Passion Project is Expected to Reach the Skies in the Second Quarter of 2026

The work of Elfin.aero founder Dr. Reiner Stemme, who passed on October 31, 2025, is already being reignited to honor the designer’s years of dedication to the still-unfinished elfin20: a high-performance, two-seat, self-launching electric glider. Development of the prototype is well underway, and the first flight is targeted for the second quarter of 2026.

Arrives In Style At Dubai Airshow On Flight From Phuket

Gulfstream Aerospace announced that its newly certified ultralong-range G800 achieved its eight city-pair speed record on its flight from Phuket, Thailand to the Dubai Airshow 2025 in the United Arab Emirates. The feat was accomplished in 5 hours 38 minutes.

Crew Hoists Injured Jumper After Two-Hour Effort

A BASE jumper stranded on a canyon face near Moab, Utah, was pulled to safety this week in a social media viral rescue. The jumper’s parachute became tangled on the rock at Kane Creek, leaving him suspended hundreds of feet above the ground until first responders arrived.

Nine 737-8 Aircraft Are Airline’s First From Company In 20 Years

Boeing and Air Senegal announced that the airline has committed to order nine 737 MAX aircraft. When finalized, it will be the West African carrier’s largest-ever fleet purchase and its first order from Boeing since 2004 and will support its regional and international expansion of service.

Postitive Safety Trends, Decline In Staffing-Trigger Events Prompt Move

Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced that the FAA Emergency Order reducing flight numbers has been terminated as of 6 am on Monday, November 17, and normal operations are permitted to resume across the National Airspace System.

Also: ATI Strike Prep, Spirit Still Troubled, New CubCrafters Dealership, A-29 Super Tucano

Samaritan’s Purse is officially moving its historic Douglas DC-8 cargo jet into retirement and bringing in a new Boeing 767. This marks the end of an era for the world’s last flying, US-registered DC-8. For more than a decade, the four-engine DC-8 served as the backbone of Samaritan’s Purse’s disaster response efforts. The aircraft was acquired in 2015 and has since flown 217 missions, delivering over 9.2 million pounds of critical relief supplies. Boeing delivered 53 jets in October, bringing its 2025 total to 493 aircraft and marking its strongest output since before the pandemic. Of the log, 39 aircraft were 737 MAX models, including nine to Southwest Airlines and five to Ryanair. Widebody deliveries included eight 787 Dreamliners, two 777 freighters, and four 767s. Dynon’s Trig Avionics announced the introduction of the TT23

Also: Pipistrel Makes Waves, ‘Dream Chaser’, EAA Hall of Fame, BizAv SOP Manual

Blue Origin finally logged a clean booster recovery with New Glenn, giving Jeff Bezos’ company proof that its heavy-lift rocket can reuse components the same way SpaceX has since October 2024. The flight also shipped two NASA satellites towards Mars as New Glenn’s first paying-customer science payload. The launch marked an impressive step forward in the long catch-up effort for New Glenn. Just over a month ahead of its potential ban in the US, DJI has launched its lightest and most compact drone to date… and for obvious reasons, it won’t be coming stateside anytime soon. The Neo 2 joins a lineup of DJI releases that have hit the market almost everywhere but the US this year, though the company’s spotlight in the US government runs much deeper. Joby Aviation announced the first flight of its recently developed turbine-ele

Also: Taiwan Cuts Age Limit, Denver To Pay ATC?, NBAA Calls Out False Claims, Another Regional Shuts Down

The longest federal government shutdown in history is finally coming to a close… but the aviation industry is taking its time to bounce back. Airlines are getting ready to shoulder thousands more flight delays and cancellations as the President himself takes to warning air traffic controllers with pay cuts. The FAA’s game plan involved an initial 4 percent flight reduction at 40 major airports, incrementally working its way up to 10 percent. Through years of first-hand experience, Adriana Barrigan has seen how damaging holes in the flight training industry can be on student pilots… and she created an app to fix it. FlyORKA, which recently made its way onto Apple and Android platforms, is designed to make training more efficient and promote student confidence. Spartan Education Group announced the acquisition of Aviato

Aviation Operations Were Limited at 40 Major US Airports Amid Govt Shutdown

The FAA officially lifted its shutdown-related restrictions on general aviation access at 6 am on November 17, ending a turbulent couple of weeks for business aviation. The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) was the first to welcome the change, noting that GA users will finally be able to return to something resembling normal operations.

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