Velis Electro, Explorer, and Velis Cub Earn Type Certificate Validation

Pipistrel recently announced that Transport Canada has validated the type certificates for its Velis Electro, Explorer, and Velis Club aircraft. The decision opens doors for Canadian operators looking for sustainable trainers and marks a notable step for Pipistrel’s ever-expanding presence in regulated training environments.

New Glenn Follows in the Footsteps of SpaceX’s Starship Mega-Rocket

Blue Origin finally logged a clean booster recovery with New Glenn, giving Jeff Bezos’ company something it has been publicly chasing for years: proof that its heavy-lift rocket can reuse components the same way SpaceX has since October 2024. The flight also shipped two NASA satellites towards Mars as New Glenn’s first paying-customer science payload.

Drone Maker Set to Join the FCC Covered List on December 23

Just over a month ahead of its potential ban in the US, DJI has launched its lightest and most compact drone to date… and for obvious reasons, it won’t be coming stateside anytime soon. The Neo 2 succeeds the Neo, which launched last year and quickly became a favorite among beginner pilots and creators due to its affordability and ease of use.

Years-Long Effort Boosts Safety, Consistency Across Operators

The National Business Aviation Association, together with FlightSafety International and CAE, announced the publication of a business aviation aircraft standard operating procedures that has been a long-time effort and represents a milestone in business aviation safety and consistency.

Five Individuals Recognized During a Ceremony at the EAA Aviation Center

A group of five recreational aviation trailblazers was honored on November 12 as the newest members of the EAA Sport Aviation Halls of Fame. The initiation ceremony and dinner were held at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh, bringing together families and longtime friends to recognize the contributions that have made flying what it is today.

Also: ATI Strike Prep, Spirit Still Troubled, New CubCrafters Dealership, A-29 Super Tucano

Samaritan’s Purse is officially moving its historic Douglas DC-8 cargo jet into retirement and bringing in a new Boeing 767. This marks the end of an era for the world’s last flying, US-registered DC-8. For more than a decade, the four-engine DC-8 served as the backbone of Samaritan’s Purse’s disaster response efforts. The aircraft was acquired in 2015 and has since flown 217 missions, delivering over 9.2 million pounds of critical relief supplies. Boeing delivered 53 jets in October, bringing its 2025 total to 493 aircraft and marking its strongest output since before the pandemic. Of the log, 39 aircraft were 737 MAX models, including nine to Southwest Airlines and five to Ryanair. Widebody deliveries included eight 787 Dreamliners, two 777 freighters, and four 767s. Dynon’s Trig Avionics announced the introduction of the TT23

Demonstrator Flies Just Three Months After Concept Revealed

Joby Aviation announced the first flight of its recently developed turbine-electric, autonomous VTOL aircraft. This comes just three months after the aircraft concept was announced in conjunction with L3Harris Technologies, who brings technologies and expertise to address defense applications for the U.S. military.

Controller Callouts Drop Dramatically As Gov’t Reopens

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford released a new emergency order, based on a recommendation from the agency’s safety team, that freezes flight reductions at the current level of 6%. The announcement was issued prior to the House vote to pass the Continuing Resolution that reopened the government.

Also: Taiwan Cuts Age Limit, Denver To Pay ATC?, NBAA Calls Out False Claims, Another Regional Shuts Down

The longest federal government shutdown in history is finally coming to a close… but the aviation industry is taking its time to bounce back. Airlines are getting ready to shoulder thousands more flight delays and cancellations as the President himself takes to warning air traffic controllers with pay cuts. The FAA’s game plan involved an initial 4 percent flight reduction at 40 major airports, incrementally working its way up to 10 percent. Through years of first-hand experience, Adriana Barrigan has seen how damaging holes in the flight training industry can be on student pilots… and she created an app to fix it. FlyORKA, which recently made its way onto Apple and Android platforms, is designed to make training more efficient and promote student confidence. Spartan Education Group announced the acquisition of Aviato

Also: Duffy Predicts ‘Mass Chaos’, Modern Skies Coalition, More Impacts,  Archer Buys Hawthorne

With only a few months of preparation—and minimal outside media support—the first-ever Affordable Flying Expo successfully unfolded over three energetic days this past week. According to exhibitors and attendees, (not us), it was a success. As with any first-time event, there were lessons learned. Thankfully, we had the expert team from the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo by our side. Two and a half years and 1,000 flight hours after its unveiling captured the attention of business aviators across the world, Textron’s Cessna Citation Ascend has earned FAA type certification. The first few jets have already rolled off the production line and are expected to enter service later this year. In a minorly tearjerking yet hopeful letter from Kenai Aviation owner Joel Caldwell, it was confirmed that the Alaskan regional