Tickets for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh are Now Live

With tickets to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh now available, the countdown to “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” is officially underway. The week-long fly-in, along with the hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts that come out to see it, will return to Wittman Regional Airport from July 20-26 for the 73rd year of the event.

Kit Manufacturer Takes Advantage of MOSAIC to Build its Flight Training Reputation

Van’s Aircraft has spent decades shaping the experimental world, and in the process, it has entered the big leagues in a way no one could’ve anticipated. With MOSAIC opening the door for more capable Light Sport Aircraft, Van’s has found itself in a uniquely strong position to compete directly with long-established GA manufacturers.

Also: IAE Acquires Diamond Trainers, Army Drones, FedEx Pilots Warning, DA62 MPP To Dresden Tech Uni

The danger to the flight training industry and our future pilots is clear. Donald Frano, a member of the Central Florida Pilots Association, posted a statement as an urgent warning about the increasing number of airports using or considering using a third-party vendor to send landing fees to pilots based on ADS-B data. This began in Florida and is a growing threat that the aviation community needs to stand up to and strongly oppose. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, has thrown his full support behind the bipartisan Mental Health in Aviation Act (MHAA) by joining as a co-sponsor of the bipartisan legislation. The bill intends to destigmatize mental health issues in aviation, train aviation medical examiners, and make it overall easier for aviation professionals to seek and

Only Authorized Provider For Starter Product Line Repairs

Hartzell Engine Tech announced the naming of Quality Aircraft Accessories as its Recommended Service Facility for the Sky-Tec starter product line. This designation enables Quality Aircraft Accessories to be the only facility authorized by Hartzell Engine Tech to perform repairs on genuine Sky-Tec PM and LS series starters whether they are installed on certified or non-certified engines.

Expands Reach In GA Aftermarket Parts And Components

McFarlane Aviation announced it has acquired the extensive line of South Seas Ventures FAA-PMA products, significantly expanding McFarlane’s reach in supporting general aviation and legacy aircraft, particularly for Beechcraft Barons and Bonanzas.

Ambitious Goal Aims for Total Overhaul of ATC Systems by End of 2028

The FAA has updated its website with a new section for their so-called FlightCommand system, a wholesale effort to upgrade air traffic control systems that will extend to every inch of the industry. The FAA believes it will implement a “brand-new air traffic control system by the end of 2028” via an expedited procurement process. “An innovative, first-of-its-kind contract will incentivize results and hold the Prime Integrator accountable for any missed deadlines and performance issues,” which does seem like an improvement from the usual contracting process. So what's on tap? The list is pretty long...

Also: Electra Goes Military, Miami Air Taxi, Hypersonics Lab, MagniX HeliStrom

Amazon’s Prime Air drones are back in the spotlight after one of its newest MK30 delivery drones struck an overhead internet cable in Waco, Texas. The incident serves as an unnerving replay of safety concerns that surfaced just two months ago involving back-to-back collisions with a crane in Arizona. The more recent event occurred on November 18. The drone, registered  N139PA, had just wrapped up a delivery when it “clipped a thin, overhead internet cable,” according to Amazon. The maiden flight of LandSpace’s ZhuQue-3 rocket on December 3 was one for the books… for both its successes and failures. The rocket reached orbit before the first stage booster recovery attempt resulted in an explosion near the edge of the landing pad. A soldier with no aviation experience was trained how to create flight plans and flew unmanned Black H

Also: Cosmonaut Kicked Out, Airbus Scales Back, AF Silver Star, Russian A-60 Clobbered

A Samaritan’s Purse humanitarian flight was hijacked on Tuesday, December 2, while attempting to supply a mobile medical unit in South Sudan. Authorities were able to meet the aircraft on the ground and take the suspect into custody without further incident. The aircraft involved was one of the organization’s Cessna Grand Caravans that operates solely within Africa. The FAA has taken an unusually cooperative step towards pilot mental health reform, reducing the stabilization wait time for approved antidepressant medications from 6 months to just 3. Though this is, in itself, a basic change, it reflects years of industry efforts. Under the revised policy, airmen and air traffic control specialists may now submit Special Issuance medical packages after maintaining a stable dose of an approved antidepressant for at least three continuous months. T

Nav Systems Find Great Test Range in the Mojave

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been working on their future Martian helicopters, after Ingenuity was such a smashing success. A recurring problem towards the end was the poor thing's navigational systems: It's hard to tell the difference from one featureless martian sand dune to another. So NASA folks headed to some of Earth's own featureless sand dunes to start training the next one...

Also: Elfin 20 Journey, BASE Jumper Rescue, Pipistrel Makes Waves, EAA Hall of Fame, Affordable Flying Expo 2026

Like most of the industry, kit manufacturer Sonex has been hit by the ever-increasing costs of parts and materials, and is being forced to pass some of the burden off to customers beginning December 15. Still, Sonex’s prices remain well under par, with many of its complete airframe kits available for under $40,000. The company detailed the price shifts for Complete Airframe Kits, Quick Build Kits, and AeroVee engine packages. Produced jointly by the Aero-News Network and SUN ’n FUN—in addition to the pre-show SNF Innovation Preview, the all-week SUN ’n FUN Digital Daily, Saturday Flight Live coverage, and our extensive daily news and video output—we are introducing something significant. MOSAIC Day Debuts Thursday at SUN ’n FUN and will designate Thursday as MOSAIC Day, featuring a full day of f