Also: CAF Normandy, NetJets Pilots Ratify, IWASM Trivia Night, MV-22 Accident $$$

Boom Supersonic got the first instance of Special Flight Authorization to go supersonic, planning to push their XB-1 aircraft beyond the sound barrier. The FAA granted the authorization for them to test fly at Mach 1+ in the R-2508 Complex and part of the R-2515 High Altitude Supersonic Corridor. The FAA says that it completed a thorough review and Environmental Assessment, paving the way for future supersonic flight testing in the commercial sphere. Paul Poberezny's work needs little introduction in the world of experimental aviation, sport flying, and hobbyist aeronautics, being attached to what has grown into a titan today. Sometimes, growth makes it easy to miss the little things, and today's "little guy" is smarting more than ever just looking at the price tags of "cheap" aircraft. Poberezny, seeing similar things while he was still with us, tried to fores

Also: Junkers A50 Heritage, Montaer Grows, Dynon-Advance Flight Systems, Vans' Latest 

Officially, the Carbon Cub UL and Rotax 916 iS is now in its 'market survey development phase', meaning it's just about to head into the oven, but the recipe isn't inked just yet. CubCrafters VP Brad Damm wants to see everyone chip in with their two cents to see how they feel about the prospective aircraft. So far, everything that's been shown off paints a very attractive portrait of a lightweight, capable, eager little bird, boasting an empty weight "well below 900 lbs..." CKD Aerospace hit innovation preview with a couple goodies right off the bat, updating fans on their line of kit aircraft, Fisher Flying Products. Now, Fisher Flying Products are looking to moving from spruce into rag & tube. The Affordable Flying Expo is on the books for January 9th through the 11th of 2025. The new fly-in offers a well-timed excuse to take the family down sou

Also: B-29 Superfortress Reunion, FAA Wants Controllers, Spirit Airlines Pulls Back, Gogo Galileo 

Van's Aircraft posted a short video recapping the goings-on around their reorganization as they continue to move away from the brink, and by all accounts, things are going great. Clyde Hamstreet indicated that things are going pretty well in the Chapter 11 process, and they expect their reorganization plan to be approved by the court come May. Hammerstreet noted, with pleasure, that few companies in a similar position manage to survive the process, but Van's is sitting pretty. The Affordable Flying Expo is on the books for January 9th through the 11th of 2025. The new fly-in offers a well-timed excuse to take the family down south to enjoy the Florida sunshine in the same excellent facilities as Sun 'n Fun. The Affordable Flying Expo will focus on the love of flight, and all things that bring it into reach of the average, fun-loving p

Also: Martha King Scholarship, Montaer Grows, Textron Updates Pistons, FlySto

The FAA is hiring thousands of air traffic controllers, but the window to apply will only be open for a short time. The FAA has issued a call to action, requesting anyone and everyone meeting the relatively accommodating standards. They will have to bolster their numbers soon, with plans to hire 1,800 more controllers this year, and another 2,000 in 2025. Spirit Airlines announced its decision to defer the delivery of new Airbus aircraft and furlough approximately 260 pilots. The budget airline, headquartered in Miramar, Florida, is taking these measures as part of its strategy to boost liquidity amidst challenging times. Redbird Flight, manufacturer of flight simulators and training devices, came out in force to Sun 'n Fun 2024, with all kinds of new goodies in tow. Their new friends at the Recreational Aviation Foundation have kept up their momentum in keeping a

Klyde Is Having Some Issues Comprehending The Fed's Priorities

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Loitering Munition Sees Increased Popularity Now that it's 'Battle Proven'

AeroVironment's efforts in Ukraine apparently won them some customers around the beltway, with a nearly $9 million order being placed from the United States Marine Corps. The small, semi-autonomous loitering munition provides troops with "organic, anti-armor/anti-personnel, precision fire capability at the tactical level," while being packable to boot. AeroVironment's $8.9 contract could eventually be worth $249 million, if everything is exercised. “AV offers a battle-proven and production-ready system to support OPF-L to meet the Marine Corps’ requirements,” said AeroVironment's Senior Vice President of LMS, Brett Hush.

Easy Online Forms Available For Sport Plane Manufacturers And Suppliers To Be Listed In The Upcoming eSPRG

Work on the SportPlane Resource Guide is going well… Albeit a little bit behind schedule, because as we got into this process, things became a bit more complicated simply because we learned we could do an even better job at certain aspects of this project than we thought from the beginning. They say that the enemy of true quality is the phrase "good enough" and we want to be far more than “good enough.” FMI: www.sportplane.com, Online eSPRG Vendor Survey Form, Online eSPRG Sp

With The eSPRG Only Weeks Away From Its Start Date, A-AF Will Help To Support Sport Flyers, Worldwide

With the all-new and all-digital SportPlane Resource Guide getting ready for publication early next year, the Aero-News Network is pleased to announce yet another addition to the Airborne video news programming roster… Airborne-Affordable Flyers. Dedicated to keeping people up-to-date on the most affordable aspects of sport and general aviation, Airborne-Affordable Flyers is one of our most exciting offerings yet. A-AF will delve into more than just the current LSA community, but look at all aspects of aviation to examine and evaluate the most enjoyable, and most affordable, solutions to flying, operating, and owning aircraft in the 21st century.

Mooney M20K Fatal Accident; Pilot Loses Control in IMC

The NTB has concluded its investigation into an accident involving a Mooney M20K aircraft that resulted in the death of the pilot. The crash occurred on June 10, 2022, shortly after takeoff from an airport in Camarillo, California. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact after the pilot lost control during flight. The NTSB's final report attributes the probable cause of the accident to the pilot's spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control of the aircraft after entering IMC. These conditions were characterized by low visibility, mist, and cloud tops ranging from 400 to 1,600 feet. On the day of the accident, the instrument-rated pilot, who was unfamiliar with the airport, planned a flight to his home base. Despite the challenging weather conditions, which were communicated during a pre-flight briefing, the pilot filed an IFR flight plan, requesting VFR-on-top. After a routine engine run-up and takeoff, the pilot likely entered the clouds but failed to establish contac

From 2010 (YouTube Version): Yeah.... This IS A Really Cool Job

When ANN's Nathan Cremisino took over the lead of our Aero-TV teams, he knew he was in for some extra work and a lot of extra responsibility. Still... with all that, there ARE times when its good to be the top guy.... like when our friends at Aspen Avionics call over and ask if we want to put one of our Aero-TV videographers aboard a formation aerobatic flight with the world famous Aero-Shell Aerobatic Team. At such times, its good to be in a position to say... "Hey, I want to go..." and go. It's an amazing experience... paired up with some of the best aerobatic pilots in the business, aboard amazing historic airplanes... all in the shadow of one of aviation's greatest get-togethers.