA type certification. The first few jets have already rolled off the production line and are expected to enter service later this year. In a minorly tearjerking yet hopeful letter from Kenai Aviation owner Joel Caldwell, it was confirmed that the Alaskan regional

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Even with parts of the federal government on pause, Yosemite National Park isn’t letting BASE jumpers off easy. Park officials announced that three people were recently convicted for illegal parachute jumps off Yosemite’s formations amid a legal push to lift the 40-year ban against them. BASE jumping has been prohibited in all national parks since the 1980s. One of the more intriguing features of the 2025 Affordable Flying Expo, scheduled for November 6-8 at the Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo campus is a Friday event we call the MOSAIC Town Hall. Scheduled for Friday, November 7th at 1800ET, the MOSAIC Town Hall will be presented in the nearby Prop 75 building and webcast LIVE via www.airborne-live.net and for the attending audience. Textron Aviation Defense announced production plans for the UJTS, or Undergraduate Jet Training System progra