Joins Test Fleet In Early 2026, Enables Public Demo Flights

Vertical Aerospace, developer of electric aviation aircraft, announced the completion of its third and final full-scale prototype aircraft and will begin a piloted flight test campaign after its commissioning in January 2026.

Government Admits to Breaching ‘Duty of Care’ Ahead of the Mid-Air

The US government admitted that it is partially responsible for the January 29, 2025, mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), citing failures by both the US Army and air traffic control. The crash, involving an Army Black Hawk and American Eagle Flight 5342, killed all 67 people aboard and marked the deadliest US aviation accident since 2001.

Eve Confirms Timeline to Get the Aircraft in Service in 2027

Eve Air Mobility’s uncrewed, full-scale eVTOL engineering prototype has successfully gone airborne, marking the transition from rigorous lab and component testing to an even more rigorous flight test campaign. The milestone reinforces Eve’s current schedule to get type certified, complete initial deliveries, and enter service in 2027.

First Contract For Integrated Training System For Japan

Textron Aviation Defense announced the company has finalized a contract to deliver the Beechcraft T-6JP Texan II integrated training system to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, in coordination with the Kanematsu Corporation. This first contract also includes instructor pilot and aircraft maintenance technician training materials.

Freighter Would Otherwise Be Forced Out of the Market At the End of 2027

Boeing is begging for an extension to the 777F sales deadline to finish up work on the new 777-8F, which will not be ready in time to fill the gap in its lineup at the current pace. If the FAA declines, the freighter will be forced out of the market at the end of 2027 under new fuel efficiency standards.

Grounding Trims Capacity During Peak Season and Adds $175M in Costs

FedEx is hoping and praying that its MD-11 freighter fleet will begin returning to service sometime in the spring after a major cargo accident forced an industry-wide grounding during the peak shipping season. But damage has already been done, with the carrier expecting to incur $175 million in extra costs by the end of the disruption.

Yes... We Will Be On A Holiday Schedule For The Christmas Holiday

As the Aero-News staff observes the worldwide holiday of Christmas this weekend, we wanted to let our readers know that ANN will still be on the job, reporting breaking news in the aviation and aerospace fields as it happens -- in Real Time -- just like always. Aero-News will be publishing at a slightly reduced level on December 25th and 26th, as our staffers spend some time with their families... some of whom may not recognize them away from their computers. Basically, we're going to treat the long weekend as just that: a long weekend, meaning you'll still be able to find several new stories each day on our website.

Also: MGen. Jeannie Leavitt, NTSB Blasts Congress, Austro 5M Hours, Firehawk Helo Pilot Training

The FAA has released an updated set of advisory circulars to support the transition to the long-awaited MOSAIC rule, offering new direction for pilots, instructors, and light-sport repairmen. The documents, published November 14, aim to align long-standing guidance with the performance-based system that will replace the outdated light-sport framework when MOSAIC takes effect in 2026. Minnesota CFI Gabriel Kesler has won Sporty’s $2,500 Pilot Training+ Scholarship, which he will use to obtain his multiengine and multiengine instructor ratings. Kesler is a newly certificated flight instructor who teaches in a variety of training environments, including EAA’s Sport Pilot Academy in Oshkosh, where he instructs in RV–12s and contributes to the Pilot Proficiency Center during AirVenture. Frasca International, a provider of flight simu

Also: Bombardier’s Mach 0.95 Jet, Bristell Upgrade, Leonardo M-346, Happy Holiday!

The effort to reunite a plane with its pilot has continued to rise through the ranks, reaching federal levels in a recent letter to the DoT and the Department of the Interior. The agencies are being asked to step in after a Stinson 108 was emergency-landed and held captive on the tribal land in northern Minnesota. The request centers on a 1946 Stinson 108 owned by Darrin Smedsmo which was flying over the Red Lake Indian Reservation toward Bemidji for training when his engine suffered a catastrophic failure, forcing a landing on Minnesota Highway 1. An early-morning aircraft theft at Van Nuys Airport (VNY) ended quickly, and surprisingly without leaving the ground, when a stolen LA Flight Academy Cessna 172 crashed into the side of a hangar. Authorities say the training aircraft struck the building while taxiing. Jared “Rook” Isaacman was swor

Also: The Aircraft That Delivered, Breakthroughs and Breakdowns Report, Aero-Standouts, Aero-Stumbles 

Welcome to a special episode of Airborne Unlimited... with a look back at 2025 and what it all might mean for 2026. Call it The Aero-News Aviation Reality Check — 2025 Edition, bit make no mistake... in one form or another, these are the stories, companies, planes and products that distinguished aviation this year. While there was a;lot to cover and much that we really didn't have th s[pace for, we wanted to offer some kudos to planes, products, powerplants and programs that deserved serious kudos... as well as those who most definitely did NOT. With MOSAIC finally out of the bag, partially, the industry stands at the forefront of great possibilities so long as it is ready to take advantage of the opportunities ahead of us and NOT blow it as it has with so many other promising developments. Still there are hazards ahead and in an