Expo to Return to Lakeland Following the Debut of the Affordable Flying Expo

The legendary SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo is getting ready to celebrate America’s birthday with its 52nd annual return to Lakeland next April… but not before it lends a helping hand to launch year one of the Affordable Flying Expo. Despite the widely recognized airshow season coming to an end, SUN ‘n FUN is sticking around. Sport aviation enthusiasts can return to one of the most iconic airshow campuses in the world for the inaugural Affordable Flying Expo from November 6 to 8, 2025. The timing couldn’t be better; with MOSIAC officially announced, AFE stands to be the best opportunity for the community to get involved, ask questions, and see all the industry has to offer.

RE Advisor To Lead Urban Air Mobility Facilities Development

VertiPorts by Atlantic, a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Aviation, a nationwide network of FBO facilities and services, announced the selection of Cushman & Wakefield as its real estate advisor to support the company’s initiative to develop vertiports across strategic U.S. markets.

Also: Pilot Age Cap, Skylar AI Flight Assistant, NS-36 Mission, ALPA v Shutdown

The federal government has officially gone into lockdown mode. The FAA will be laying off around a fourth of its staff, leaving 11,000 employees in limbo as another 13,000 air traffic controllers are forced to work on their own dime. Air traffic controllers are considered critical roles, meaning they are required to remain on the job but won’t receive pay until the shutdown ends. Side effects of the recent US government shutdown have made their way into the airshow side of things, with Pacific Airshow organizers confirming that some of its most iconic acts are no longer on the itinerary. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds and Royal Air Force Falcons will instead headline the event, standing in for the traditional USAF Thunderbirds performance. 55-year-old content creator Tang Feiji was killed on September 27, 2025, after losing control of his twin-rotor ultralig

Also: New NOTAM Service, 737 Production Cap, RNZAF NH90 Helis, ATC Sick Days Trend Up

Just over three months after hitting the market, Piper Aircraft’s diesel-powered multi-engine trainer has logged its first domestic order. The deal will deliver five of the Seminole DX aircraft to Florida-based Skyborne Airline Academy. The Seminole DX was unveiled at this year’s EAA Oshkosh AirVenture. Designed to run on JET A and JET A-1 (with SAF approval in progress), the trainer’s twin DeltaHawk DHK4A180 engines offer about 40% better fuel efficiency than typical avgas piston engines. The FAA is looking to begin the first phase of what is shaping up to be a very expensive move, aiming to get part of its workforce situated in the DoT headquarters by early December. The agency confirmed the relocation in August as a means to improve collaboration and address safety concerns with its aging facilities. France’s largest air traffic c

Also: USAF Reactivates Squadron For Drone Ops, Beyond Aero, Vertical Aerospace, Archer Midnight

Amazon Prime Air has halted its unmanned delivery operations after two of its MK30 drones ran into the boom of a crane in Tolleson, Arizona. No injuries were reported. The crash happened early on October 1, leaving both aircraft destroyed. Police in Tolleson quickly secured the site and confirmed that an investigation was underway. Federal officials also stepped in, with both the FAA and the NTSB doing their parts. Skydweller Aero announced the recent completion of a 74-hour flight of its unmanned, solar-powered aircraft in conjunction with the Navy. The flight was conducted over the Gulf of America and represents a major advancement in unmanned aircraft technology. Austrian air taxi startup FlyNow Aviation is celebrating the first untethered test flights of its eVTOL vehicle, the eCopter. The helicopter-like prototype first took to the skies with

There Are Nightmares... and There Are Nightmares, Klyde

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Third-Edition Resource Guide is Getting Ready… But It’s Waiting on You

The third edition of the SportPlane Resource Guide—soon to launch as the expanded, fully digital eSPRG—is almost ready for release. The layout is there, dozens of instructional chapters are written, and hundreds of aircraft write-ups are complete. This edition will be bigger, more detailed, and easier to update than the previous 1,100-page print version (probably settling in at more than 2000 pages!), with the potential to far exceed even our own anticipations with S-LSA, E-LSA, ultralights, avionics, and accessories. The only major thing slowing it down is one simple piece: more data from manufacturers.

Dozens of Companies Unveiled Innovative Products Ahead of the 51st SnF Aerospace Expo

Kicking off the 51st SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo, we hosted the second annual SnF Innovation Preview to give more than 20 companies just enough time in the spotlight to debut their new planes, products, engines, accessories, and more… In other words… it was a LOT of news, and it’s all still up for your viewing pleasure.

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.

While On Short Final, About 300 Ft, The Pilot Performed A Forced Landing Near Trees

On September 7, 2025, about 0932 eastern daylight time, a CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX airplane, N40DT, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Thompsonville, Michigan. The private pilot was not injured and the passenger sustained minor injury. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The airplane departed from the Thompsonville Airport (7Y2), Thompsonville, Michigan, about 0917. Shortly into the local area flight, the pilot noticed a flicker on the Garmin G3X Touch display, but a low voltage warning never appeared.