Engine Failure Suspected As MD-11 Goes Down In Flames 

A fully loaded UPS McDonnell Douglas MD-11 headed from Louisville, Kentucky, to Honolulu, Hawaii, crashed shortly after takeoff and went down in a large fireball with at least 9 confirmed dead and 11 injured. An uncontained engine failure is suspected, according to a former Department of Transportation Inspector General.

Check out https://affordableflying.net/attend/ Right Away and Get YOUR Tickets To the Affordable Flying Expo!

It's finally here, The Affordable Flying Expo begins November 6th! Thanks to the folks at Sun n Fun, we have a highly professional online ticketing apparatus at our disposal for this month’s Affordable Flying Expo. And we have other good news... use the code “AFE2025” and you can get $5 OFF the adult ticket price of $15 or even more for a three day pass. After an insane amount of work on the part of the ANN crew and more than a little hand holding by the event experts at Sun n Fun, the Expo is shaping up. We have an amazing series of seminars and forums in the works as well as a LIVE Friday Night Town Hall in which we will be dissecting MOSAIC in as great a detail as we can muster. 

Nearly 20% of A220s are Grounded, Many Airlines are Moving to Retire Them

The A220, once marketed for its profitability and efficiency, seems to be spending a lot more time parked than planned… and operators are starting to lose patience. Nearly 20% of the global fleet is grounded due to ongoing issues with Pratt & Whitney’s PW1500G geared turbofan engines.

Experts Are On the Way To Answer YOUR Questions

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, principally in Hangar A, 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. 

Starship Prepares to Return Humankind to the Moon

SpaceX has provided its most detailed look yet at Starship’s progress, positioning the towering vehicle as the backbone of NASA’s Artemis program and the company’s broader goal to make humanity multiplanetary. Starship, designed to be fully reusable and capable of carrying 100 metric tons to the Moon or Mars, is apparently being built at a pace rarely seen in aerospace.

More Planes, More Flexibility, and Fewer Barriers to the Sky

The FAA’s new MOSAIC rule doesn’t just reshape how light sport aircraft are built: it changes what Sport Pilots can do. Starting in late 2025, pilots flying under Sport Pilot privileges will gain access to a much wider range of aircraft, which translates to enhanced accessibility, affordability, and flexibility across the board. The most significant update was ditching the long-standing 1,320-pound limit, replacing it with stall speed. This change alone opens the door for popular aircraft like the Cessna 172 and Piper Archer to qualify under the new rules, bringing a huge boost to availability and training options.

Security Lines and ATC Delays Expected to Skyrocket Nearing Thanksgiving

The federal government shutdown is stretching into its second month with no clear end in sight, potentially making it the longest shutdown in US history. And, as if the situation isn’t bad enough, the busiest travel season of the year is fast approaching with bookings at an all-time high.

Production of Tail Kits Begins as Flight Testing Shows Promising Results

Sonex has announced another major step forward for its eagerly awaited Highwing model: a successful static load test of the aircraft’s horizontal tail section. With the hard part out of the way, production of the Tail Kit is set to begin, and customers will receive shipping timelines by mid-November.

Organization Calls on Longer-Range Aircraft As Jamaica Faces the Tragic Aftermath of Melissa

The National Business Aviation Association is putting its humanitarian arm to work, activating its Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) Database as Jamaica faces the aftermath of the strongest Hurricane in its history. The move connects volunteer aircraft operators with relief coordinators to ferry supplies and aid into areas with massive power outages, blocked roads, and collapsed infrastructure.

MOSAIC-Centric Event Set For November 6-8, 2025... DON'T Miss It!

After a master strategy meeting this last week on the grounds of the Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo campus, details have been completed for the first MOSAIC-dedicated, MOSAIC-centric Affordable Flying Expo (AFE25). With the rule officially announced, AFE25 stands to be the best opportunity for MOSAIC-interested folks to get their questions answered and for the industry to show the aviation community that they are ready to serve this expanding niche.