“Escondido’s Royce Williams is 100 years young, a Top Gun pilot like no other, and an American hero for all time. The heroism and valor he demonstrated for more than 35 harrowing minutes almost 70 years ago in the skies over the North Pacific and the coast of North Korea saved the lives of his fellow pilots, shipmates, and crew. His story is one for the ages and it now has its rightful chapter as Royce receives the Medal of Honor.” Source: California Representative Darrell Issa (CA-48) announced the finalized 2026 National Defense Authorization Act includes his legislation that permits U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams (Ret.) to be eligible to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. The NDAA is expected to be approved by the House and Senate in the coming days before heading to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

First Global 8000 Goes to Patrick Dovigi, Marking the Jet’s Official Entry into Service

Bombardier has earned a round of applause from the business aviation community, celebrating the formal entry into service of what it calls the “fastest civil aircraft since the Concorde.” Keys to the first Global 8000 were turned over to loyal customer and GFL Environmental CEO Patrick Dovigi on December 8.

Japan, China Fight Over Airspace as Broader Tensions Rise

Japan and China are trading protests after defense officials tattled on Chinese J-15 fighter jets for using Japanese F-15s to practice their fire-control radar locking skills over international waters… twice. China met the claims of “dangerous” encounters with a protest of its own, accusing Japan of disrupting training operations and manipulating the truth.

Competition Awards $320k to Eight Prototype Winners Ahead of Final Fly-Off

The GoAERO Prize is getting ready to enter its home stretch, naming the eight new prototype winners that are now one step closer to flying their emergency-response aircraft at NASA Ames in 2027. The organization is handing out $320,000 across the teams, assisting the transition from early concepts to real, flying hardware.

Manufacturer Learning Valuable Lessons from CCA Loss Against General Atomics & Co.

As the race for the “autonomous wingman” continues, Lockheed announced their latest entrant into the market as Project Talon, a modular UAS they hope hits the sweet spot between cost and performance. Events back East have really demonstrated the value of affordable uncrewed systems over fancy ones. Their recent loss against General Atomics and Anduril for the CCA contract further drove the lesson home: There’s no place for a 30 -million-dollar drone in 2026 and beyond. Talon takes that lesson to heart, with a 50% parts reduction, lower weight, and quicker manufacture, but there's still a long way to go, as they look to flight testing in 2026...

Immersive 3D Visualization Tool Accelerates Learning, Improves Decision-Making

CAE announced at Airspace Asia Pacific 2025 it is expanding the use of its proven, advanced 3D visualization technology, CAE Ridge, to its Air Traffic Services training program. CAE Ridge leverages immersive and collaborative scenarios that accelerate learning and improve operational decision-making to enhance the training of air traffic control professionals.

Provo MRO Transforms Owners’ Vision Into Distinctive, Elegant, And Personal Project

The Provo, Utah, full-service MRO facility of Duncan Aviation recently turned out a striking and distinctive paint scheme on a Pilatus PC-12 that helped the owners transform the aircraft into an elegant and patriotic display for its owners.

Options For P550 UAS Could Extend Deal To $42M

AeroVironment and its partner Parry Labs have been awarded a 3-year contract with a base value of $13.2 million plus options that could grow to $42 million to provide the U.S. Army with its newly developed P550 UAS for its Long Range Reconnaissance program.

Boeing-Spirit Merger May Take Some Time

A New York Stock Exchange Notice says trading of Spirit AeroSystems will be suspended on December 8th, adding a little angst to the market. Boeing needs to fulfill certain closing conditions before they can roll Spirit back into the fold, but some are saying the acquisition could be completed early this week.

From 2022 (YouTube Edition): Still Life with Verve

David Uhl was born into a family of engineers and artists—a backdrop conducive to his gleaning a keen appreciation for the form, function, and beauty of machines, and an intuitive understanding of the passions they inspire. Mr. Uhl purchased his first motorcycle in 1988, and his pencils, brushes, and artistic sensibilities hastened to document the arcane syncretisms of line, curve, and color by which the brute concomitantly aroused the intellectual and visceral ecstasies.