Australian Investigators Determined That His Reserve Chute Inadvertently Deployed

The Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) has wrapped up its investigation into a recent skydiving incident, revealing that one of the jumpers was left hanging 15,000 feet above the ground from the aircraft’s horizontal stabilizer due to an inadvertent deployment of his reserve parachute. He was able to cut himself free and pull his primary chute, allowing him to leave the scene with only minor injuries.

Also: Project Talon, McFarlane Acquisition, Sky-Tec Service, JPL Earth Helo Tests

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. The Global 8000 comes with a headline-grabbing Mach 0.95 top speed, a certified 8,000-nautical-mile range, and a cabin altitude of just 2,691 feet at cruise. 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.

Also: AirVenture Tkts, Pipistrel TC, Samson Patent, Kolb Aircraft Resumes Production

The FAA has released an updated set of advisory circulars to support the transition to the long-awaited Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (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published November 14, aim to align long-standing guidance with the performance-based system that will replace the outdated light-sport framework when MOSAIC takes effect in 2026. Dynon has released SkyView HDX software version 17.4, bringing a fresh round of upgrades and quality-of-life improvements to its flagship experimental avionics suite. The update centers on improving usability, expanding hardware compatibility, and ensuring the system remains current with global data models and evolving technology. Attendees and exhibitors of the Affordable Flying Expo were the first to hear about a powerful new ini

First DA20i Since Production Line Reopened Handed Over At HQ

Diamond Aircraft announced the delivery of the first new European-made DA20i Katana since the production line was reopened. It was handed over to Aviation Academy Austria in a special ceremony at the Diamond Aircraft headquarters in Wiener Neustadt on November 28, 2025.

Also: Airbus Acquisition, USCG Helo Sniper, Remember Pearl Harbor, New Thunderbird 1

Gulfstream’s newest addition to its next-gen lineup, the super-midsize G300, is officially airborne. The jet lifted off from Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV), staying in the air for 2 hours and 25 minutes. The crew took the aircraft to 30,000 feet and cruised at Mach 0.75, checking off the major boxes needed to kick off the flight-test campaign. The Trump administration has officially locked in its pick to spearhead the biggest upgrade to America’s air traffic control system in decades. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced on December 4 that Virginia-based national security company Peraton has been selected as the program’s Prime Integrator. Aero-News friends over at Stop ADS-B Abuse have long profiled the infernal systems  where ADS-B data can track aircraft activity for fully-automated bill

Nine-Seat Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Hopes to Earn FAA Part 23 Type Certification

Electra is walking its EL9 hybrid-electric aircraft into the formal certification phase, filing its application with the FAA to begin the Part 23 process. Work with the FAA now shifts from compliance in development to acceptance of the certification plan and building out the test program.

Representatives Davids, Flood, Carter, and Mann Introduce SAF Act

Four US Representatives are taking another swing at getting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) legislation into government… and hopefully this time, it’ll stick. The Securing America’s Fuels (confusingly, also referred to as SAF) Act was introduced in the House by Reps. Sharice Davids, Mike Flood, Troy Carter, and Tracey Mann on December 9.

Also: Trailblazing Aviator Betty Stewart, Wind Farm Scrutiny, Chatham Ban Overturned, Airbus Shares Dive

A Thunderbird pilot, ID'ed alternately as Thunderbird 5 or Thunderbird 6, (but not yet confirmed officially) ejected from his/her Lockheed Martin F-16CM-52-CF Fighting Falcon Wednesday (12-03-25) during a training mission in California. The accident occurred near Trona Airport on an unoccupied dry lake bed area south of the airport in San Bernardino County. The pilot ejected safely just before the airframe impacted the ground. Air India somehow misplaced a 43-year-old Boeing 737-200 and forgot about it for over a decade. The Kolkata airport didn’t forget about the airplane though, and continued to add parking fees. The airline was oblivious until recently, when it received a parking bill that, over a 13-year period, accumulated to a total of 10 million Indian Rupees, about USD$120,000. Dynon has released SkyView HDX software version

Also: Electra Goes Military, Miami Air Taxi, Hypersonics Lab, MagniX HeliStrom

Amazon’s Prime Air drones are back in the spotlight after one of its newest MK30 delivery drones struck an overhead internet cable in Waco, Texas. The incident serves as an unnerving replay of safety concerns that surfaced just two months ago involving back-to-back collisions with a crane in Arizona. The more recent event occurred on November 18. The drone, registered  N139PA, had just wrapped up a delivery when it “clipped a thin, overhead internet cable,” according to Amazon. The maiden flight of LandSpace’s ZhuQue-3 rocket on December 3 was one for the books… for both its successes and failures. The rocket reached orbit before the first stage booster recovery attempt resulted in an explosion near the edge of the landing pad. A soldier with no aviation experience was trained how to create flight plans and flew unmanned Black Hawk hel

Board Approves Purchase Of Two Aircraft Through United Rotorcraft

The Kern County Board of Supervisors voted in March 2025 to approve the purchase of two Black Hawk helicopters from the U.S. Army’s surplus program that will be transformed into Firehawk firefighting helicopters. The county’s fire department is asking the board to approve an agreement with Seaview Helicopters to provide training to four pilots who will fly the Firehawks.